Haruki Murakami, a Japanese contemporary writer and translator wrote in his book ‘Kafka on the shore.’
“Listen up – there’s no war that will end all wars.”
Now whatever mean one wants to derive from this line is at liberty to comprehend it according to his own understanding but my understanding tells me that he is purposing that if no war can end all wars then why should we go to war in the first place and if everyone starts thinking alike then notion of ‘all wars’ will automatically diminish gradually.
Then if war is not the answer to the disputes and misunderstandings, what is?
The answer is dialogues and conversation in a friendly environment.
The Bulbul of peace which used to sing in her mellifluous pitch for both Pakistan and India has long been gone into hibernation, with a thin chance of revival at the moment.
Due to the issue of occupied Kashmir and Uri attack, both countries are having their daggers drawn at each other, and as always it has charged up the general public on both sides of the border.
Millions of people from both sides are using different social platforms to express their views. Usually, this online discussion starts with jubilant remarks glorifying the assumed upper hand in this fiasco, later it ends in a manner, where everyone has vent the spleen amply.
During all these events, now whether call them realistic or melodramatic, you have scarcely encountered someone who actually spoke against this atrocious behaviour, carried on by both sides.
One who is not against a side but this collective madness? Everyone is defending his side vehemently and without the slightest of realisation that where is this attitude taking us.
If observed closely it sadly dawns upon us that facts being told about the casualties on both sides have ironic similarity in them.
A person on one side of the border is being told that the enemy is exorbitantly at loss and we have given them a befitting response on the adventurous liberties they took on the border but on the same time, a person from the other side is also being fed the win-win situation potion. If both won then who lost? If both have upper hand then who lost sorely?
The answer is both are at loss and no one is winning, at least in this madness.
The only fact and actual ground reality being missed by everyone are that it is not about the loss of one country or the other but of collective civilised humanity.
We. in all this mess of facts, ground realities and pre-filled hatred have lost largely the vision which founder and fathers of both nations had in their hearts and heads. We have indeed lost the direction which the dreamed for us to scamper on. We have shifted our preferences to something which has given us nothing but scars and have incapacitated our reasoning faculties.
The claim of a prosperous nation, which more often than not is bellowed by both countries if viewed with actual facts and figures, is nothing but a hoax, supervised by some con men to divert the attention.
The claim of a self-sufficient nation which can rely on itself and can poise well among the international community also has long been lost in the growing fanaticism and hatred harboured by both countries for each other.
Yes, we must devise a plan but not for war but for achieving a secure and prosperous bond, which can lead both countries through the door of eminence.
As John Lennon once said, “War is over … If you want it”
It all depends on us, if it is still there then we are the reason, we all, and if it is over then again we are the reason.
The thing often ignored is that even if every effort to pull of the war between both countries proves futile then keep in mind that this is not the last time we are going to war.
We share borders and no matter what how well fed our denial is, we have to accept the fact that our peripheries are abutted on each other and we will be living beside each other until some goddamn apocalypse happens.
Now to live like progressive neighbours with higher aspirations or as sworn enemies who despise each other without any reason is our choice.
To opt for the parlay will not only benefit Pakistan and India excessively but the other regional neighbours too. A peaceful and calm environment will attract more trade and bustling economic activities.
