This Independence Day, a reader from Bombay imagines, what if an Indian soldier and a Pakistani ranger come face-to-face on the Line of Control where they rap about their respective countries.
A Pakistani Ranger says
Hum hai azaad Pakistan ke sipahi,
Border pe bhi saath hota hai illahi.
Jinnah Saab ne banaya Pakistan,
Mulk ki chahat mai awaam kurbaan.
Shayaron aur nazmon ka hai ghar,
Dil ko music jaaye choo kar.
Yaha pe Pashto hai, yaha pe Baloch hai,
Duniya ko badal dene ki soch hai.
Khoobsurati hai pahaadon aur dariyaaon mai yahan,
Waisi hi awaam, ka mulk hai ye jahaan.
(We are the soldiers of free Pakistan,
The Almighty protects us at the border.
When Jinnah made Pakistan,
His desire for a country killed the common man.
The home of poetry and prayer,
Music that touches your heart.
Here is Pashto, here is Baloch,
Here is the dream to change the world.
The beauty you see in the mountains and the seas here,
Is what you see in the masses as well.)
And the Indian jawaan replies…
Hum hai Indian Army ke jawaan,
Ye Bharat ka tirangaa hai humaari pehchaan.
Bharat humara hai bada vishal,
Kisaan kheton mai yaha kare kamaal.
Wo traffic ka shor, woh garmi ki dhoop,
Yaha ek bhagwan ke kahi hai roop.
Science se lekar khel mai hum aage,
Border ke us paar padosi zara jage,
Mars tak pohach gaye hum Kashmir kya Cheez hai.
Dushman ko bhi hum kheer khila de itni tameez hai.
(We are the soldiers of the Indian Army,
The tricolour is our identity.
In this mighty country,
The farmers perform miracles.
The noise of the traffic, the warmth of the sun,
One God takes many avatars.
From science to sports, we are leaders,
O neighbour across the border, look out.
We’ve reached Mars, what is Kashmir,
But we’ll host our enemies, that’s how we are.)
Eye-to-eye, a Jugalbandi starts between the two
Pakistani Ranger: Humara hai Karachi, Lahore aur Multan. (Karachi, Lahore and Multan are ours)
Indian Solider: Humara hai Mumbai, Delhi aur Rajasthan. (We have Mumbai, Delhi and Rajasthan)
Pakistani Ranger: Aa jao Lahore tumko Punjabi lassi pila de! (Come to Lahore, we’ll serve you Punjabi lassi)
Indian Solider: Aa jao Chandigarh tumko Punjabi lassi pila de! (Come to Chandigarh, we’ll serve you Punjabi lassi)
Pakistani Ranger: Peshawar aaja mere bhai, doon tujko ko kabab kar ke fry (Come visit Peshawar my friend, will treat you with kebabs)
Indian Solider: Lucknow sheher mai hai nawaab, Aaja khilaunga tujhe behtar kabab. (Lucknow is the city of nawabs, come, I’ll feed you even better kebabs)
Pakistani Ranger: Hai shaan se khada Minaar-e-Pakistan. (Stands proud our Minaar-e-Pakistan)
Indian Solider: Taj Mahal ko dekhne log aye Hindustan. (People come to see Taj Mahal in Hindustan)
Indian Solider: Hai Kashmir humaare paas, (We have Kashmir)
Pakistani Ranger: Hai Kashmir humaara bhi khaas (Kashmir is also special to us)
A pause… on either side of the border, the two soldiers realised they have much in common
Indian Solider: Jab dono hai ek jaise. (When we have so much in common)
Pakistani Ranger: Toh dushman bane kaise? (How did we become enemies?)
Pakistani Ranger: Hum dono kyon lade, (Why did we wage wars?)
Indian Solider: Dushman kyon itne bade? (Why did the enemity grow?)
Indian Solider: Hindustan mai bhi puri kare Allah bande ki muraad. (In Hindustan also, Allah answers prayers)
Pakistani Ranger: Pakistan mai bhi milta hai Mata ka prasaad. (In Pakistan as well are Mata’s blessings distributed)
Indian Solider: Beech hai sirf ye ek taar,
Rehta hai koi mere jaisa us paar (In between us is just this wire, across which lives someone just like me)
Pakistani Ranger: Hum 14 ko manaye tum 15 ko,
Dono desh hamesha azaad ho! (We celebrate on 14th, you on 15th, but may both nations always be free)
(This article was sent to The Quint by Saad Khan for our Independence Day campaign, BOL – Love your Bhasha. Saad is a Mumbai-based aspiring screenwriter and poet.
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