[sacw] INDO-PAK FRIENDSHIP - A NEW TURN

[Harsh Kapoor]

FYI
South Asia Citizens Web
============================

Secular Perspective, Feb.16-28, 1999

INDO-PAK FRIENDSHIP - A NEW TURN

By Asghar Ali Engineer

Recently the Indo-Pak relationship has taken a new turn with both
the Prime Ministers showing a spirit of friendship and re-conciliation.
Recently Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, in an interview to a
newspaper struck a positive note and said, "Let us discuss the N-Issue,
the Missile Issue...let's talk directly." It is very meaningful statement.
He said in the interview, "India doesn't want third party intervention in
Kashmir, so why a third party role on the nuclear issue? Or else, let's
have third party in Kashmir as well," he said. It is quite heartening news.
Nawaz Sharif was saying this to Shekhar Gupta of Indian Express on
the eve of a visit by the US delegation led by Strobe Talbott. He also
said that "The (nuclear) threat is all here. So why not resolve the issue
between ourselves." For years attempts are being made to promote peace
between the two countries and improve relations. For the last couple of
years people to people initiative also surfaced and some four conferences
were held in India and Pakistan in different cities. In November, 1998 a
conference was held in Peshawar in which more than 100 persons from India
participated. And, needless to say, it has created right climate for better
relationship between India and Pakistan.
Whosoever goes to Pakistan comes with the impression that people of
Pakistan desire friendship with India and those who visit India from
Pakistan go with similar impression. It is obvious that there is no feeling
of enmity between peoples of India and Pakistan. And yet it is so difficult
to build bridges thanks to tangled political issues chief among which is
the Kashmir issue. Also, the right wing parties in both the countries want
to keep tensions alive - the Sangh Parivar in India and the Jamat-e-Islami
in Pakistan.
Recently the Shiv Sena tried to sabotage the cricket match between
India and Pakistan and dug the pitch at Firozshah Kotla grounds in Delhi
and threatened that the Shiv Sainiks will lay down their lives but would
not allow the match with Pakistan on Indian soil. The ostensible reason
being that Pakistan is sending terrorists to Kashmir. But the political
analysts know that real reason for such behaviour on the part of Shiv Sena
lay elsewhere. It is doing all this with an eye on coming state elections
in Maharashtra in the year 2000. The Shiv Sainiks also threatened to set
fire to the bus which came from Pakistan on its trial run last month. The
Jamat-e-Islami fellows held out similar threat in Pakistan.
But the animosity between the two countries has gone too far and
now there is an urgent need for reconciliation. The people on both the
sides of the border are eager to develop better relationship. It will
immensely benefit both the countries. Partition is a history and should not
embitter us any more. Partition was also after all brought about by
politicians from both sides. The people were not responsible for it. On the
contrary they suffered greatly as more than million people were slaughtered
and millions lost their everything.
Anyway partition cannot be undone and wisdom demands that we now
live as good friends. In fact even the Congress leaders like Nehru and
Sardar Patel who must share part of responsibility for partition, had hoped
that partition was the only solution left for the communal problem and once
it takes place both countries will live in peace and harmony. They also
used the example of two brothers fighting over property but living in peace
after separation.
For last fifty years we have lived with uneasy relationship and
have fought three wars. Now we should say enough is enough and bring about
reconciliation between two brothers in right earnestness. We have much in
common - our languages, cultures and even religions as there are Hindus,
Muslims and Christians on both sides. Many people from both sides are very
eager to visit India and Pakistan. There are divided families. In many
cases if one brother is on this side of the divide the other brother is on
the other side. In some cases if mother is on this side, father is on the
other side.
Besides these people millions of tourists would like to go to the
other country. Sikhs have their sacred places in Lahore and other parts of
Punjab. Nankana Saheb, the most sacred place of Sikhs is in Pakistani
Punjab. Thousands of Indians would like to visit Mohanjodaro and Taxila
which belong to our shared period of history. We are all justly proud of
our old heritage. Similarly thousands of Pakistani are surely very eager to
visit Qutub Minar, Taj Mahal and Lal Qila equally precious heritage from
the Sultanate and Moghal period. The young generation of Pakistani Muslims
born after partition may not have at all visited these historical monuments.
Besides relatives and tourists litteraturs, writers and journalists
are equally eager to visit each others countries. The Punjabi writers from
Indian and Pakistani side would very much like to meet frequently and
discuss literary issues. They share common literary heritage. When they
meet they embrace each other warmly. Similarly Urdu literature - both
poetry and fiction - has so much in common on both sides. There are great
Urdu poets and fiction writers both from India and Pakistan. If India has
among living poets Sardar Jafri and Majruh Sultanpuri, Pakistan has among
living fiction writers Intizar Husain and Ahmad Ndeem Qasmi.
Also, much is being written by many poets and fiction writers on
both sides belonging to younger generation. They are so eager to meet each
other and exchange ideas. Unfortunately it is difficult to obtain even
literary magazines and books and there is great paucity of literary and
journalistic exchanges. And this despite the fact that litterateurs and
journalists from both sides have so much to share with each other.
Then we have business community so eager to promote trade between
the two countries. It is no longer true that the Pakistani businessmen are
afraid of India and would not like exchange of trade. Those days are gone.
Now Pakistani businessmen are equally eager to develop better trade
relationship between the two countries. The late Mehbubul Haque, the noted
Pakistani economist, had fervently pleaded for promotion of better trade
relations between the two countries saying that informal (illegal) trade
worth crores of rupees was already taking place across the border. In
Lahore there is India Bazar where everything Indian is sold. It is said
that this informal trade is in the region of a few billion dollars.
The European nations which fought fiercely against each other until
the second world war in 1945 have not only forged close relationship with
each other but have formed a common European Union, a common market and now
of course a common currency. And it is so unfortunate that India and
Pakistan have not succeeded in as much as liberalising the visa regime. On
the contrary it has been tightened. India was forced to close down its
consulate in Karachi and Pakistan in Bombay. The people are so
inconvenienced to obtain visa. They have to go either to Islamabad or Delhi
and that too with an air of uncertainty. The visa applications are sent to
the foreign ministries of respective countries by the high commissions for
clearance. It does not happen with any other country. Then there is
humiliating condition of police reporting. Again very few other countries
insist on this. And if you are lucky to get visa with all this, your visit
is restricted to one or two cities specified in the visa. In case of other
countries no such restrictions are there. Once you get visa you can go to
any part of the country.
All this must go. Preferably and ideally visa regime should be
abolished altogether. All over the SAARC countries people should be free to
travel. Now no visa are required by the nationals of European countries
within the European Union. They can show their passport and go. The
argument that the spies will infiltrate is not very strong one. They do
anyway. The intelligence agencies of both the countries can keep an eye to
detect such undesirable elements. If visas cannot be abolished they should
at least be liberalised. There should be consulates in different parts of
the countries and people desirous of visiting Pakistan or India should be
assured of visas except where there is strong case or suspicion.
Kashmir problem is of course the main culprit. But it is not easy
of solution and may take much longer to resolve than even the most
optimists think. Not that it is impossible to do so. Both sides should show
generosity to each other despite political caution. Right now there appear
to be only two alternatives: either convert the line of control into an
international border or freeze the whole issue for twenty five years. The
coming generation may not be so sentimental about it as we are. They may be
more capable of settling it coolly. It must be realised that both sides may
find it extremely difficult to retreat from their respective positions on
Kashmir. If any government does that may face stiff opposition from right
wingers. But at some point the governments in both the countries will have
to take risk in the interest of peace and harmony. As some individuals are
at times are called upon to lay down their lives and become martyrs some
governments may also have to play similar role in the larger interest of
their people.
We have fought three wars and have failed to resolve the Kashmir
issue. We are spending huge sums on the armies. This money, all sensible
people will agree, could be fruitfully invested for removal of poverty,
illiteracy and unemployment. For each fighter jet that we buy, thousands of
children can be made literate. With every tank that we manufacture hundreds
of people can feed themselves. It is poverty and illiteracy which is our
common enemy. Let us fight common enemies rather than each other.
Now there is some hope in the air. Shri Vajpayee, the Prime
Minister of India, has announced that he will be the first passenger in the
bus service to Pakistan and Nawaz Sharif has said that he will accompany
Shri Vajpayee on the return journey to India. And the Chief Minister of
Punjab Shri Badal has announced that he will accord grand reception to both
the Prime ministers in Amritsar. Let all sensible people support these
efforts in right earnest. Let us join hands and convert theatre of war into
an arena of peace and prosperity. It will be the greatest service to the
peoples of both the countries. And the Noble Prize for peace should be
shared by the two Prime Ministers.

***********************************************
Centre for Study of Society and Secularism,
Irene Cottage, Second Floor,
4th Road, Santacruz (E),
Mumbai:- 400 055,
India
Ph:- 91-22-6149668, 6153489.

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