Pakistanis and Indians living in the UAE are joining together to celebrate their independence days.
As Pakistan’s independence day was on Thursday and India’s is on Friday, many expatriates use the occasions to offer goodwill to each other.
As reported in The National last week, Tanya Daud, whose father is Indian and mother is Pakistani, launched an online campaign to try to dispel misconceptions both nationalities may have about each other.
Baat Karain — an Urdu and Hindi saying meaning “Let’s Talk” — aimed to encourage Indians and Pakistanis to wish each other happy independence days, post short video clips, share old photos and discuss ways to dispel stereotypes.
But other expatriates from the subcontinent are also hosting their own cross-cultural events.
Akbar Ali said that in his office in Dubai, Pakistanis and Indians cut a joint cake to mark both independence days.
He said it is tradition that an Indian cuts the Pakistani side of the cake and the Pakistani makes slices of the Indian side of the cake.
“As a cultural melting pot, the UAE transforms confrontation into collaboration,” said Mr Ali, who is from Karachi Aand works at Reckitt Benckiser as head of shopper marketing.
“It’s here that we talk to each other, we learn from each other, we work in same teams and we struggle together to achieve common goals. It’s only here that 68 years of history takes a back seat.”
He said that in his workplace, he has seen Indian bosses praising, coaching and promoting Pakistani employees and Indians vouching for their Pakistani bosses in meetings.
“It is only here that you realise the rest of the world doesn’t see any difference between us ... After all we are all twin brothers with common DNA,” he said.
akhaishgi@thenational.ae
