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Comment by jkic47 | Hacker News Reader

The article was unexpectedly heart wrenching to read. India takes its very name from the Indus valley that lies in Pakistan, while the most famous example of Islamic architecture is the Taj Mahal in India. It is sad watching the two countries' governments waste time, energy and lives in a conflict that is essentially at a stalemate.

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Absolutely agree. Too many conflicts come from sides that focus on their few differences rather than their many similarities.

This is coming from an Egyptian who realizes that Israelis (and Jews) aren't so different from my Arab Muslim self.

Now, if only more people agreed.

It's interesting that you bring us (Israelis) up in this context. About ten years ago I was talking to a Pakistani who proudly said to me that Israel and Pakistan are the two "homeland states." I had never thought about that.

Anyway, if you want agreement, I can offer one vote.

They are agitated by the difference not because it's vast and deterring, but it's subtle, persistent and it slaps them in their face when they let their guards down.

It's worth noting the Taj Mahal and other Mughal architecture is not just Islamic though.[1]

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_architecture

India's original name was 'Bharata'. It still is one of the legal names of the country as per the constitution. The name India has it's roots in Latin and not in Sanskrit, the original language of Bharata.

Details here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_India

Yeah, only the English language name uses "India". All the Indian language names are something like "भारत गणराज्य"/"Bhārat Gaṇarājya" (Hindi).

> The name India has it's roots in Latin and not in Sanskrit

Actually, the Latinate name originates from the Sanskrit name "Sindhu" for the Indus river, as it says in the Wikipedia article you linked.

But for all practical purposes, most of North and Middle India do not use Bharat, but Hindustan- which was also derived from river Indus.

Aah..didn't notice that. Thanks.

Perhaps a stalemate has simply been deemed better than losing?

After all, it is far better to throw away endless lives than let your neighbor have what you can't have.

Its not very clear if a hindu is a person who lived beyond the indus valley or indus is the river that demarcates the border of the hindu dominion. What I am trying to say is that, its still not clear if indus derives from the word for hindus or the word hindu is derived from the word indus.

Part of the Indus valley is in India as well.

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