2008 Woodie Awards
International Students Ignore Feuds, Make Friends
Raghvendra Singh
Issue date: 9/7/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
It was August, 1947, when India was divided into two countries, "Pakistan" and "India". After 50 years of independence, both countries haven't been able to break the ice, and thus the cold war remains as cold as ever.
"Our relatives back home in India often tell us not to make friends with Pakistani students," said Archana Konduru, India. "At times its superstitions and at other times it's just the idea of taking a Pakistani to be an enemy."
Shreyans Singhvi, an international student from India, has no second thoughts about Pakistanis.
"The gap created between the two countries is more on a political scale, and as far as the people are concerned it is just the difference of the borders, other than that, be it the skin color or the language, they are the same," Singhvi said.
In the recent histories of India and Pakistan there have been issues such as the ongoing conflict in Kashmir and terrorism, which has highlighted the disputes between the countries. But as far as international students at CMSU are concerned, it is a whole different part of the world.
"We are here to make friends, and have some quality education," said Javaria Ahmad, Pakistan. "Yes at times, we do meet some Indian students who are absurd, but then one cannot generalize for a few exceptions".
For Soumitra Bandi, a graduate student from India, his recent trip to Missouri has taught him a lot about Pakistan and its people.
"On a recent bus trip to Warrensburg, Mo. I met a lady who was from Pakistan, and we had a good chat regarding the cultural similarities both these countries share with each other," Bandi said.
Another Pakistani, Hasim Choudhary, has a completely different view.
"Indians are not friendly, I tried to be friends with a few of them, but somehow they didn't want to," Choudhary said.
As far as Singhvi is concerned, he finds Pakistanis friendly. In fact he points out the game of cricket, which he says has helped the two countries share some light and exciting moments.
Among all this confusion, there have been times when people have thought of visiting each others' countries.
It has been the beauty and glamour of Goa in Indian movies that attracts Ahmad in visiting it. It is the lack of development and the age-old civil wars in the Pakistan region intersecting Afghanistan that interests Bandi.
For Konduru, it is just the name that does it all. Since she comes from the city of Hyderabad in India, she would like to visit the Hyderabad in Pakistan sometime. And as far as Singhvi is concerned it is just Lahore in Pakistan, all the way, since that's the only place he knows there.
"Our relatives back home in India often tell us not to make friends with Pakistani students," said Archana Konduru, India. "At times its superstitions and at other times it's just the idea of taking a Pakistani to be an enemy."
Shreyans Singhvi, an international student from India, has no second thoughts about Pakistanis.
"The gap created between the two countries is more on a political scale, and as far as the people are concerned it is just the difference of the borders, other than that, be it the skin color or the language, they are the same," Singhvi said.
In the recent histories of India and Pakistan there have been issues such as the ongoing conflict in Kashmir and terrorism, which has highlighted the disputes between the countries. But as far as international students at CMSU are concerned, it is a whole different part of the world.
"We are here to make friends, and have some quality education," said Javaria Ahmad, Pakistan. "Yes at times, we do meet some Indian students who are absurd, but then one cannot generalize for a few exceptions".
For Soumitra Bandi, a graduate student from India, his recent trip to Missouri has taught him a lot about Pakistan and its people.
"On a recent bus trip to Warrensburg, Mo. I met a lady who was from Pakistan, and we had a good chat regarding the cultural similarities both these countries share with each other," Bandi said.
Another Pakistani, Hasim Choudhary, has a completely different view.
"Indians are not friendly, I tried to be friends with a few of them, but somehow they didn't want to," Choudhary said.
As far as Singhvi is concerned, he finds Pakistanis friendly. In fact he points out the game of cricket, which he says has helped the two countries share some light and exciting moments.
Among all this confusion, there have been times when people have thought of visiting each others' countries.
It has been the beauty and glamour of Goa in Indian movies that attracts Ahmad in visiting it. It is the lack of development and the age-old civil wars in the Pakistan region intersecting Afghanistan that interests Bandi.
For Konduru, it is just the name that does it all. Since she comes from the city of Hyderabad in India, she would like to visit the Hyderabad in Pakistan sometime. And as far as Singhvi is concerned it is just Lahore in Pakistan, all the way, since that's the only place he knows there.
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