A TALE OF TWO ECONOMIES
JAI HO Many of us watched the Oscars with a lump in our throats when A. Rehman was given a standing ovation by the American movie establishment. Rehman, a Muslim from a country not considered by us to be friendly to Muslims being eulogized by Hollywood traditionally controlled by those of the Jewish persuasion. But Rehman’s obvious talent overwhelmed them all. Jai ho! There he stood saying simple but powerful words “I had a choice between love and hate. I chose love!” A simple Muslim of simple origins made us all proud with his talent. Jai ho! What would he have been had he been in Pakistan? First he is a convert from Hinduism to Islam in 1989. Here probably he would have been in grave danger. Quite possibly, some zealot might even have snuffed out his talent. Yet in his Oscar win at one point he said Allah o Akbar! Jai A. R. Rehman! For many years we have comforted ourselves by saying that Muslims have no opportunities in India and that Pakistan was made to give Muslims op