The recent terror attack on the financial capital of India has shocked not only the Indian, but also the Pakistani community settled in Canada.
The Mumbai attack, according to Indian authorities, was carried out by gunmen who came by boat from Pakistan to the Mumbai harbour, raising speculations of renewed hostilities between the two neighbouring countries.
India and Pakistan were divided along religious lines in 1947. The two countries have fought two major wars since then, with hostilities continuing over a number of issues, including the contentious Kashmir dispute.
The Indian authorities have long accused the Pakistan government of actively supporting terrorists in Kashmir and elsewhere.
But with the improvement of cultural and trade relations between the two nations over the past several years, Indians and Pakistanis living in this part of the world heaved a sigh of relief. In fact, the attack last week came almost at the same time as the Pakistan government released 101 Indian fishermen, who had accidentally strayed into its territory, as a goodwill gesture.
As the smoke cleared in Mumbai, the Indian Prime Minister indirectly blamed Pakistan for the attack.
Though he never named the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used some harsh words to describe the “neighbours” he claimed are responsible.
These developments has alarmed members of the Indian and Pakistani communities in Metro Vancouver, particularly the peace activists, who for years have been trying to bring the two sides closer through cultural exchanges.
The Canada Urdu Association (CUA), whose governing body has members from both countries, organizes yearly poetry events to mark a joint celebration of the two nations’ independence days.
“We are deeply concerned about the developments in India,” CUA member Afzal Malik told the South Asian Post.
“Such an episode brings insecurity as the two communities live in harmony here in Canada.”
Malik, who is a Pakistani, added that his country is also a victim of terrorism, and that its government should not be blamed for direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks without any evidence.
“We condemn such a shameful and heinous criminal act,” he said. “Such attacks only serve the interests of the forces who want tension between the two countries.”
Another CUA member, Jeetendra Kumar, an Indian poet and a former journalist who has worked for both the Indian and Pakistani press in Canada, agreed.
“Our Pakistani friends are equally disturbed. We cannot blame the entire country despite the fact that some individuals may have come from there.’’
He pointed out that local Pakistanis also observed a moment of silence for the victims of the Mumbai attack during a poetry event that was held at the weekend.
Fraser Valley Peace Council member Ghulam Mujtaba, a Pakistani, condemned the attack.
He warned that there may be a “larger conspiracy” behind the attack designed to derail the peace process initiated by the two countries.
“We should not make premature judgments,” he stressed.
His Indian colleague, Harjit Daudharia, said that terrorism is a “product” of imperialism.
“It’s the U.S. that supported Pan Islamic extremism in that region in the past,” he argued. “With the U.S. going after those same extremists following 9/11 and the increased involvement of Pakistan in its anti-terror war, as well as the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, both countries have become vulnerable to such attacks.”
By Gurpreet Singh
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