It will help thousands of people with cross-border ties and others who genuinely wish well for both countries
By Sheeba Hasan | Special to Gulf NewsPublished: 00:00 September 13, 2012
The wedding of Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza had recently brought the subject of Indo-Pak marriages, and its related logistical troubles, into focus; but it’s an issue that has been relevant to many for decades. The 1947 partition of the Indian sub-continent divided thousands of families, including my own. My father’s five brothers and two sisters migrated to Pakistan in the subsequent years. My father, a die-hard Indian and an equally staunch secularist, chose to stay in India. He was a celebrated sportsman of his time, and only had good things to say about his country and its people, despite not always agreeing with the policies of the government. From him, early in life, I acquired the wisdom of viewing the state and society separately. I may not like a country’s foreign policy or certain players in its establishment, but this does not necessarily make that nation or its population my enemy or hate-worthy.
Some major twists in destiny later, I found myself on the other side of the border. A little before my 20th birthday, I had to give up my blue Indian passport for the Pakistani green. At that time, the decision was dictated purely by circumstances, not choice. Subsequently, travel to India became my worst nightmare. Visiting my father and brothers was reduced to an annual treat due to cumbersome visa formalities. Though my experiences with the Indian embassies and consulates have always been pleasant (and I am deeply grateful for their helpfulness), the processes nevertheless have been tedious. Limited entry and exit points in India; three-city visit restrictions; police reporting and filling a special form for Pakistan nationals at the airport (while holding everyone up in the queue behind you) have all posed inconveniences at different times.
My worst experience of the visa restrictions was not being able to reach my dying father in time because I had to waste precious hours on getting multiple copies of the lengthy forms and documents in order, without which a visa application cannot be submitted. And, of course, I couldn’t fly directly to Kolkata because travelling by air I could only enter India through Delhi or Mumbai.
Meanwhile, many years and some more twists in destiny later, I now have an Indian husband and two children who have blue passports too. It has been over 20 years since I acquired citizenship of Pakistan. Trips to India are more frequent; but through it all the visa-travel formalities have remained unchanged. So, quite understandably, I have eagerly awaited the signing of the Indo-Pak visa liberalisation agreement. I was not alone. Several relatives and friends have had cross-border marriages and we often bond over our experiences of visa-related misery, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, helplessness, hope and happiness.