Is it not time for India, Pakistan to reconcile?

Is it not time for India, Pakistan to reconcile?

Is it not time for India, Pakistan to reconcile?
March 23, 1940 is a significant landmark in the history of Indian freedom movement. The destiny of millions of Muslims residing in the Indian subcontinent was changed forever on this day. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, also regarded as a staunch champion of Hindu-Muslim unity, sponsored the Pakistan Resolution at the All India Muslim League’ annual conference held at then Manto Park, Lahore.
A trained Barrister from England and popularly described as Muslim Gokhale, Jinnah espoused fierce nationalism and honestly wanted the British to quit India at the earliest. He was no less sincere than any of his contemporary colleagues of the freedom struggle in voicing his support for achieving a united independent India where everybody, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, would have equal rights and representation in state affairs. It was not until many years later that he realized the necessity of charting a different course to protect the rights of the Muslims.
Jinnah somehow anticipated that a time was arriving fast when the Muslim community must separate from the mainstream movement and go their own way to realize their spiritual, cultural, social, economic and political potential. And the best way to achieve this objective was the creation of a separate homeland for Indian Muslims. He was convinced that the concept of a united India was no longer feasible and that it would lead to a terrific disaster in the form of unrestrained fratricidal killings under the given circumstances.
Jinnah was very livid about the way certain Hindu leaders were surreptitiously siding with a section of the British administration in spreading a rabid anti-Muslim sentiment throughout the subcontinent.
But at the same time the Quaid-e-Azam never advocated forceful expulsion of non-Muslim citizens from the sovereign territory of Pakistan. He was not a religious zealot in true sense and encouraged the people to go to their mosques, temples, churches or any other place of worship without any fear.
In a speech broadcast on radio, Jinnah promised to deliver a nation that will be democratic and at the same time embody the essential principles and spirit of Islam. Jinnah argued that there is no contradiction in it because Islam and its ideals have also taught the world the true meanings of democracy, equity and justice. He very rightly emphasized that the sizeable non-Muslims deciding to stay back in Pakistan ought to be given equal privileges though events on the grounds at later stages has belied his expectations of offering a nation to the world that will be like a spring garden bursting into colorful bloom.
This exactly is the reason why he is much deprecated and demonized in India. Jinnah continues to be cursed for splitting the nation and the resultant displacement and loss of lives during the exchange of population. However, there are some who believe that bitterness and deep-rooted mistrust had momentarily blurred Jinnah’s vision. It is to be appreciated, they say, that in spite of hard feelings Jinnah advocated peaceful co-existence.
Sixty-seven years down the line, it is indeed time to abandon hostility in South Asia. Scores of passionate individuals from all faiths chose to dedicate themselves for the cause of freedom and many went to the gallows together.
They fought shoulder to shoulder without even considering that the comrades-in-arms might be believers of different philosophies and adherents of dissimilar social and religious customs.
And yet the Hindus and Muslims suddenly took up the hatchet against each other defying the rich Indian tradition of inclusiveness and brotherhood.
Unfortunately, bouts of methodical hate campaign had helped sow the seeds of extremism under the very nose of community leaders.
As both the nations continued to bleed each other through overt and covert warfare for the last six decades, social evils like poverty, unemployment and illiteracy remained unaddressed. Since generations have suffered due to this enmity, is it not time for reconciliation? Can the people of India and Pakistan not come out of the prejudices that they have been nurturing for years together? What did we after all achieve from this endless animosity? Virtually nothing except a somber ambience created by mournful wails of bereaved parents and widows and inscrutable, expressionless faces of orphaned children.
The partition did not bring a permanent end to communal conflict and neither did the ground realities altered after several wars. Instead, the scourge of communalism continues to spread its tentacles and war clouds that refuse to dissipate permanently has vitiated the environment completely.
After losing innocent lives in proxy conflict and spending billions on military hardware acquisitions, has South Asia prospered?
No. It remains a low-income zone plagued by endemic poverty while a squabbling regional leadership has only bolstered the nefarious designs of the merchants of hatred. The hawks on both sides, therefore, must realize that remaining engaged in perpetual confrontation is not in the best interest of the poor people of the subcontinent who are desperately longing for peace and prosperity. Vested interests who want the enmity between India and Pakistan to take strong roots are actually exploiting our ignorance.
It is this ignorance about each other that breeds mistrust and the resultant suspicion incites social and political chaos. So let us start afresh and honestly work together to change the destiny of the region.
Afghanistan can be the inaugural platform for such an alliance after withdrawal of US troops. The only worry is hard-line elements infatuated with misplaced nationalism can derail this effort by communalyzing the national discourse.

- Seema Sengupta is a Kolkata-based journalist and columnist.
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view