Peace move between India and Pakistan necessary and inevitable

By N.S Venkataraman-Mon, Jul 13th, 2015

Many eyebrows were raised in India and Pakistan, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Shariff and discussed Indo-Pakistan relationship in Russia recently. 

While sceptics think that the present peace initiative will end up in an anti-climax, like several other peace initiatives made in the past, at least some people in India and Pakistan think that there is reasonable chance of the present peace initiative being sustained.

The ground reality is that millions of Indians and Pakistanis do not dislike each other and have responded to each other with understanding and goodwill whenever opportunities have been provided. 

There are still millions of admirers in India of Pakistani cricketers and they like to see them and hear about them. Imran Khan, a former cricketer and now a political leader in Pakistan, is often interviewed in Indian TV media and has provided expert commentary on cricket matches taking place in India.

Many Hindi films produced in India are watched in Pakistan with sustained interest.  Occasionally, musicians from India and Pakistan render performance during exchange programmes. Several Indian hospitals receive patients from Pakistan and treat them well, a gesture much appreciated in Pakistan. 

There is also regular trade between India and Pakistan; traders in both the countries face no particular problem in dealing with each other.  Such conditions only highlight the fact that there are no fundamental and insurmountable issues in India-Pakistan relationship.

It is said that the vexed Kashmir issue is the stumbling block in India Pakistan relationship and there is no immediate solution for this dispute. It is also said that unless the Kashmir issue is resolved, peace move between India and Pakistan will not be successful. 

There may be some justification for such a perspective, particularly due to the conflicts and border skirmishes that have been taking place for the last several decades. However, history has repeatedly shown that in many regions, apparently irreconcilable issues have been solved and overcome by change in mindset of the people on both sides.

What is required to achieve this positive change in the mindset is quality of statesmanship and far-sighted outlook on part of the leadership in both the countries. Let us now believe and hope that Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif are capable of exhibiting lofty qualities of statesmanship.

The present time is appropriate for the peace initiative, as both India and Pakistan are victims of frequent terrorist activities and many innocent lives have been lost in both the countries. Both India and Pakistan have common interest in combating terrorism and this cannot happen without mutual cooperation between both the countries.

In recent times, the economy of Pakistan have suffered due to lack of overseas investment inflow, as there appears to be a world-view that terrorism in Pakistan has increased and terrorists and extremists are now well entrenched in Pakistan. This in spite of its efforts to put down terrorism. Certainly, Pakistan can gain a better international image by effective anti-terrorist activities and India’s support can be helpful to achieve this end.

Mr. C.Rajagopalachari (popularly known as Rajaji) who was the first Governor General of independent India and an acclaimed, foresighted statesman, said several decades back that the best way of solving Indo-Pakistan issues would be to focus on positives and ignore the negatives to the greatest extent possible. 

By focussing on the positives, emotional integration and inter-dependence between the people, peace in both the countries would be established. With the mindset of a considerable section of people in India and Pakistan becoming peaceful and harmonious, there would be pressure on politicians and extremists to further the peace process in both the countries.

Possibly, such view point and approach is weighing in the mind of Narendra Modi and Nawaz Shariff, as they shake hands, smile and pose for photograph in Russia.  Modi’s acceptance of the invitation to visit Pakistan in 2016 obviously indicates the fact that he thinks that peace between India and Pakistan is necessary and inevitable.

While extremists and politicians in both the countries with narrow interest will continue to make hawkish statements and shout provocative slogans, millions of peace loving citizens in India and Pakistan who realize the futility of conflict should assert themselves and wage a silent and sustained battle for peace. 

Supported by peace loving Indians and Pakistanis with Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif exhibiting mature outlook, peace would happen between India and Pakistan sooner or later, perhaps sooner than later.