The streets of Lahore are much emptier than when I was here in 2007. A lot can happen in two years. As we drive past the empty bazaars that used to be full of happy people out doing their shopping, one cannot help but feel a hint of sadness mixed with sympathy and nostalgia. More than anything, daily outings in Lahore are reality hits that makes me feel ashamed to say that I live in the UK, in a country that has put do much fuel into this war on terror.
Countless check points, innocent people being questioned by the military personnel, x-ray machines at shopping mall entrances.... This is all supposed to make people feel more secure and protected, but it also rubs the facts of war in your face.
People carry on living their daily lives, worrying about little things that we are all too familiar with - which colour clothes to wear, which film to watch, where to get the daily newspaper from... Despite feelings of frustration and lack of freedom, Pakistanis have high hopes for the future and pray for a better tomorrow.
Some miles away right next to India, dirty faced kids run on the narrow alleys of Kathmandu, begging for money from tourists and trying to find bits of food to eat from cafes and restaurants. Monks are walking peacefully through the crowded streets, with the bells from the nearby temples echoing to their foot steps. The sun burns beyond the tops of the mountains overlooking the valley. There is laughter and happiness in the faces of all the people that one sees, no matter what they are doing.
According to the Nepalis, their country has reached freedom. Despite a lack of social support by the state, or any obvious governmental work, people feel free and independent. They are no longer afraid nor do they feel that they are being controlled, how they used to during the Maoist era. People are genuinely happy with their lives and with whatever little they have - be it a tiny room at cousin’s house, or a plot of land behind the village market - as long as they can practice their religion, their beliefs and value in peace.
Here are two countries that have undergone significant change over the past decade. Each one of them battles with their own problems and challenges. Is total freedom and being left on your own better than political fighting and military operations? Is having check points and security personnel better than not having any governmental support?
For those interested in these issues, here are links to a couple of books that are worth reading:
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199568161.do
http://www.sterlingpublishers.com/bookinfo.asp?na=1932705473
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2566815.A_Glimpse_of_Eternal_Snows
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