70 Years have gone by since the day the Indian Subcontinent turned into two countries. Since then, blood has been shed multiple times, curses – even bullets have flown past and over borders piercing through the souls of innocent beings and soldiers, some merely obeying orders and others just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. There are hearts that still reek of hate, perpetuating a hatred that has taken lives of hundreds over the course of these 70 Years.
I put pen to paper today because I feel not the ‘want’ to do so, but the see the evident ‘need’ to do so.
Unlike quite a few, I believe not in politics to be a criminal field. Rather, I believe in it as a noble profession for those willing to devout their lives to the service of other living beings. Unfortunately, “corrupt leaders” have brought a bad name to this noble pursuit. Nonetheless, I shall not be a criminal myself and hence, take equal blame, for it is said that the worst of leaders are only revealed on the worst of nations and I am certain that we have had made some mistakes that have resulted in this adversity. We must amend them as soon as possible otherwise the consequences of this prolonged era of poor leadership will lead us astray.
This fire that still exists between Pakistan and India has quite a few origins but one of the things that still largely fuel it is the stigma created by politicians, militants, conspirers and specially propaganda groups. They dig deep into the roots of the society and sow seeds of hate, violence and absolute despise for one another into one one another. All of this, only for their own, personal, gains.
As citizens of both countries, it is a moral obligation for us to not be indoctrinated by such leaders and hence learn to understand and accept the differences that we have. We must accept the history that we have and then move forward.
The wars from 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 are testimony to the horrendous nature of this unending conflict that we have had. If we haven’t still haven’t learnt that we are headed down a path of astray and demise; we are indeed the ignorant.
I would love to repudiate the allegation of being biased, but to truth be penned; I am biased. I am biased towards seeing and achieving a better future for both countries. I am biased towards having a better future, yep; I am a cynic. I want my generation to have a better life than the one the one’s before me have had because frankly, they have seen too many bullets and mortar shells fly across borders and boundaries.
Hence, whichever side of the border you sit at, I implore you to reconsider the beliefs that have incessantly been indoctrinated and reaffirmed into your minds; we are not at war. Our leaders might want us to think that we have no right to love the soul that sits behind the platoon of rangers protecting the border but I beg to differ. We might be different by nationality, but unfortunate as it may be for many; we are humans. We are the same being.
Conclusively, we have just one need if we plan to get to a better position. We must break lose from these chains that inhibit the process of healing and then, make peace. Not only with those across the border, but ourselves too.
