Is Peace with Pakistan possible?

 

The relationship between India and Pakistan have been complex,tense and hostile due to historical and political events over the past decades.  Hostile relations started  with the violent partition of British-India in 1957.  15^th Ausust 1947 saw the birth pangs of two nations from the womb - the dominion of India and dominion of Pakistan.  The partition displaced millions of people.  Nearly one million people  lost their life due to the tragic events of partition.  While India with majority Hindus and minority Muslims embraced secularism Pakistan  with majority  Muslim population and minority Hindus became a Muslim nation.

           After independence, India and Pakistan fought four wars, 3 declared wars and one undeclared and limited war in Kargil.  The thorn in the relationship began with the attack of Princely state of Kashmir by Pakistan military.  It was just after the independence of both the countries.  At that time the King of Princely state of Kashmir Rajah Hari Singh was on two minds, whether  to join Indian Union or to stand as an independent nation.  So he did not sign the accession agreement with the Union of India.  While he remained confused on the merger,  Pakistan army, in the guise of tribesmen attacked Kashmir in October 1947 and came near to Sri Nagar.  Fearing a total take over by Pakistan, Rajah Hari Singh pleaded India for assistance.  India agreed to the request subject to the condition that he should accede to India.  Finally, on 26^th October 1948, Kashmir was acceded to India. Indian forces were airdropped and  they fought back Pakistanis.  Consequent on the request of United Nations Security Council, ceasefire was declared on 31^st December 1948.  By that time, one third of Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan,  was captured by Pakistan.  After that, three more wars were fought by our defence forces with Pakistan and in the 1971 war, Bangladesh was liberated from Pakistan and became a sovereign republic with the help of Indian forces.  The last one was in Kargil in 1998.  But disputes with Pakistan remains unresolved even after 72 years.

             As everybody knows, Pakistan is a” deep state” with a strong and power hungry military.  Eventhough the political parties have been experimenting with democracy off and on, the military would not allow them to succeed nor these political parties are capable to deliver good governance to the people.  Now, Imran Khan has been thrusted upon the people of Pakistan as Prime M inister by the military, through a farcical election by imprisoning the most popular politiacal leader Nawaz Shereef, with whom our Prime Minister Modi exchanged pleasantries and friendship.  Pakistan military is always enimical towards India because of their humiliating defeat in the wars fought earlier.  They are supported  and instigated by China to confront with India. The method now adopted by Pakistan is to encourage terror groups to attack Indian military and common people. Let us hope that sanity will prevail upon the Pak military brains, atleast  some time in future.  In the above backdrop, peace with Pakistan is a distant dream..However,  we can encourage people- to- people relations, cultural exchanges etc. so that animosity among people can be reduced