|
 It
is some time now since Benazir Bhutto was brutally
assassinated. The consequences of the act and the deed itself
are yet to sink in. However, to me her lively personality and
charming presence is etched forever in my memory. I try very
hard to tell myself that she is gone for ever and yet the
memory of that day in Islamabad comes back again and again
when I had seen and met her in flesh and blood. I had imagined
she would be beautiful but I had no idea that she could be so
captivating. As a result when I was face to face with her I
could not help but say, “My God! You are a Barbie doll!” Her
pleasant laughter had filled the room in response. We had then
talked about the serious business of people to people contact
and the role of the media in bringing about some sanity in
Indo-Pak relations. We had specifically discussed the role of
the vernacular press in reaching out to the people and
removing the cobwebs of distrust and malice. I had invited her
to address a special session of the Indian Language Newspapers
Association (ILNA) and she had graciously agreed to it. In
fact, she was rather keen to undertake the exercise. Alas! To
my eternal regret that will never happen. To my mind the best
revenge against the perpetrators of the foul act is to
strengthen the forces that could have established a sane order
in Pakistan and lasting peace in the region. One way of
contributing to that effort is to create a congenial
atmosphere between India and Pakistan so that the massive
funds that are diverted to combating the phantom of threat
from each other are better utilized to hasten the process of
development. Nothing pleases more the forces of darkness than
suspicion and hatred for that is a fertile ground for them. |
