It’s my dream to see India and Pakistan become ‘true good friends’, says Malala Yousafzai

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Sunday said that it’s her dream to see India and Pakistan become “true good friends” as the old philosophy of having borders and divisions doesn’t work anymore. The Pakistani activist added that people of both countries want to live in peace together.

Yousafzai, who miraculously survived a bullet to the head from the militant Taliban in October 2012, said minorities need to be protected in every country as the issue is not related to religion but to the “exploitation of power”.

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Speaking during the concluding day of the virtual Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), she said the news of the internet shutdown and arrests of “peaceful protestors” in India is “worrying” and expressed the hope that the government will make sure that people are heard.

“It is my dream to see India and Pakistan become true good friends and that we can visit each other’s countries. You can continue to watch Pakistani dramas, we can continue to watch Bollywood movies and enjoy cricket matches,” PTI quoted the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner as saying.

She was speaking at the session on her book “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban” at JLF.

“You are Indian and I am Pakistani and we are completely fine, then why is this hatred created between us? This old philosophy of borders, divisions and divide and conquer… they just don’t work anymore, as humans we all want to live in peace,” she said.

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“Minorities are at risk. Minorities’ rights are not given to them. Be it Hindus and Christians in Pakistan, Muslims, Dalits and other minorities in India … Palestinians, Rohingya refugees. It is not a religion, it is the exploitation of power, it is just elites vs the poor and minorities.,” Yousafzai said.

The 23-year-old activist stressed the actual enemy of India and Pakistan are “poverty, discrimination and inequality”.

Apart from “India-Pakistan friendship”, Yousufzai said she also dreams of the day when every girl would get to go to school and have access to quality education.

During the discussion, she also applauded Indian girls and young women fighting for human rights, “speaking out” for farmers in India, climate change and protection of the minority rights, and called their work “empowering and inspiring”.

The 14th edition of JLF had over 300 speakers and performers representing around 25 Indian and 18 international languages and over 23 nationalities.