Indian blogger's website on Pak creates waves

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Islamabad, October 16:: It took Mayank Austen Soofi just two visits to Pakistan to fall in love with the country and its people. And now the Indian, who is in his 20s, is keen on portraying the "enemy" in the right light for which he runs a dedicated blog to "point out those aspects of Pakistan, which nobody notices".

New Delhi-based Mayank, who runs the "Pakistan Paindabad" blog, said, "My first Pakistan yatra was a great learning process as I finally came face-to-face with people who are identified by most Indians as 'enemies'. The country is great, and the people are kind."

The going, quite obviously, has not been smooth for Mayank, even though he has over the past year managed to build a cadre of Pakistani writers who contribute to his blog.

"The reactions to Pakistan Paindabad range from gratitude to disbelief to out and out suspicion. Indians are often puzzled at why am I writing such stuff on Pakistan.

Some think I am a Pakistani living in India, others send me e-mails calling me an ISI agent," Mayank said in an email interview.

"If somebody feels I'm a spy I just ignore them. If they e-mail me, I do not bother to reply. If they leave nasty comments on the blog, I let them stay in the spirit of democracy," said Mayank, who is "amused" by the accusations.

The blog offers an eclectic mix of articles and photo-essays on topics as diverse as Karachi's beaches, the Banbawali Ravi-Bedian canal of Lahore, Pakistan's minority Hindu community and Heera Mandi, Lahore's red light district.

The blog has also stirred up heated debates in cyberspace, especially with its posts on controversial issues like dating in Pakistan.

Asked about the origin of the name Pakistan Paindabad, Mayank said, "I have often heard Pakistanis shouting the slogan 'Pakistan Paindabad' during cricket matches. I think it's quite a catchy line. Like Hindustan Zindabad!

"Paindabad is a Persian word and it loosely means 'to stay'. As you see, despite its critics, despite all the doomsayers, Pakistan has endured. And it will endure. The country may have problems, like many other nations including India, but it will survive. It has its basics in place. "

Mayank was born with a different last name but his passion for Jane Austen and his yearning to be a "Sufi-hearted human being" led him to adopt his current name.