It was september 2001 when I was in Karachi for the first international film festival of Pakistan with my film Bawandar (Sandstorm). My very hospitable hosts had assigned me a 'handler' to show me around. I was shown the landmark areas such as Clifton ( their sea front, like Marine Drive), Dawood Ibrahim's sprawling mansion, Sindh Club, the various markets, Onyx shops and the roads, streets and bylanes of that beautiful city. At the end of the tour, my handler was keen to know my impressions of her city and was specially curious about how it compared to Mumbai. "Isn't Karachi a better city than Mumbai?", she asked. There was a sense of pride in her question, because we had travelled rather smoothly during our sight-seeing tour where as she had heard Mumbai was very crowded, dirty and it's roads were always congested with traffic jams. I said to her that she was right. Mumbai was indeed congested and traffic snarls were arduous, especially around where I lived. Every tuesday in my area, the devotees visiting Siddhivinayak temple caused a traffic jam. Every wednesday, Mahim Church nearby had a special service causing a traffic jam and every friday, the dargah at the end of the road had Namaazis offering their Jumma Prayers resulting in another traffic jam. Inspite of these inconveniences, most of the time, mumbaikars, respecting everyone's faith, patiently sat in their cars as it crawled through these bottlenecks.
In three days that I was in Karachi travelling through its streets, I didn't come across any temples or churches (I am sure token ones are there somewhere); nor did I come across any non-muslim name on any hoardings, street signs, shops, buses, or any public place. I said to her that in Mumbai you will find many cross roads where you have a Noor Mohammad's Biryani Restaurant on one corner, Ram Bharose pure vegetarian Hindu Hotel on another corner, Marshall Braganza's Bakery on a third corner and a Shere Punjab Dhaba on a fourth corner.
I asked her, if you look at a garden which has flowers only of one colour, and another which has flowers of many colours, which is a better garden? One is monochromatic and boring and the other is colorful and vibrant. She got my point and sheepishly muttered that at the time of partition, her country's leaders chose to make it the Islamic republic of Pakistan where as your country's leaders chose to make it secular. It wasn't her fault as she was not even born at that time. She was right. My chest filled with pride, when I explained that because of those principles and because we chose to follow a path of democracy inspite of all its pitfalls, we have created a nation where even though its largest population segment is Hindu, its biggest movie stars are Muslim. We have had Muslim president, Muslim captain of country's cricket team, and most influential leader of our country was born abroad in a Christian family.
That day in September 2001, in a strange sort of a way I felt superior to my handler, because I felt I was fortunate enough to be standing on a moral high ground. That ground beneath my feet has been eroding in subsequent years, I am afraid. That humbled handler in Karachi now must be cocking a snook at me because of the turn of events in Mumbai in the last few days. What was that you said? Secular!!
Not when you have some bigoted politicians maligning the name of a man whose popularity and talent has made 'Bollywood' a household word in every corner of the globe. The man, whose name in Germany sold out in five seconds flat, every advance ticket of the screening of his latest movie, the same one which goons in Mumbai were trying to stop by threatening movie goers and vandalizing cinema halls in the name of patriotism. In North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa , one has to see it to believe the kind of hysteria this star's presence creates not only among people of Indian origin but of all races and colors.
Inspite of his achievements, this cultural ambassador of our country, has his head firmly on his patriotic shoulders unlike those bloated egos with no achievements to speak of, asking for his apology. His name is Khan, and he is no terrorist, but those trying to intimidate, vandalise, threaten and disrupt the life of a secular Mumbaikar who wants to see his movie, certainly are.
