tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315864752011-04-21T10:51:16.370-07:00Gurmeet Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09317229305368420037noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31586475.post-88689504701607265342007-04-13T11:17:00.000-07:002007-04-13T11:20:30.564-07:00<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><strong>Good bye Farhat till we meet again</strong></span><br /><br />This one is for my colleague and a good friend Farhat who was not allowed in back to the U.S. while he was visiting Canada. 10 yrs of lawful residence in U.S. and one day just like that day he was a suspect; coz he fit the profile – Single Male in 30s, Pakistani citizen with Ahmed as his last name. He lost everything; his job, his place, his friends…This was in Oct 2004. Now after all legal battles he has given up and made Canada his new home.<br /><br />I wrote this on his last day at Cingular Wireless which had continued to employ him remotely and fought for him for a whole year.<br /><br />Farhat’s and my grandparents come from the same district in Pakistan who were probably friends before 1947. … History repeated…only place changed.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">1947, Indian Subcontinent-</span></strong><br /><br />Nations, Countries, Boundaries, Partition<br />People separated; Friendships remain<br />Friends: will meet in a land that is free<br />Our grandchildren it will have to be.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">2000, the Land of Free-</span></strong><br /><br />American dream, freedom, happiness<br />Cingular, work, coffee breaks, more friends<br />Architecture, lunches, meetings, Tacomac<br />Life is simple; how could it be?<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">2005, the World of Fear-</span></strong><br /><br />Countries, Wars, Paranoia, Patriot Act<br />People separated; Friendships remain<br />Friends: will meet in Canada someday<br />Hopefully before our grandchildren, You and Me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/31586475-8868950470160726534?l=visitingfarhat.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Gurmeet Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09317229305368420037noreply@blogger.com1