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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.
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