In "Never Tell Them We Are the Same People," journalist Kesava Menon offers a poignant memoir of his tenure as The Hindu newspaper's Pakistan correspondent from 1990-1993, shedding light on the complex dynamics of India-Pakistan relations. Published nearly three decades later, Menon's reflections delve into the tumultuous post-Zia ul-Haq era in Pakistan, marked by military intervention and political turbulence. The memoir weaves evocative anecdotes, providing a vivid portrayal of Menon's experiences in a monitored environment, from receiving a live boar as a gift to navigating cultural challenges with his wife in Pakistan. The narrative explores the unbridgeable divides between India and Pakistan, emphasizing the centrality of Partition and Kashmir in Pakistani nationalism. Despite underlying political antagonism, Menon identifies glimmers of hope in ordinary citizens, advocating for building "constituencies for amity." The memoir's enduring rele
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The question of identity and the looming 'other' that is India, and the Pakistani state's deliberate efforts to define itself from the start as 'not India' forms a big part of the book.