Rachit Anand
CAN WE LIVE IN PEACE WITH PAKISTAN?
Pakistan is the anti-thesis of India. It is created to checkmate India and to prevent India from becoming a superpower. It was a fitting reply – seen from the imperialistic perspective – to Gandhiji’s Satyagraha, which would have a domino effect on other Asian and African nations aspiring to be independent. The founding father of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, died a disillusioned death, seeing his dream turned into a nightmare. The subterranean forces it let loose were like demons let loose from hell, which no mortal could control. Leaders on either side of the border who held out the olive branch were stabbed in the back or literally stabbed. Prime Minister Liquat Ali Khan who met Jawaharlal Nehru in New Delhi to settle all outstanding issues between the two countries went back to Pakistan only to be stabbed to death on the floor of the House. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri paid a dear price with his life after signing an agreement with General Ayub Khan in Tashkent. The decline of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto began with the Shimla agreement. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream of establishing peace with Pakistan ended up in the Kargil conflict.
Born in turmoil, Pakistan exists in perpetual turmoil of varying degrees. It has failed to produce leaders who can take the country out of its turmoil. And out of the turmoil came military dictatorship – Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul Haq, Musharraf – and each time India hoped with the exit of one lasting peace would be established. Now we are living with the delusion of democracy in Pakistan. It is logical that what was born in turmoil will disappear in turmoil, judging from how Baluchistan, the largest province of Pakistan, is all set to repeat a Bangladesh. But what is disturbing is the nuclear arsenal that could fall into some insane hands! India needs to strengthen its intelligence system and counter-terror defence. Talks are the fig leaves Pakistan uses to cover its naked stratagem. Let not Islamabad capitalize on Manmohan Singh’s noble vision.
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