August 5th, 2012
In 1947, the only real outcome of ‘Independence’ was partition. Today, we must realise the importance of brokering peace and trust across the border for sustainable development. 65 years after Independence, it is crucial to break India-Pak stalemate.
As we approach 14 and 15 August, the anniversaries of the Independence of Pakistan and India respectively in 1947, it is necessary to remind ourselves the great change that took place was not the advent of the much desired and sought after freedom or liberty, equality or fraternity; the price paid was Partition.
The riots claimed a quarter of million lives besides the abduction, dishonouring and brutalisation of tens of thousands women. Both India and Pakistan have lived through six decades of great mutual distrust in which international arms dealers have made fortunes out of three wars. The armies of both countries are ‘volunteers’ and the economic conditions are such that hefty bribes have to be paid by able-bodied young men to get recruited in the army. The desperation for jobs is such that once recruited the ‘volunteer’ has to serve anywhere. ‘Anywhere’ includes the highest, coldest and most inhospitable battlefield in the world, Siachen. Over the last three decades, adverse conditions have claimed 8,000 lives – including 140 Pakistanis in a recent avalanche.
Most of what happened in 1947 was a ‘Transfer of Power’. Romantics like Jawaharlal Nehru talked of “India coming awake at the midnight of 14/15 August, while the rest of the world sleeps”. Indians who love to celebrate rather than mourn took to lighting candles and lamps besides floating banners and buntings and deluded themselves at having become ‘free’.
The Indian National Congress (the party that took over political power) fortunately had a programme and an agenda. The prime minister instituted universal suffrage and created a Constituent Assembly to give India a Constitution more in keeping with its new status. The zamindar system was abolished and this single act released latent energies and created the basis for the green revolution. India returned to being an asset in the area of food production instead of being a liability.
The quest for equality was the next instrument of progress. Power in rural areas moved to what had hitherto been backward classes. The latest development is the empowerment of the Dalits — the downtrodden. This has led to people like Mayawati becoming chief ministers in the most populous state in India — Uttar Pradesh. Her excesses have led to her temporary eclipse but she retains her hold on her vote bank.
It is time to consider what Pakistan and India should do to speed up the process of development to achieve goals like lliberty, equality and fraternity. The overall imperative is to establish peace and trust. India has to decide that it will only ‘act’ and accept/forgo the right to ‘react’. At worst, it is as if one member of a family has succumbed to a disorder or a disease, which has to be accepted as a handicap and not viewed as a provocation.
From time to time, gestures of goodwill have to be made to help create trust and peace. The agreement to have cricket matches is a positive step. The abolition of visas for Pakistanis appears to be another such gesture. As we have said before, this will not be easy and monitoring will require special and continuing attention. The violence route has been tried for over half-a-century and has yielded no encouraging results.
However one looks at it, the Siachen situation is absurd and it reminds one of Aldous Huxley’s division of intelligence into Human, Animal and Military! It is time to move on and try new methods of breaking the Indo-Pak impasse.