INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS

Abhay Vaidya

On India-Pakistan Conundrum

The Indian and the Pakistani people want to break free from the prisons of their past, but find that they continue to be in a state of siege. Held hostage by their respective establishments of jingoistic politicians, religious and military zealots and one may add, subversive clement they are yet to benefit from the potential of the post-Cold War era.

A minuscule section of the intelligentsia in the two nations has now decided that it wants peace and not warmongering to be the priority. But this yearning is still to expand from closed seminars to becoming a mainstream dialogue.

More bombs, more arms and more posturing has led the two nations out the never-ending spiral of wanting to be one up on the other on the arms front. India wants to keep up with China, and Pakistan with India.

Consequently, there never comes a time when the two sides feel that they have acquired sufficient deterrent capability and could now shift the focus to development. Any amount of emphasis may seem inadequate to express the depth of the feelings, particularly of the post- partition generation that now finds an echo among sections of the society in India and Pakistan: That they are tired of the war-mongers of our nations. That they want peace, stability and development to be the priorities in their nations. And that they want to break free from the shackles of the past.

This may amount to nothing more than sentimentalism to those in the ruling groups - be they the politicians, bureaucrats and the defense strategists in the two nations. For them, the romanticism of a harmonious coexistence with Pakistan- and vice versa - may be bereft of all realpolitik considerations and one deserving scant attention. But then, the matter is serious. What the establishment in the two nations has done is compromise the hope of future generations and leave them a legacy of hatred, bias and prejudice in the garb of national security concerns.

Development, literacy, better health facilities and a stronger economy are also parts of national security; but are always treated as a non-priority. However, mere weaponization at exorbitant costs to the exchequer and the threat of retaliation by a half-starving nation cannot ensure national security in the truest sense.

What remains of the subcontinent after (a nuclear) exchange? A radioactive wasteland with millions of dead, maimed and genetically mutated? Isn't the painful past of Hiroshima and Nagasaki horrendous enough to drive us away from the possibilities of a nuclear exchange?

The dilemma is thus of the need for security and deterrence on the one hand and on the other, the greater responsibility of preventing a nuclear exchange. Balancing the two is important and now that both India and Pakistan are de facto nuclear states, the focus needs to urgently shift to a peace initiative. The India-Pakistan People-to-People Initiative is a step in that direction.

Since 1987, only two regions in the world have increased their military spending - South Asia and Sub- Saharan Africa. That both India and Pakistan spend twice on arms as compared to Saudi Arabia - a nation 25 times richer. The two countries are spending nearly a million dollars a day on the dispute over the Siachen Glacier. And that both countries have six times more soldiers than doctors.

Such a state of affairs might make sense to the establishment, but it is clearly unacceptable to the civil society. We need to rebel against this in our own interest and declare: "Enough is Enough."

(Source: The Mainstream; 9 March, 1996)

Vigil at Wagah: 14-15 August, 1996 Statement of the Concerned Citizens

A candle-light vigil was held at mid-night of 14-15 August, 1996 at Wagah Indo-Pak border in Amritsar district by about 300 human rights activists and other citizens to mark the eve of 50th year of attainment of freedom by both India and Pakistan. The programme was initiated by the Citizens for Democracy

We have assembled here on this day which marks the eve of the 50th year of independent of both countries, India and Pakistan, to extend our warm salutations to our brothers and sisters across the boundary line between the two countries. For nearly 5 decades now, we have lived as neighbors with ups and downs in our mutual relations. There are forces at home and abroad that are keen on keeping us apart and thrive on spreading bitter acrimony and conflict between our two countries. The need to evolve a more humane, friendly, trustworthy and present generation, especially the youth in both countries, mutually beneficial relationship between their countries.

It is precisely for this very reason that we stand here to proclaim our determination that we shall strive our best to remove the wall of hatred that keeps us apart. We are confident that there are millions of people in both countries who want to remove the barriers of suspicion and mistrust that stand between them.

We pledge here on this site enriched by the blood of martyrs who gave their lives to free us from the foreign rule, that we shall strive to our utmost to bring about an enduring relationship built on goodwill and mutual trust with our brothers and sisters across this frontier. We proclaim, here and now, our conviction that through the selfless efforts of men and women of goodwill in both countries that we shall come together, hand in hand, and turn this into a frontier of peace and friendship. We hereby pledge ourselves to secure a better order for peace in both countries.

We have no doubt that we shall succeed. We have dreams, we have hopes, we shall overcome.

 Kuldip Nayar           Rajinder Sachar                Amrik Singh

 Vinod Mehta           Nikhil Chakravarti              Saeed Naqvi

 Dilip Swami              and Others