India's Pakistan woes

The US may worry for long as Pakistan hurtles down to a category of a failed state. But India has to worry much more, as the trouble is just next door. India and Pakistan have been cases apart in the last six decades. While India's nationhood has flourished despite numerous tests, course of events in Pakistan has clearly negated Muhammed Ali Jinnah's two nation theory.   

India as a nation has existed for thousands of years. Rulers came and went but the nation remained. But India's boundaries changed a number of times from the mighty emperor Ashoka to Mughal-e-Azam Akbar and later at the time of technologically superior British. 

In contrast, Pakistan as a nation came into existence on August 14, 1947. However, the everyday news of bloodletting in Pakistan and its constant existential crisis do raise a doubt, that Pakistan is still struggling to justify its being a nation. The founder of Pakistan Muhammed Ali Jinnah, one may say, forced the British and the Jawahar Lal Nehru to agree to carving out of a province from India on the basis of religion. Pakistan came into existence, after relentless riots in undivided India and the inability of the Congress to call the communal bluff of the Jinnah led Muslim League at that time.

More than six decades have gone by since the death of Jinnah and creation of Pakistan, but the existential question still remains. The Americans will have no qualms to say that Pakistan is the most dangerous place in the world. This is a nation, where the government of the day gives a call to protest against a film made by an "unspeakable idiot (as said by the Israelis)" American in which 24 people lost their lives. The protest was also joined by over a dozen hardline Islamic organisations, which are on the official restricted list of Pakistan, while being banned by a host of countries for perpetrating terror attacks across the world.

This is Wagah border from the Indian side just before the parade drills from the sides of India and Pakistan begin. While on the Indian side, the Mahatma Gandhi smiles on visitors, a stern looking Muhammed Ali Jinna adores the gate of the Pakistani side. Amritsar is some 29 km away from here, while Lahore is about 30 km away. This gate ironically divides two people speaking the same Punjabi language and sharing the same culture, including the dress and food habits. The local folklore says that the Pakistani army had entered some 30 km inside India from this place in the 1971 war following a bureaucratic delay on the parts of the Indian establishment to issue orders to repel the attack. However, the folklore is that, once the instructions came the Indian army along with the brave local Punjabis marched well into Lohore. In fact, the folklore goes on to say, that one villager near Amritsar still proudly displays a scooter that he had "looted" from within Pakistan.  

The Wagah border just before sunset when gates of India and Pakistan open during a majestic parade on both sides to bring down their respective national flags. The parade is clearly a lifetime experience to watch for, as elaborate drills on both sides instill confidence in the people, that the men in uniform would protect the territorial integrity of their respective countries. 

At Wagah border, the thought can not escape from the mind that India is so close to such a dangerous place in the world, which possesses nuclear bomb. A chill down the spine may slip through at such a thought. But this is a fact and India has to live with this reality, as there is no escaping this fact.       

Invariably, Indian leadership always wants to improve relations with Pakistan. So, there was no exception to this fact, when the BJP came to power, with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee trying his best to improve the relations only to be stunned with unabated terror attacks, including the one on the Parliament, which is the temple of World's largest democracy.

The Manmohan Singh led UPA government is more keen to deepen the ties with Pakistan. So, trade relations and liberal visa regime have been put in place apart from restoring the cricketing ties. But Pakistan continues to honour the rule of law in punishing those responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. While India pursues the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as a legal case, with investigation to pin down the perpetrators with irrefutable evidences, it has still no answer on how to deal with the involvement of Pakistan as a state in such attacks.   

However, Pakistan has so far in the recent years avoided troubling India, as it is itself caught in the worst crisis in its history. While its northwest frontier is in the control of Taliban backed militia who have no shams to behead the Pakistani army personnel and displaying them for the world to look at, the fire (militants) which it mastered over the years to get strategic depth in neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, has actually become the 'masters" of the destiny of Pakistan. Pakistan should know, that "Fire is a good servant but a bad master" and undo the historical error in religion based identity.