An inspiring personal experience
An inspiring personal experience
When I got married seven years ago, my wife and I mulled over
spending our honeymoon on Bali. The exigencies of government
service held us from fulfilling that dream. Romanticism attached
to the Indonesian islands however remained on our minds. It is an
irony of fate that when I landed at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport
in Banda Aceh, Indonesia menangis (Indonesia cries) -- and so
were we, here to share and do our bit.
When the international community moved in following the
disaster that struck Aceh on that fateful day (Dec. 26),
Pakistani troops were among the first to arrive. Indonesia and
every one of us were in a state of shock. All we Pakistanis did
here was an attempt to mitigate the suffering of the people at
Lamno and a few projects for community rehabilitation in Banda
Aceh -- a small step amid a big crisis. But what we experienced
here is going to reflect on our lives for a long time to come;
love for the people of Indonesia and the courage and
determination of the people of Aceh -- of course.
In the twilight of my brief stay here, it is time to reflect
on the gains and the losses. The losses were enormous -- valuable
human lives! And the gains were awe-inspiring. Inspiration from a
nation that is fast emerging out of the rubble of the coastline
of Aceh. My romantic impression of the Indonesian archipelago is
still there, spiced not with the myths of folk tales but with
true stories of courage and human sacrifice that we all
witnessed.
At Kureng Raya when Pakistani engineers started clearing the
coastal area, a woman approached a Pakistani officer and asked
him to take care of a certain piece of land. Her son was buried
there. A red flag was placed to mark the location. Her son was no
more, but there is at least a place where she can sit to mourn.
That was one mother; there are thousands of others who have no
place to grieve. And thousands of dead with no relatives to mourn
their loss.
Daily, we came across many such incidents, numerous stories
that make our hearts bleed.
When a calamity of this magnitude occurs it is the people who
suffer the most. Such a large number of people were affected that
community rehabilitation is what is now needed. The idea is to
rebuild institutions, engaging survivors. That was indeed the
philosophy behind the construction of Masjid Pakistan, as
religion and places of worship have remained central to the
Acehnese ethos.
When a vehicle with a Pakistani emblem on it moves through
Kureng Raya, children playing in the fields rush toward it, to
wave -- and when I go to a coffee house a friendly smile greets
me. This is recognition of the concern that Pakistan has shown
for her brothers and sisters in Aceh. Thank you, people of
Indonesia, it is your affection that we shall long remember.
MUHAMMAD AAMIR UPPAL, Banda Aceh