Stereotypes : Indians on Pakistanis and Pakistanis on Indians

[sparklingway]

This is from the awesome blog The life and times of two Indians in Pakistan .

Indians on Pakistanis…
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Sometimes it is difficult to explain to fellow citizens, who know little about Pakistan, what I/we are doing on the other side of Indus.

Here are some of their reactions:

• You mean you didn’t marry there?
• So this is like a punishment posting… Oh my God! How long before you get out?
• After being briefed about the nature of the posting and that it is not quite a punishment: But what exactly do you do there?
• Have you met the Taliban? Has your neighbourhood been bombed?
• Do you know where Dawood Ibrahim is?
• Do you wear the burqa there? Are women allowed to step out? What language do you speak?
• We’ve heard that Indians have shadows? Is that right? Do they trouble you?
• If you invite friends/relatives to Pakistan: Are you crazy? Do you want us killed?
• You must be getting awfully bored there.
• The food must be awesome! Right?
• Pakistanis are a very hospitable people.
• Shopkeepers give away things for free to their Indian ‘mehman’
• Will I be in trouble if we connect on Facebook/phone/stay in touch?
• You better return fast. I will pray for you.

…………….

This is why, when in India, I usually do not give away our current location to strangers because it is quite cumbersome to answer the same questions over and over again.

I was at an eye specialist’s in Delhi and he was annoyingly gregarious. He asked me to return in two weeks for a follow-up. I told him I couldn’t because I didn’t live in that city. The doctor was not in a mood to give up: “Where?” I surprised myself by saying “South Africa”.

Another time I had a nagging co-passenger in transit. “So you belong here?” he asked. I said, “No”. He pressed, “Oh so you must be from…” I walked off to get myself a cup of coffee.

Of course, with friends and relatives I am more than patient because I seriously want to dispel the many myths we have about each other’s countries. I also humour them with stories from Pakistan. Like the ones about our tails.

And yes, it feels rather strange not to have “Daku Bhai” tailing us or that I can just pick up the phone and whine about anything under the sun without having to worry about another Bhai trying to decode my conversation.

PS: Coming up next – Pakistanis on Indians

Pakistanis on Indians…
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Have you met Shahrukh Khan? Isn’t he cute?

• You don’t watch StarPlus (read the saas-bahu sagas)?!!
  
• We love going to India. Great place to shop.
  
• You mean you haven’t been to the massage/spa centres down south yet?
  
• We speak the same language, share the same history, it’s our governments who do not want us to interact. I hope things change for the better…
  
• You are our “mehman”…hope you are enjoying your stay.
  
• You don’t drink?
  
• Overheard: Are there mosques in India?
  
• You don’t look Muslim. Did you marry and become Muslim? That's the trend there – right?
  
• We feel bad for the Muslims in India. Look at Gujarat…
  
• You mean Muslims are not treated unfairly in your country?
  
• When India-Pakistan talks were suspended in the wake of the Mumbai attacks: Why don’t you want to talk to us? You’ve just seen one Mumbai. We see Mumbais every day.
  
• We wish Indian media would stop perpetuating stereotypes about Pakistan and its people.
  
  
• Why are you stealing our water?
  
• Of course, you are creating trouble in Balochistan!
  
• And the latest addition: Walk like an Egyptian, eat like an American, shoot like an Afghan, plot like a **** – but think like an Indian (courtesy Wajahat S Khan)

 

[Unknowncommando]

Nis bro but what we can do if the extreamists in both nations dnt what gud things to happen.
I wish everything will be fine one day.

 

[livingdead]

lolz... I want members to tell their own stories, what are the ideas they had about other country turned out to be incorrect.

 

[[Bregs]]

Since partition the two countries indulged in 3 full and one kargil conflict, being suspicious on each other with no people to people contact gives rise to such half truth half wrong perceptions about each other amongst the common peoples from both sides