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