Marches in Mumbai

I was struck today listening to NPR's report of marches in Mumbai, how thousands of people flooded the streets marching in solidarity against the bombing attacks last week, some calling out for war, for peace, for justice by the government, mourning over relatives, and anger against Pakistan, and anger at the security forces that did not do enough to prevent this tragedy from happening.

As i heard the news, a strange sense of culture rooted me into the story. As if I was pulled into this chapter of current events and felt deep concerns about the issues that the news report focused on. I felt deeply connected to my background.

My family is from Pakistan.

While the reporter continued his story, I could see the faces, sense the feelings of outrage and hurt, and could fathom the loss of life in an instant of a loved one unfairly. Their voices were angry, passionate, determined and demanding justice. Somehow the sound of their cries were heard, and I felt sorry, sad and unsure what I should do.

My Father risked his life as a 13 year old boy as he traveled by train with millions of others when he left India during the partition. He was hiding in a basket, witnessed many atrocities that I never asked him about, and then he life in Pakistan began.

Amazing, how many thousands of miles away we are, back to the present, that when I first heard foggy details about the killings in Mumbai, I was at my sister's in Upstate NY, enjoying thanksgiving, and learning a to play Apples to Apples and laughing together about how many arguments we could create around words.

Whenever people ask me where I am from, I say I am an American with Pakistani Parents, not a Pakistani born in America

And yet, now I feel connected to them, that part of the world. Is this because the sound of the injustice from the voices rang so true to me, or because I was connected to their pain, connected to their hurt and want so much to help fix it. Everyone should fix it. I even thought up a campaign for all Pakistanis around the world to wear the Indian national colors in solidarity with their loss (White Saffron and Green anyone?).