Adventurous stories from Agustinus Wibowo, a backpacker who travel around Asia, which share on www.kompas.com I posted this amazing travel into thread series. I have to translate from Indonesian to English and hope still remain the originality. Happy Reading.
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Independence Gate (Pakistan)
"Pakistan creates a distance between us, we split brotherhood. No more need to continue our war". It was a newspaper article in the Indian lower rubric opinion. Both neighboring countries has been hostiled since birth. Pakistan created out of British India in 1947 when the people of India have given the Muslim countries themselves. Pakistan means "the Pure", idealist Muslim nation was a country that stood on the purity and sanctity of Islam. However, controversy was always coloring history the two countries, which seemed to spread hate each other. Remember the case of bombs in New Delhi that necessarily made point directly India to Pakistan as scapegoat? Remember how difficult India and Pakistan people to get visas also vice versa? People used the word India Pakistan as the most abusive indignation - "Chalo Pakistan", meaning "go away from here to Pakistan. Why Pakistan is always portrayed as a place full of tanks Fire misery?. Why image in Pakistan and India is only black and gray?
India and Pakistan have a border line around 3000 kilometers, but only one official border opened. Wagah border very quiet, except in the afternoon when a decrease in the flag ceremony took place. Not many people can travel, because India visa nearly impossible for the Pakistani people, and a visa to Pakistan the same difficult for India. Unfortunately, many strangers across this border even today was very different. Right on the final day of my due India visa ended, at same time there was a historic day for the relationship the two countries. Here on gate of India I saw tens of kid dressed dancers. Dressed white vest with colors, completed with surban a fan-shaped. There were red, orange, green, yellow, blue. They were the Bhangra dancers, a traditional dance the pure land of Punjab, accompanied by sound of drum and dhol with flute.
"Today is a bus will come from Pakistan," said a TV cameraman with a happy smile, "This is a historic event as signs between India-Pakistan have better relationship." I saw the bus crawled slowly on the back gate Pakistan.
"They come! They come!" People cried. Bhangra dancers directed to leap vessel possessed. Sounded of tambourine, drum, flute were mixed. My late in the atmosphere seemed delight. Bus acrossed slowly, the white line that marked the border of two countries. Creeped across the entrance gate, India. Voice of thunderous were. Most Indian officials people with the Sikh surban they were ready to deploy with a bouquet. When officials of the Pakistani bus came , they spreaded of flower, kissed cheeks, rave, and delight Bhangra dancers.
"Bus from Lahore to Amritsar will help people re-approach between the two countries," said Hasim Khan, Pakistan Director of Tourism Development Corporation (PDTC), important officials in Pakistan this entourage. He promised to ease visa, consulate building in Amritsar so that local people need not far to New Delhi to make a visa, and hopes will make this relationship better between two countries. Doosti means Friendship, so bus service is called, will bridge the relationship with the people of Lahore Amritsar. I turned into the excitement, the sound of Bhangra danced was grateful mercy.
Although I'm not the people of India or Pakistan, after so long here, they said the language, ate the same food with them, I felt happy on way they celebrated it. How the beautiful future of South Asia if the enmity the two brothers is ended. Cross-border bus, though only a small part of the long road towards peace, it showed how they being longing to return in peace.
Border back in quiet when a Pakistani bus contains important state officials left slowly place Amritsar. Bhangra dancers were suddenly silent. Indian army border, with a hat like a paper fan, were back in silent. "NAMASTE!" I said separation in India. Ashoka lions, the national symbol of India, India was the last of the visible in my eyes. Ready to come into Pakistan.
"Baab-i-Azadi," written above the gates of the letter in Urdu. Independence Gate. This gate was built in 2001 to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Muslims who died in the journey to reach their homeland during the holy separate Pakistan from India. Pakistan green flag flied everywhere. Pakistan crescented and stared. Pakistan army border dressed in black and wore a hat like a fan.
Compared to the border of modern India Pakistan border was more simple and full of a family atmosphere. The immigration Officials sit relaxed under a tree, chatted, and spent a bore. Who will not bored working on the border quiet as this. I invited to drink tea, yack and took photos. My passport was just only seen at a glance. Visa checked under the light that was usually used to counterfeit the money. On the wall contained a list of countries prone to be self-reported to the police Arriving in Pakistan, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Israel, Iraq, Bhutan, Nigeria, Yemen, Serbia, and of course not forget, India.
Immediately, I was already in the bus to Lahore, 30 kilometers from the border. Pakistan was contrast with India. Open air streets, rows of houses slums, a puff of dust everywhere, made me felt like in the deserts. This was a world which located only a few span of the land of India. Pakistan, the world forbidden.
(to be continued)
