“If war breaks out between India and Pakistan, who would you support?”

// January 25th, 2009 // Desi-Indian, DesiPundit

It wasn’t a serious question. It wasn’t something that he had considered. It was a hypothetical statement, maybe made in jest to get some conversation going with an otherwise quiet companion.

I considered it for a second and answered:

“First, that won’t happen. Second, I would be really devastated.”

We dropped the subject and moved on to other things. I obviously did not pick a side. But my mind kept coming back to the question.

How do I really answer that question? My great-great grandparents came to Fiji in 1879 as part of the indentured servitude system. We didn’t even have a strong, established “Indian” or “Pakistani” identity at that point in time — those countries did not exist as nation-states. We were divided by caste and creed, religion and geography, and subjects of the British. Five generations later, I have no idea what part of India-Pakistan-Bangladesh my ancestors came from and where my family may be scattered. This is true for many in the Indian Disapora, whose families were taken to remote islands and countries for agricultural and indentured servitude purposes.

My mother can probably trace part of her roots to South India, with her father’s family from someplace near Goa. My Dad can trace his roots from Uttar Pradesh (North), maybe some in the Kolkatta region. Our surname is more Western-Indian than anything else.

What part of ‘India’ am I from? I simply refuse to answer that after 130 years. We aren’t from any part of ‘India’ and I refuse to support any sort of belligerance or war.

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6 Responses to ““If war breaks out between India and Pakistan, who would you support?””

  1. mrG says:
    January 26, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    Who would I support? That's an easy question.

    I would support the desserters and resisters and conscientious objectors and anyone else with sense enough to see that ANY armed conflict only serves the purposes of Evil. The battle Arjuna fought as a "just war" was a VERY different creature from the insanity we now gleefully inflict on each other. Theirs was a game, a match of honor and valour. Ours is a sham of state-endorsed high-profit cruelty and blind rage.

    Reply
  2. Dave Bennion says:
    January 27, 2009 at 4:33 am

    Brava! I like your answers.

    Reply
  3. Prerna says:
    January 31, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    Thanks :)

    Reply
  4. Greg says:
    January 31, 2009 at 10:55 pm

    If you are a citizen of Fiji as it sounds you are then you would support the outcome that would be best for Fiji. In this case though since I don't see how any outcome in this would effect Fiji one way or the other then you don't have to take sides.

    But if you want to take sides and your society has no interest involved I would recommend supporting India because Pakistan has for too long turned a blind eye (or many say actually help) terrorists coming from Pakistan to attack India. And India had to do something after what happened in Mumbai.

    Reply
    • Prerna says:
      February 1, 2009 at 1:00 am

      Hey Greg, thanks for your comment.

      The fact is that thanks to the Indian diaspora, state identity means much less than a 'desi' identity — so being a Fiji citizen is not really relevant; I actually have not lived in Fiji for a decade. How does a true 'desi' respond to state violence between two countries that have a common history and whose roots are ingrained in both? It is way more complex than you suggest, which was the point of the post.

      That said, there is no way I will ever support state-sponsored violence and terrorism by anyone.

      Reply
  5. Prerna says:
    February 1, 2009 at 1:00 am

    Hey Greg, thanks for your comment.

    The fact is that thanks to the Indian diaspora, state identity means much less than a 'desi' identity — so being a Fiji citizen is not really relevant; I actually have not lived in Fiji for a decade. How does a true 'desi' respond to state violence between two countries that have a common history and whose roots are ingrained in both? It is way more complex than you suggest, which was the point of the post.

    That said, there is no way I will ever support state-sponsored violence and terrorism by anyone.

    Reply

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