Tensions between India and Pakistan are considered par for the course. Ever since 1947 when British India was hastily partitioned on the basis of religion, the neighbours have struggled to maintain peace along the borders. Neither have they managed to block out each other completely from their domestic political discourse.
There have been wars, one of which produced Bangladesh, another Muslim majority country. There have been countless skirmishes on the borders that often threatened to escalate into full-fledged conflicts, with a few nuclear-tipped threats thrown in for good measure. There have been allegations of cross-border terrorism and diabolic covert operations.
But occasionally there have been also spells of goodwill and bonhomie. They produced, among other things, great cricket matches, easy visa regimes and mushy reel and real-life love stories that contributed to heightened trust levels.
Then, when just about every peace lover begins to think that the two nations have finally matured and are onto something big that would make a significant positive impact on global politics, something murky happens and everything is back to square one.
From then on it becomes an agonising wait. Who will take the first step towards reconciliation without appearing weak? Pride and ego become stumbling blocks.
Then there is the small matter of the hyper-patriotic media.
The media in both countries have a played a major role in the relationship between the two nations taking a nosedive of late. Referencing religion and imaginary conquests, television anchors froth at the mouth as they spew venom at “guests” from the other side of the border. The gullible public is taken in hook, line, and sinker.
Usually those invited on these shows are people from opposite ends of the political spectrum. Rabidly opposed to each other’s point of view, the “debate” quickly turns into a shouting match where truth becomes the first casualty. Usually it’s the anchor who emerges as most patriotic after an hour or so of mayhem.
Some Pakistani journalists who have talked sense in the context of the country’s relationship with India have been declared anti-national and taken to court. In India, journalists who advocate peace with Pakistan and those who oppose the government line have been declared “presstitutes” because, according to their nationalistic counterparts, they are paid money by vested interests to malign India.
With airtime being hogged by the war-mongering media, it is no surprise that an atmosphere of fear and distrust has gripped both countries. In this vitiated atmosphere, everybody is either a patriot or a traitor.
Peace can wait, it’s only the TRPs that matter.
