Wednesday, Dec 31, 2003
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By Amit Baruah
Though the New Year will usher in restored air and rail links, the bus service, resumed on July 11 after being suspended on January 1, 2002, now remains the only direct transport link between India and Pakistan. The Delhi Transport Corporation bus this correspondent travelled in can take 37 passengers; it was carrying 47 today. Passengers were being given "mobile chairs" put up in the aisle to accommodate the "extras." Many passengers said they were even willing to travel standing or even on the roof of the bus! The bus service was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on February 19, 1999 amid the fanfare of his Lahore visit. And then came Kargil, leading official India to say that the bus bound for Lahore was "diverted to Kargil." Other than the fog, there appeared to be little excitement as the bus reached Attari on the Indian side of the international border. And, then suddenly, the Sada-e-Sarhad would not start. A score of people began pushing the bus but that made no impression on an unresponsive engine. The drivers tried the `dhakka' (push) start with the passengers chipping in but to no avail. Often, the `dhakka' start simile has been applied to India-Pakistan relations, but today the bus was in no mood to move. Finally, a mechanic was brought in, the engine sputtered to life and we crossed into the Pakistan side of the border in total darkness. The bus was late by several hours. But excitement in the bus was rising as the passengers waited to see their relatives in Lahore. A large number of passengers on the bus were Urdu-speaking Indian nationals — from Bhopal, Bijnor and Bikaner. One family was headed for Karachi for a wedding, but was not sure whether it would be able to get a ticket for the return journey. A young couple — Indian bridegroom and Pakistani bride — were also on the bus, having recently tied the knot in New Delhi. The ceremonies over, the scene was shifting to Lahore for celebrations. One Pakistani trader from Lahore was returning home from Gujarat after having visited his mother-in-law following the death of his father-in-law seven months ago. He told me that his wife and daughter would be waiting at the Faletti's Hotel in Lahore, the final stop of the bus. They came two days ago from Delhi, but he could not manage a seat at that time. Most of the passengers this correspondent spoke to were acutely aware of the state of political play between the two countries. One said that something "good" would come out of Mr. Vajpayee's January 4-6 visit for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Islamabad. Another passenger was not so sure. He said politicians kept shifting their stand on bilateral issues. This was cause for concern insofar as India-Pakistan relations were concerned. Many of the passengers were Urdu-speakers, either Indians, or Pakistani Mohajirs, confirming once again the popular theory that members of divided families make expensive and difficult trips for marriages or deaths to Pakistan or India. For them, the bus is an absolute blessing. For Rs. 800, you can travel the 527-km distance from Delhi to Lahore. The bus has a siren, flashing lights and a police escort for you to travel in style.
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