The jewel within the jewel

India and Pakistan...any time these two countries so alike are mentioned in the same breath there's a third factor hovering constantly in the background...unsaid, unspoken but very much there and very real: Kashmir. In recent times, my readings have strayed away from bilateral relations, Kashmir & the increasingly optimistic atmosphere and hopes of peace that exist now simply because I think I've been deluged with negativity since I was a kid about our unhappy neighbour. Peace was never an option...as it appears to be now. Having had the luck to visit Jammu several years back and having been dazzled by the beauty of that land, I thirsted for a chance to visit Kashmir but that hasn't come to pass yet.

This week's Economist presents a survey on Pakistan; as part of that survey is a brilliant article (but of course) with Kashmir as the starting point but effortlessly moving from one point of contention to another when it comes to the two nations:

"THE Punjabi glitterati, from both sides of the border, were richly displayed at a recent cricket match between Pakistan and India in Lahore. Sequined women gossiped, shielding delicate complexions from the burning sun. Their husbands discussed business and glanced at the play, or at the B-list Bollywood starlets among the crowd. Pakistanis and Indians were almost indistinguishable until General Musharraf, in uniform, appeared on a balcony and saluted them. Then the Indians applauded (they love a celebrity) whereas many Pakistanis sat in silent embarrassment."
Read the entire article here.

The journalistic brilliance of the Economist makes it a pleasure to read, especially when the national newspaper in your country has headlines like "Was his sister called a whore?'' alluding to what Materazzi may or may not have said to Zidane, provoking the infamous reaction.

Oh, and Koshy's at 9 AM (which is when it opens) is tranquil, full of old world Colonial charm..one can feel the diversity & richness of culture of the people who must have passed through it & who continue to do so.