I recently watched the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and it led me to think about this question " Can India and Pakistan ever be friends?" Well the answer my friend is not a easy one. The previous generation genuinely thought that people on the either side were brothers and they had lands in each others country which bound them. No matter whatever wrongs happened during the partition and despite the killings all of the displaced people had emotional bonds. Despite the hatred of during the partition there were neighbors and people displaced due to the partition.
Cut to current times and our generation have been born in our respective countries. No memories of the by-lanes of Lahore or Chandni Chowk for people from either side of the border. 4 wars till now and death of numerous soldiers on either side of the border. We Indians gloat about the successes we had in the wars and how we fought bravely to defend ourselves. I believe the same would be propagated on the other side of the border. NO country likes to propagate its defeat. But the common thing on both sides was the wars caused deaths to numerous soldiers whose only fault was they were just following the orders of their political masters (In case of Pakistan the military masters). But what the deaths did was create hatred in the minds of general population . What initially might have been bewilderment at the wars gave way to outrage as our fathers, bothers, uncles started dying. Now The other country was an enemy who had a role to play in the destruction of the peaceful life we had known. THe war was immaterial now and the anger of attack gave way to the emotion of revenge. THe other country had to be defeated to avenge the death of near and dear ones.
That particular generation gave birth to our current generation. The current generation had no links to each others country and at the same time had inherited the hatred from our parents. We heard stories about the air raids, the bombings, the death of a uncle, of a father, a mother, a sister in the wars. The stories of valor on the face of adversity made us proud and at the same time created the image of the enemy. The terrorist attacks attributed to secret services of each others country further engraved the image of the enemy nation. Well I don't doubt for a moment that there are no attacks originating from Pakistan with tacit support from the higher echoleons of the 'other' country .
So whats the point am i getting at? THe point is if we had to become friends with each other and develop a goodwill it would have been done in the first few decades of independence. Why? Because at that time we had people who didn't only share a common history but actually lived through them. It would have been easier for people who had known each other to talk peace rather than the present generation who have literally no links to the lands on either side of the border and share huge mistrust given the wars and other covert activities.
P.S pEace is very difficult but not impossible. Hope we scale down military spends on both sides of the border and spend them on social welfare.
Cut to current times and our generation have been born in our respective countries. No memories of the by-lanes of Lahore or Chandni Chowk for people from either side of the border. 4 wars till now and death of numerous soldiers on either side of the border. We Indians gloat about the successes we had in the wars and how we fought bravely to defend ourselves. I believe the same would be propagated on the other side of the border. NO country likes to propagate its defeat. But the common thing on both sides was the wars caused deaths to numerous soldiers whose only fault was they were just following the orders of their political masters (In case of Pakistan the military masters). But what the deaths did was create hatred in the minds of general population . What initially might have been bewilderment at the wars gave way to outrage as our fathers, bothers, uncles started dying. Now The other country was an enemy who had a role to play in the destruction of the peaceful life we had known. THe war was immaterial now and the anger of attack gave way to the emotion of revenge. THe other country had to be defeated to avenge the death of near and dear ones.
That particular generation gave birth to our current generation. The current generation had no links to each others country and at the same time had inherited the hatred from our parents. We heard stories about the air raids, the bombings, the death of a uncle, of a father, a mother, a sister in the wars. The stories of valor on the face of adversity made us proud and at the same time created the image of the enemy. The terrorist attacks attributed to secret services of each others country further engraved the image of the enemy nation. Well I don't doubt for a moment that there are no attacks originating from Pakistan with tacit support from the higher echoleons of the 'other' country .
So whats the point am i getting at? THe point is if we had to become friends with each other and develop a goodwill it would have been done in the first few decades of independence. Why? Because at that time we had people who didn't only share a common history but actually lived through them. It would have been easier for people who had known each other to talk peace rather than the present generation who have literally no links to the lands on either side of the border and share huge mistrust given the wars and other covert activities.
P.S pEace is very difficult but not impossible. Hope we scale down military spends on both sides of the border and spend them on social welfare.
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