On Crossing from India to Pakistan

Watching the sun rise from India and the same sun set from Pakistan is a rare privilege, especially for those with ancestry in the subcontinent. As such, it carries certain acknowledgements and responsibilities.

One of them is historical. More people have crossed this line in the sand to escape violence and persecution than have crossed it under their own volition. And the wounds of partition have yet to scar; they continue to fester.

There are also our vastly different experiences with this line. For some it is a fortress wall, while for others, such as myself today, it is but a minor inconvenience. Which reality we experience exists almost entirely outside of our control—decided at birth.

Crossing this border is not a privilege I take for granted. But it is also not something I'm willing to let go unused. There is a great deal of work to be done, and we're going to need all the help we can get.