Can India and Pakistan be one again?
Gulf News readers had a strong reaction to the report about whether India and Pakistan can ever unite, again, (‘India and Pakistan: Can they be one again?’ Gulf News, November 19). Some readers believe that both countries should forget the 66 years of separation as it is in their mutual interest to do so. While others said that unity was out of question as after a long struggle both nations have developed different beliefs, traditions and lifestyle, and they follow different religions. Then there are readers who believe that the two nations can peacefully co-exist. We present a selection of comments.
Just keep it peaceful
As much as I want the two nations to be one, I agree that it is difficult. Even though most people across the border would understand and sacrifice to co-exist, there are always a few culprits and dirty politicians who won’t let that happen. Both nations have a number of resources, which can bring both name and fame to their countries, provided they are used efficiently without corruption. The two nations are a storehouse of talent and culture, a mix of such a large number of skills and tradition that do not exist elsewhere in the world. But look at them today. Forget uniting or peacefully co-existing, just the visa procedure for an Indian to visit Pakistan or vice versa is so difficult. I’m an Indian whose ancestors lived in Pakistan. As much as I would love to go back and see where I belong, I would be okay even if the dirty politicians across the two nations stop their political games and let people live. My heart aches when I see the two nations bleed and fight. Both nations have enough internal problems to solve, why are they creating more problems for each other? I just ask for peace. Thank you Gulf News for raising this issue.
From Ms Ranu Singh
India
Together we will be stronger
Yes they can be one again. I don’t understand why people think of 66 years of partition as a barrier to overcome poverty and conflict. This is an issue that many people think about on a daily basis. Don’t the Indians and Pakistanis believe that the questions they ask themselves regarding peace can be solved? Being an Indian living in the UAE, I have had an opportunity to work with a number of Pakistanis for many years now. I have never felt that we are different. In fact I salute their transparency and brotherhood. I do understand that there has been a lot of bloodshed and countless unfortunate events between the two nations. But that is not a reason to say no to unity which will bring prosperity to over a billion people. We all are victims of modern-day slavery, as other nations who divided us continue to rule over us. Why can’t we unite and become one of the powerful nations in the world? I strongly believe that the unity between the two nations will help them both eradicate poverty and illiteracy. The new nation will be an example of peace, wealth and prosperity in the world.
From Mr Raj
Dubai
Website comment
A political aberration
I agree with most views of people from different walks of life featured in your report. But let me be clear that the people across borders carry the same DNA, follow the same culture, come from the same civilisation and share the same history and habits. In my opinion there are more uniting factors than dividing. Let me cite a clear example of a united nation - the UAE. It is home to people from hundreds of nationalities and is a great city to live in. The diversity put together is what makes Dubai one of the best cities in the world. For a common man like me, the language and the standard life is more important than the religion or ideology a nation follows. During the time of partition both Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of Pakistan and Jawaharlal Nehru, the leader of India never foresaw a cataclysmic fall out of the precipitated political partition. Both leaders craved for sovereign independence to enjoy power. The world pays heavily today. While India is today a functional anarchy, Pakistan is yet to mould into an independent developing nation.
From Ms Bala Arvind
Dubai
Forgive and forget
Unity is only possible if both nations learn how to forget and forgive. It will happen when both nations get tired of bitterness and feel the need for harmony. People often say that India is land of Hindus. I completely disagree with this. Being an India, moreover a Hindu, I have never felt that my country is dominated by Hindus. There are more Muslims in India than there are in entire Pakistan and every Indian citizen is given equal rights, regardless of their religion. In fact this is the aspect that makes India unique. About uniting the two nations, it will happen someday, the day when people learn to respect other than their own religion and the day they are fed up of continuous hostility. But as of today, it is better that they remain two separate nations. Both countries should peacefully co-exist and ease the strict visa and trade restrictions they have created. This would help them develop. But, even for this there are people in both nations who will never let it happen for their own motives. I sense a change amongst the Indian population, as people have started to accept and have become more open minded. I feel Indians are growing out of the bitterness towards harmony.
From Mr Bob
Bangalore, India
Bury the differences
I really hope that India and Pakistan bury their differences and unite. If this unity ever happens, the major amount spend on the defence budget by both countries can be spent on their progress. In my heart I know that India and Pakistan will unite one day, I just hope that the day comes soon.
From Mr Younus Hussain
Pakistan
Website comment
The outcome of dirty politics
No doubt that the pain from the past lingers and is one of the man reason for the cold war between the two nations. But, why are people forgetting that partition was just a dirty political game. The scholars of both nations warned their people not to be fooled by the agendas of the political parties. But it happened and now it’s a reality. However, this should continue the same way. Things have reached a level where it is impossible to erase the border lines. But people need to stand up and stop today’s political parties, as they are continuing to play their dirty game and create tension between the two nations. Stop provoking people against each other, ease the visa restrictions so that people can at least visit their ancestral land and in some cases their place of birth.
From Ms Ghazala Shahid
Dubai
Website comment
Unforgettable past
Well, I don’t think that there is a need to re-unite the two countries, especially in today’s scenario. Pakistan and India both are sovereign and independent countries, after many ups and downs in the past that were like nightmares and created some of the worst memories for many. We should not even discuss or talk about unity. Both sides need to just come to peace with each other, so that their past issues don’t affect their current and future generations.
From Mr Danish Nawaz
Pakistan
Website comment
Pointless activity
It’s pointless to even think about reunification. We can’t turn the clock backwards, can we? The solution is to accept reality and move on. Frankly, I see no reason why India and Pakistan cannot co-exist peacefully. There are hardly any survivors from the generation that lived through the horrors of partition. The wounds have largely healed and today there is no real hatred between the people of the two nations.
From Mr Ashok Sridharan
Ras Al Khaimah
Website comment
It’s not about religion
Interesting comments in the Gulf News report, but one argument that bothers me is how some people can say that unity is not possible because of religion or ideology. Back then, when the country was separated, it was purely because of political reasons not religious. I agree that the countries cannot unite, but again it’s not because of religion. It’s only and only because of politics. Politicians manipulate people based on religion and race to get votes, which is why they cannot afford peace between the two nations. As far as people are concerned, it doesn’t matter whether they are Hindus or Muslims, despite the religious differences, everybody ultimately wants peace. And as an Indian Muslim, I truly believe that. Yes, there have been incidents of violence based on communal or religious lines in my country, but that is no different from the sectarian violence that takes place in our neighbouring country. Both, again, always stem from dirty politics being played at the cost of innocent lives. So please stop arguing that religion has anything to do with it. It doesn’t. It is, and always has been, politics.
From Ms Amina
Dubai
Never too late
It’s never too late. If you split the letters of the word ‘impossible’, it reads as ‘I’m possible’. India and Pakistan basically are one home, one family that are temporarily divided into two units. The two nations have already started realising the problem this divide is creating, when they compare themselves to the rest of the world. It is in the mutual benefit of India and Pakistan to be united.
From Mr Ahmad Mansour
Dubai
Website comment
Divide and rule
Both the countries have much in common — their culture, their way of living, weather and many other things. Before partition they were living as one nation. The British ruled over the subcontinent and adopted the “divide and rule” policy. Finally the people of the subcontinent decided to separate from each other and after several sacrifices Pakistan came into being. I don’t think the two nations should unite again, but they should keep a good relationship in every field of life.
From Mr Sardar Ali
Dubai
Website comment
Stand together
Whether to unite or not is not important.The most important thing is to live as good and friendly neighbours.Instead of wasting billions of dollars on arms purchased to fight each other, both countries should work towards solving problems of poverty and illiteracy. The enmity has not helped anyone except the nations selling arms and a few greedy nations’ interests in both the countries.
From Ms Sujatha Raja
Sharjah
Website comment
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