How many of us know exactly how many states there are in pakistan? How many of us know exactly which part of Pakistan are we trying to recapture? I am sure less than 95% of the population in India don't know the answers to these questions. Yet the hatred for Pakistan is rife. Who created this hatred? We can rightfully say 'The British'.

However why are we still continuing to revel in that? Why don't we take a leaf out of the pages of history and learn from them?

Living in London makes you look at things from a bystander's perpective. The partititon affected a lot of Pakistanisand Indian punjabis. Most of them migrated to and fro between the two countries while a sizable sum sought asylum in Britain. Three - fourth of the indian population in Britain are Punjabis and they are termed as British Indians.

The extreme winters in London donot permit people to walk about in their natinal dress, unlike when I was in Bahrain and the weather was much more compliant and comfort was the order of the day. In london the face is the only betrayel of culture. The rest of the body are covered with layers of sweaters, boots, gloves etc shielding the body from the freezing temperatures.

When I meet a Pakistani or an Indian they look the same. I could easily mistake one for the other. What I am trying to convey through all thisis the message that was long amiss in my education. We both pakistanis and indians are the SAME in every aspect. Our countries and weather conditions are the same, thereby making our features similar.

In London most pakistanis and indians nurture the same 'kwaish'- to return to their motherland. London is not a land for the weak hearted or weak skinned. Weather and trials faced here are far more numerous than those we encounter in our native land where we are cocooned by the security of family, job etc. Also being away from home instills in us the craving to go back.

All these years I assumed my thoughts were unique to me, but no.. they are the same to every Pakistani, Indian etc.

Here Pakistanis and indians walk hand in hand, help each other, celebrate in the birth of each others' offspring, cheer(or jeer) for matches(cricket or football) etc. Here it seems we reunite with the brother we lost.

However do we have to come to another land to realise our folly? Do we have to be a bystander to acknowledge the wrongs of our forefathers?

Yash Chopra's film Veer Zaara- though poorly scripted had a strong message to convey at the end- a message that I can only assume was lost on my brothers/ sisters back in India, but which was hammered on the rest of us outside.

Is it too late to reflect and teach our children or shall we have them realise the same through experience?

When even the Blacks and Whites have learned to coexist in peace why are we still nursing our grievances, why are we throwing salt in our forefathers' wounds rather than just letting it heal?

Bitu Thomas Freelance writer