The paths of these two stars have intersected on several occasions due to their association with the luxury brand Bulgari
entertainment7 hours ago
Animosity between India and Pakistan must be buried. And since the beginning has to be made from one's home, Gurmeet Singh -- a 40-year-old carpenter -- has named his two sons - Bharat and Pakistan. It is his way of saying that "we are one" and one family.
Gurmeet lives with his wife and three kids - two sons and a daughter - in a modest home in Maulot town of Punjab, India, located 70km from the India-Pakistan border. His sons -- 11-year-old Bharat and 10-year-old Pakistan -- are reminder of a throwback era when Partition didn't happen and both people lived in harmony and peace. It is this overriding emotion that prompted Gurmeet to blur the divide with his loving gesture.
"I abhor hatred," said Gurmeet, who was born after Partition. However, the anti-Sikh violence that swept India in 1984 is still quite fresh in his mind. He was 10 when his family migrated from Haryana's Hansi district to Malout.
"I was very young, but I remember hearing about the violence following Indira Gandhi's assassination. The talk of violence all around left an indelible mark on me. Anger does not exist in my body. Forgiveness does," the National Herald quoted Gurmeet as saying.
"I decided that I should do something to spread love and forgiveness among people, nations and neighbourhoods. So, I named my elder son Bharat and the younger, Pakistan," he told the daily.
He adds that nothing gives him more pleasure than to hear Bharat say, "Pakistan is my brother."
But naming his son Pakistan was a tough decision since the society didn't take it well.
"People used to berate me. They used to say that Pakistanis would kidnap him and many other ridiculous things. But we, including my wife Lakhwinder, didn't yield to pressure. Overtime, people understood the idea behind my children's names and now they have no problem calling my younger son, Pakistan."
However, when the time came to admit both sons to school, Gurmeet was forced to rename Pakistan as Karandeep, due to pressure from school administration. But he is still called Pakistan at home and by his friends.
Interestingly, Gurmeet has named his small carpentry shop 'Bharat-Pakistan Woodworker'.
"The soul cannot be at peace if the mind is full of hate towards things, people or nations. It is as simple as that. I may be illiterate and poor, but I believe in the power of love towards all," pointed out Gurmeet.
This world needs more Gurmeets.
The paths of these two stars have intersected on several occasions due to their association with the luxury brand Bulgari
entertainment7 hours ago
The students' demands range from a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas to calls for universities to stop investing in Israeli enterprises
world7 hours ago
Despite Kohli's flowing form ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, pundits have raised concerns over his strike-rate
cricket7 hours ago
Saudi Arabia has begun to explore extracting lithium from sea water
business7 hours ago
Speaking after meeting Lebanese leaders, French foreign minister says there had been "a lot of progress" over the French proposals
mena8 hours ago
The three-shot winner from Japan says he is aiming to become a member of the PGA Tour in the future
sports8 hours ago
Big-hitting Nienaber falters at the finish to settle for secondwhile former Abu Dhabi resident David Horsey takes the third spot at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
sports8 hours ago
The UAE is India's second-largest export destination after the US
economy8 hours ago