countries had to contain internal turmoil on the one hand and sort out bilateral disputes on the other. The ‘onion thief’ parable started unfolding soon after Partition. The independence, as predicted by Mahatma Ghandi, aggravated rather than mitigated communal tensions (in the guise of nation states).
As a first option, both countries went to full-scale war three times with far reaching implications for regional stability in addition to causing immense destruction on both sides. The nuclear capability of both countries has so far prevented direct confrontation but the threat of a nuclear attack from either side is still out there. Since full-scale war has become too dangerous and costly, both countries have now opted to fight proxy wars.
India uses Afghanistan to weaken Pakistan economically, politically, and strategically. Pakistan, too, has historically targeted Indian vulnerabilities through clandestine operations. This option, too, has proved painful and costly but is in vogue even today in various forms and manifestations. The third option, which should have been the first one – similar to that of the thief paying the fine – is to make some unpopular decisions by receding from historical positions on various issues on reciprocal basis.
Both sides must be prepared to accept the fact that war (direct and proxy) will yield nothing but mutually assured destruction. Purposeful and sincere dialogue appears to be the only viable and durable path to peace. Engagement, rather than confrontation, leads to a solution however complex a problem may be. As a first step, both countries should develop a mechanism for talks which is not prone to episodic accidents. According to Mani Shankar Aiyar, the dialogue process should be uninterrupted and uninterruptible to yield the desired results.
There is a deep yearning in both India and Pakistan for peace and progress. Since 1947, we have inherited mutual suspicion, fear, and animosity. We have invested and continue to invest scarce resources in building huge military infrastructure at the cost of education, healthcare, and development.
Two-thirds of the population in both countries lives below the poverty line. Will it not be more productive to jointly fight ignorance, poverty, and injustice? Is it not time to break the vicious cycle of hate-distrust-animosity once and for all and give our future generations something better than what we have inherited?
The writer teaches at FAST-NU, Peshawar.
Email: zeb.khannu.edu.pk