A beautiful country along-with the people was lost tobloodshed in 1947. Many people even now think partition of united India was notthe right decision, but a large population favoured partition. Whatever thebelief it is a reality this once prosperous country stands divided into severalparts. Astonishingly, the partition was so complex that it started withreligiosity but ended through linguistic and regional impact.
Anyways, whatever the outcome of the partition anacrimonious enmity between two prominent parts (now independent nations) oferstwhile united India has today turned into a deep-rooted animosity. Thishostility is more of an ego than issues. There are certain issues, but that canbe resolved with statesmanship than going to war. Kashmir is one of theissues—a festering sore that has diseased the complete mindset of not only thetwo warring nations but the whole region. As late prime minister Mr Vajpayee inthe context of Indo Pak relations had very rightly said, ‘you can changefriends but not neighbours. And he triedhis best to stand by his statement. But as I said these two nations suffer fromchronic bouts of ego more than the contagious issues.
India and Pakistan and their people face the same problemsand issues. Poverty, lack of quality education and healthcare are the coreissues the two countries are unable to address fully for the last seven decadesof their independence. Instead of spending their resources on these vitalsectors both countries are out on a race to possess the world’s most lethalarms and weaponry. Both nations have acquired nuclear weapons just to browbeateach other. Their nuclear arms stand in their arsenal at a huge cost ofpeople’s hunger and peaceful living. God forbid, a spark of madness on eitherside will devour not only these two nations and their people, but the wholeregion will get denuded of life and natural resources!
No Indian or a Pakistani want confrontation! Every soul inthis region like all other human beings wants peace, prosperity and a betterlife. Their forefathers have suffered humiliating treatment and loot at thehands of the British for more than three centuries. Then the partition—atraumatising divide that brought miseries to millions. How can a man wish waror warlike situation for his people who have stories of killings, plunder andhumiliation fresh in his mind even after seven decades of partition? And thisstory goes not only on one side of the border but in every corner of India andPakistan. Certainly, time is the best healer, but it can never make the scarsto go!
The recent flare-up on the borders of India and Pakistanmade almost all people in to worry not only for their lives but the wholeworld. In a present-day contemporary era where the whole world is in your palmand just press of a button away, nothing remains hidden from people. The warand the hallucinating aftermath of war particularly the nuclear conflictfrightened the whole region. For nearly two days virtually every activity gotparalysed. Panic on airports and railway stations; dipping stock markets;shortage of fuel and food just at a simple knock of confrontation. Imagine whatwould be the full-fledged war? Visualise the fate of poor people if the warspreads its tentacles beyond borders. Most of them will die of starvation leavealone the shelling and bombs. The people living on the borders are the ultimatesufferers and simply become victims of ego and slightest provocation from anyside.
Thank God. Better sense prevailed with the leadership ofboth the countries and positive vibes started rising from the ashes of ego andhostility. In a charged atmosphere having a long history, no one knows whostarted the war, and no one can tell when and how the war ended. War is a stateof mind where the warring parties cease to have reasoning and logic. In thecase of India and Pakistan, the legacy and unresolved baggage of partition isdiscernible and influences the hostility more severely. This trend if nothandled with statesmanship abilities and competence can flash the worstconflict in the region. Presence of more than two hundred nukes in the regionmakes it the worst flash point of the dreaded war.
Not much has eroded yet, so it will be fair for the leadership of both countries to sit and not only resolve their long-lasting issues but initiate policy and process to neutralise all the nuclear warheads in a phased manner and pledge not to make nukes in future. Otherwise ‘the sword of Damocles’—the war will never allow the region and its people to grow to their potential.
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