But for a compact band of nine visiting young men and women, budding jurists from the University College, Lahore, there was one element that bound them to Bangalore –– its very alienness. The variety of South Indian culture struck them in more ways than one.
Here for over a week to compete in the South Asian Debate Competition at the National Law School Universiyt of India (NLSUI), the Pakistani contingent not only debated and put across their views on jurisprudence, but took away a few points when it came to comparing city life in Lahore and Bangalore.
The young people are another face, a curious new generation that considers itself to be different from the negative image that Pakistan has come to be projected globally.
Deccan Herald met them on one of their shopping sprees on the City’s famed Brigade Road and the team was only happy to share their week-long experience at NLSUI and Bangalore.
Saboor Kiramat, the president of the Debating Society, who is leading the contingent, was all praise for the standards of debating and preferred to stick to the quality of debates. But the fiesty girls who accompanied him were more than willing to share their opinion on topics ranging from South Indian food and cricket to shopping and the time when Indian cities went to sleep.
Night life
Faiza Ahsan, for instance, expressed her disappointment about the absence of a night life in Indian cities. “India closes by 9 pm,” she said.
“The shopping districts and everything in Lahore are open till 3 am,” she complained. And yet she picked up souveniers such as jute bags, apparel, chappals and “choodis” (bangles) before her departure to her hometown.
Impressed by Bangalore’s green cover, another member of the contingent, Iqraa Ashraf said: “Your city is pretty and so much greener than Delhi and the people have been hospitable”. But South Indian cuisine did not quiet agree with Ashraf’s palate. “I have not been able to adapt to the South Indian food and have been hungry for days now,” she groaned. However, Saboor has been devouring dosas and other South Indian delicacies.
The girls regretted they could not watch the latest Hindi film ‘Kurbaan’ which has been banned in Pakistan. From spending an entire night at the Delhi airport and the bus ride from Lahore to New Delhi, to their experience of meeting debating squads from other parts of India, the Pakistani team members described it as a memorable sojourn.
It was the variety of lifestyle experiences coupled with Bangalore’s hospitality that made Faiza fondly remark: “We did not feel like we were out of home for one moment.”