For Peace, Friendship and Unity Between Divided Nations

In this turn, let us talk about Pakistan or the partition which we witnessed at national level and another partition which I saw at my state level. Pakistan - if you hear the name, it echoes the sound of an enemy state. It has become synonym to enemy for most of the Indians and we replace it with ‘opposition’ in the relevant context. Despite being neighbors, we had become levers for opposite forces at play for the last 70 years. The general narrative has been built around opposition; discourse from politicians, media and every adult in the nation is to oppose or speak against Pakistan. I have been brought up in this environment and the mind reflexes have been trained with treating Pakistan as an enemy nation for a lifetime. The incidents that have shaped this narrative also fall in same line - wars have been provoked and waged, terrorism has its ugly roots, a territory has been disputed and entire nations' war machineries have been built on defense and fighting. After evolving for the last 70 years, initiated from the point of controversial division and demarcation, we have reached a point of living on opposite sides, quarrelling and bickering with each other, time and again.  

But my very premise, strong belief and healthy opinion is the enmity between India and Pakistan is highly uncalled for, unjust and simply needs to be replaced with peaceful, friendly neighborhood and loving brotherhood bond between the two nations. I also propose, as a just citizen, to reverse the division, reverse the demarcation of a mere 70 years and unify as a single entity, single nation which existed for thousands of years. Peace replaces violence and unity replaces division – this needs to be realized to every life lost at border, every act of safeguarding unnecessary physical border and everyone embroiled in the tensions of living with a rival for the past many decades. 

I propose to take down the narrative of hate, violence and build love, peace between the neighbours. It is ridiculous that a country like India needs to subsist with an opposing neighbour for very long. Indians or a person from any nation lives in a house and expects the neighborhood to be friendly and supportive. How this basic virtue has been trespassed from its foundation and since many decades has been a big puzzle. Every Indian is unequivocal in co-existing with people from different religions in complete harmony. This is accepted and non-negotiable. How we are not mending ways and living with a religious rivalry with a neighbour is a question on double standards of following our own ethos. We are talking about the great virtues but practicing those differently in action at the biggest scale for many decades. We cannot live with an enemy as a neighbour to our house for one month and how we are co-existing on a national scale for so long without treating the problem points to our inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in operation. 

There is a strong reason to replace the enemy narrative with one that is binding the people on both sides with love and friendship. Our small minds from childhood should not be polluted with this discourse. We should rather raise a generation as paragons of peace and peacekeeping soldiers than create a hostile mindset in the young. This is very true and disturbing on the ground – touch any person of any age and they will open their mouth in opposite terms for the neighbour country. You see any online post – the general narrative goes in negative terms 99% of the time. This is the mainstream attitude in the nation towards our very own neighbour. Why can’t we talk in cordial terms, enforce good relations and forge friendship than creating diametrically opposite opinion. For the wars to end, this attitude of enmity must be defeated on both sides. We need to defeat our beliefs, wage the war within, transform our outlook to transform the hostile environment between the nations. This is the awareness and learning which must be ingrained in a generation for a peaceful tomorrow, than building tomorrow’s war mongers. This initiation should be taken up in both sides which brain wash people at different severities and unleashes against one another. Once again, instead of ill-will and hate, we need to bind people on both sides with love and friendship alone. This is the minimum courtesy required from a member towards his family, of a person towards his brother and of a body towards one of its parts. 

If nation is a body, the body of the unified Bharat which has been on the map for centuries has been divided unjustly and hostility was brewed on top of that. Even with the physical boundaries in existence, these territories still come under one sub-continent, one unified nation and one India, in spirit. We are living in the times of unifiers and builders of unity not divisions and divider-in-chiefs. If there is any semblance of respect to a Sardar Patel or to a Gandhi, these nations must be re-united, and peace should prevail among its people. When we deviate from the path laid by our forefathers, there will be problems galore lying ahead to surmount. In a testament to the towering statue of unity, the great India can also be re-united. Remember, Germany was re-united in 1990 by bringing down the Berlin wall and the same should take place with our two nations. Any great movement, great revolution and great work should pave the way for unification than division. It is easy, lowly to divide and difficult, lofty to unite. Let us adhere to lofty ideals and walk in the just path of a unified nation than catering to the lower virtues of division. 

If we look at the demand behind creation of Pakistan - “In the 1940s, the Muslim League under Jinnah demanded a separate nation for Muslims, arguing that they would not receive adequate representation and protection in a united India dominated by Hindu-majority rule. This demand came to be known as the ‘Two-Nation Theory.’” - This premise in itself is wrong, and we cannot divide a nation based on religious lines. When the foundation for a nation is laid out in wrong assumptions, there is a strong necessity to correct the historical wrong. Pakistan went for elections last week and there is an obligation on elected representatives who can correct this misstep in its foundation and merge back with its mother territory. When there is a false narrative, false action and false division rising to a phenomenal problem in the Himalayan territory, you cannot be blindsided with a false vision and false treatment to a humongous challenge. Correct the root of the problem and every branch will operate without any bleeding and hiccups. This is my proposal from this generation to the responsible elders to steer the vehicle in the correct direction. 

The same is the case with the division at my state level, where the united Telugu state of Andhra was divided into two. This needs to be mended and re-unification needs to be seriously considered. This topic of division at my state and country level is vast and we will re-visit again. As a concerned citizen, I propose my idea of a strong nation, strong state and we need to initiate a collective movement to enforce the just change on the ground. Peace and unity should replace violence and divisions to prevent every minor, major war in the region. Remember Gandhi opposed the idea of partitioning India along religious lines. He believed in the unity and harmony of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and other religious communities living together in a single nation. He saw partition as a divisive solution that would lead to communal tensions and violence. Even after unfortunate separation, he was extremely supportive of Pakistan. How many of us can tread the footsteps of our cherished great soul and realize his great ideals on the ground. It is now than ever, and the time is ripe to reform our minds and bring back our unified nation to solve the burning problem in South-Asia for decades. When the change comes from the bottom, leaders at the top will act on the demand, and it is our responsible obligation to make a just demand.