The last month, the Indian PM addressed the people of Pakistan in his speech, to rage a war of literacy, poverty and child death. I truly welcome his stance. It is exactly what the peace brigade has been trying to avert for quite a long time.
There was the 8 billion dollars which could be spent on schools, colleges, universities, welfare programs, vocational training centers, and hospitals, that were actually spent on the military for purchasing some 36 war planes. So, I believe, yes I endorse PM Modi’s stance, but only for what he says on this matter and not what he practically does in action afterwards!
The recent serious tensions between the two countries feels like déjà vu. The Government of India blames Pakistan for instability and terrorism in Kashmir, the Government of Pakistan blames India for instability and terrorism in FATA and Balochistan. Their (both government’s) definition of instability and terrorism are to their own choosing. They show evidence of each other's involvement with western powers, and they are just bewildered at these two blood thirsty hounds after their Gytrash.
Neither accepts responsibilities for the havoc and civilians deaths which just become a number. The common man suffers every time and at the end just serves as body politik. The inflations, increase in taxes, increase in the cost of living and more rhetoric fed to the masses, these are the preceding elements. Is this affordable for any nation in the world? Not so much. The masses have just been played with all of these years, that today the region spends 70 billion dollars and rising, on this state-run propaganda in military budgets! If only this money was spent on human development.
Apparently, there is a lack of politicians and officials who see human development as a profitable enterprise, in this region. My point is, this needs to change. All I for ask is to shed this cloud of patriotism and nationalism, and try looking past the jingoism.
Pakistan and India cannot change each other's status as their neighbour. We have to work together. Our governments have never been rational when it comes to dealing with diplomatic hiccups. No one wants to turn this region into the biggest graveyard in the history of mankind. Especially when both countries are progressing at a decent pace. Being concerned about the working middle class and lower class, on one's own land and of one's neighbour is not a fantasy, it is a vision, of mine and of likeminded progressives at both sides of the border.
In past month, I have seen the most forceful war mongering and sheer hatred rise from both sides. It is the indicative of a bigger problem. There is something really wrong with our education, that has not allowed us to look beyond our ego and live in peace. Let's strike some logic, keep our patriotism and nationalism out of this old habit of getting a kick out of decayed rhetoric. Rather than watering our wheat this fall, we don't need to fill the field with the blood of Kashmir. Or else for the next 100 years, our coming generations will be washing it off their hands. The water crisis should be dealt as one. The population crisis should be dealt as one. Economic crisis should be dealt as one. Think peace not ego. Try, try and try again, for a diplomatic peaceful solution to these issues.
I am standing for the common man that suffers on both sides of the border and has suffered because of this decayed 70 years of nationalistic jingoism of both states. It is time to get over it!