The second and third week of July brought good news on the front of Indo-Pak relations. The heart surgery of the little Pak girl, Noor, and specially the Indian Public’s response to it, underline the pressing need of peace and friendship between the two nations. The second, and the politically more important, development has been the visit to India of Maulana Fazlur Rahman, an important opposition leader from Pakistan. The two developments, when viewed in a proper perspective, are significant in many respects.
The little Noor has no idea of the history of tense Indo-Pak relations; nor does she know the religion of the surgeons who operated on her for saving her life. She is a fine human being and has been looked at as such which bears testimony to the ancient fact that man, whatever his religious or national affiliation, is good by nature and likes to be useful to fellow human beings. The Noor episode clearly highlights that man-made divisions, political, geographical or others, have little relevance when it comes to being helpful to a suffering fellow being. Noor’s parents chose an economically affordable Banglore hospital for treating their two and a half year old child who was suffering from heart ailments. They did not think for a moment of India was an “enemy country” as many would like to believe on both sides of the dividing border. This is a healthy thinking which needs to be developed further. People of both the countries need to know that there is scope for interdependence that will ultimately benefit both of them.
The Maulana’s visit of India is very significant for a variety of reasons. In India, media has created the impression that all Maulanas, specially the ones from Pakistan, are a “senseless creature” called “Taliban”. Right or wrong, a lot many people believe that the Maulanas are anti-peace and would never allow the establishment of better ties between the two countries. By his words and actions the Maulana has, however, rightly tried to dispel this negative image.
What motivated Maulana Fazlur Rahman to visit India might be speculated about variously. The stated and declared purpose, however, has been to promote peace between India and Pakistan. Considered to be a hard-liner in Pak politics, the Maulana was welcome here with caution if not suspicion. But within few days he seemed to have captured the imagination of may people who matter in India. To his credit, the Maulana said and did a few right things, specially his self-projection of being a peacemaker can be regarded as a smart political move. He came without the list of people he wanted to meet; yet he ended the journey by meeting the PM and visiting the RSS headquarters. He has created ripples, if not stirrings, in an idle sea, and it would be good and propitious both for India and Pakistan to capitalize further on what he has done or initiated. Over half a century of hostilities has given us only problems; now let peace deliver what it is capable of.
The hawks on both the sides need to realize that the world has changed, and we have traveled a long distance since 1947. Living in a historical fix would do no good to anybody. Moreover, many perceptions that people upheld in 1940s and 1950s have become out-dated today. Changes in technology, and specially the ones in military balance, have altered ground realities, even the so-called strategic advantages and disadvantages. A confident Pakistan should take note of such changes and embrace peace, for their “peace-shelling” of India would not only benefit them but also the Indian Muslims.
For a variety of reasons, the Indian Muslims are sidelined in Indo-Pak dialogue despite the fact that they are the worst sufferers of conflict and tension between the two nations. It may also be noted that the Indian Muslims would stand a reasonably good chance of reaping the fruits of peace between the two countries. They would, therefore, welcome all moves for peace made either by India or Pakistan.
[July, 2003]
No comments:
Post a Comment