Malala wants India and Pakistan to become true friends
Activist Malala Yousafzai said the philosophy of borders and divisions doesn’t work anymore and people in India and Pakistan want to live peacefully.
“It is my dream to see India and Pakistan become good friends,” said Malala at the virtual edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival on Sunday. “You can continue watching Pakistani dramas, we can continue watching Bollywood movies and enjoying cricket matches.”
Malala was speaking about her book I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for the Education and was Shot by the Taliban. “You are an Indian and I a Pakistani and we are completely fine, then why is this hatred created between us?”
She said the real enemies of both nations are poverty, inequality and discrimination, which should be fought in union. It is also her dream to see every girl have access to quality education.
“Minorities are at risk,” she said. “Be it Hindus and Christians in Pakistan, Muslims, Dalits and other minorities in India. It is not religion, but an exploitation of power.”
She praised the Indian women’s struggle for human rights and called their work “empowering and inspiring”, but also raised concerns over internet shutdown and arrests of peaceful activists.
At age 17, Malala became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
