NEW DELHI -The challenge before India and Pakistan is to link the hearts of the people in both countries, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said while releasing a Pakistani author’s book. “People in both the countries are the same. They are people who think good about India…people who think good about Pakistan and we need to link the hearts of people of both the countries,” Sibal said at the launch of the book “Smoke without Fire: Portraits of Pre-Partition Delhi” Tuesday.
The book has been penned by Pakistani writer Abdul Rehman Siddiqqui, who has talked about Delhi and its culture before India’s partition in 1947. Sibal said though the capital has witnessed massive changes with flyovers, the Metro and high-rise buildings, somewhere its soul was restless. “After partition, the city has witnessed so much, which is unforgettable. But we need to remember the Delhi which was (there) before partition,” the minister said.
“When I go to Pakistan, it seems I’m home and when Pakistanis come here, they also feel the same. The people of both countries think good for each other. The borders of the hearts of the people of these countries must be broken,” he added.
“This book illustrates how strong the ties are between our two countries. Though a geographical border exists, the soul is the same. The book is not just fascinating reading, it’s of great historic importance as it documents the life and times of a bygone era so effectively.”
Author Siddiqqui, who was present at the launch, had spent his childhood and days of youth in the capital. “I have been living in Pakistan for a long time and my children have nothing to do with India. But my heart will always lie in the beautiful city of Delhi,” he said.
