Vaibhav Tulsyan, 14, Gokuldham High School
Before going to the camp
What I thought about Pakistan was that it was a small country that was India's enemy. I knew a bit about the two-nation theory. I also had read that there was no democracy in that country and that the people were not happy with (Pakistan President Pervez) Musharraf. I thought all Pakistanis would be rude. I didn't have any good views.
During the camp
In the initial days at the camp, I used to tell the people in my debating group that Kashmir belonged only to India. My peers had to comfort me and always be by my side. I was not very comfortable.
Even while I slowly started learning about the other people, there was this one guy who did not agree with my views and I was fed up with him. We used to speak a lot in the debates. When I brought up the idea of a free but informal plebiscite, the others told me about the negative effects. So, it was a good learning experience. Towards the end of the camp we did come to accept some of each other's views.
After the camp
Looking back, we learnt a lot about Pakistan. The most important thing that I learnt is that even if I can't agree with others' views, I must at least make the effort to accept the fact that it's the way they see things. I also learnt things about their leaders, who were in fact our leaders before Partition. For instance, Mohammed Ali Jinnah... I found how well he is respected there in Pakistan. I had not read much about him before that.
Also read: 'There is also a thin line only dividing us'
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