Politics vs Friendship: How An Indian And A Pakistani Are Standing Up For Their Relationship

Sarah Munir just wanted to be there for her best friends wedding, but politics got in the way. Sarah, a Pakistani journalist working in the US, met Purvi Thacker, a fellow journalist from India, at Columbia where both attended the graduate program. Complex Indian-Pakistani relations notwithstanding, the two bonded immediately and the rest was history.

Until governments got involved. Sarahs visa to attend Purvis wedding next month in India was rejected, despite the fact that Sarahs already been to India. Twice. Indian-Pakistani tensions are at an all-time high , with ongoing disputes and violence in the Kashmir border region damaging the already fragile diplomatic relations.

Stunned by the way politics have intruded on their friendship, Purvi and Sarah took to social media. In a November 1 Facebook post that has since gone viral , Purvi describes her devastation: That my best friend cannot be there for what will be my biggest day is something that I cannot come to terms with. Forget the hustling, the paperwork, the months of coordination and prayers- we didnt know that it would end with a rejection.

Ive had a chance to photograph Sarah and Purvi for the social post and their strong bond was undeniable. In the hour that weve spent together in Brooklyn Bridge Park, I witnessed genuine love and care between two human beings, spiced up by the quick-witted banter the two firecracker friends share.

In her post, Purvi goes on to highlight the often forgotten human impact of political decisions, It's extremely sad that even though we have never let religion, nationalities, our shared history and even cricket come between us, incidents like this repeatedly make us feel like we should.

We understand that our countries shared history has huge economic and political implications, but it also takes a toll on normal mundane things like human relationships and connections. Nobody thinks about that. Being friends and being there for each other should not be this hard just because we were born on different sides of the borders.

In the hopes of reaching the right people, Purvi and Sarah have started a truly remarkable effort to #GetSarahToIndia. The two friends aim to not only celebrate Purvis big day together, but also set precedent for transnational understanding and reconciliation. In a world where national identity too often gets in the way of real human relationships, such friendship beyond borders is worth standing up for despite the politics of fear and hate that politicians want us to follow.

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Im a travel writer, photographer, and a wanderpreneur. My work appears in Lonely Planet 2016 Literary Anthology, AFAR.com, Matador Network & others. Learn more about me here and follow my journey on Instagram @insearchofperfect .