By Sarah Naqvi
“We are stronger together” were the echoes repeatedly delivered at at the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago in the United States. The first thought that came to mind upon hearing this slogan was not disagreement to the message. We certainly are stronger together as Americans. However, it reminded me of the numerous similar conversations I’ve had with friends with regards to South Asia, often visualizing the would-have-been formidable force, had India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh been one today. Stronger together?
India and Pakistan will be marking their 69th year of Independence this month. Violence and tensions continue amid the two nuclear powers, and vested interests will ensure the status quo does not change. Kashmir, the bone of contention between the two nations, has crossed its 30th day of curfew and unrest, with at least 50 killed in violent clashes. Looking at the recent world affairs and the level of chaos rippled through most of Asia, one often wonders what the union of Pakistan and India would have meant in the grand scheme of things today. The obvious stability of South Asia is one, but perhaps more importantly, the ability of the region to be a more dominant and forceful negotiator on the international table cannot be denied. The common interests of defense, economic development, and cultural development would serve as natural platforms uniting the two nations, as they perhaps did pre-partition.
A thought that often crosses the mind, as the Independence Day celebrations of the two nations approach, is of the generation that witnessed the partition and lived through the series tragic events leading up to the historic divide. We are holding on to the last of the generation that experienced what a once a cohesive Hindustan was like, a Hindustan that covered the Hindu Kush to the West and present day Bangladesh to the east. A Hindustan that didn’t require onerous visa rules to travel the corners of Punjab.
Firsthand stories of what transpired in 1947, the largest mass migration in human history, and perhaps the most violent event in the recent history of South Asia with over 1 million killed, will soon be translated to the coming generations entirely as a second hand story from the chapters of history. A valid concern is that the coming generations may be educated on an increasingly architected history of the region. A history that may continue to gradually deviate from the ground realities of what a unified Hindustan encompassed over 70 years ago, and perhaps place increasing emphasis on topics polarizing the two nations.
The repercussions of 1947 are apparent for us all to see today. However it is the centuries worth of union of the region leading up to 1947 that is worth introspecting, as India and Pakistan increasingly slip into the realms of communalism, intolerance, and continued conflict.
Historically, South Asia embraced a great deal of tolerance, allowing it’s existing diversity to develop and thrive. It was a confluence of cultures and a world within itself, where communities coexisted for centuries and lived in relative harmony and equilibrium. Hence, the scale of violence seen during partition was unprecedented and highly disturbing. It is when one delves into the historical cohesion of India and Pakistan, that the hurried, mismanaged, violent, and poorly executed partition becomes difficult to explain.
Being keenly aware of pre-partition Hindustan that transcended the boundaries of race, religion, and culture, one can only hope that the leadership of India and Pakistan realizes partition was anything but a solution. It brought upon the unprecedented blood soaked violence of 1947, has led to three wars, continued turmoil in Kashmir, and meaningless peace dialogues. The resources channeled into maintaining the delicate relationship of the two nations today could be better invested in areas of development to yield greater benefits. Perhaps a confederation would finally end the long disputed issue to grant Kashmiris the independence they deserved long ago.
Rabindranath Tagore, arguably a towering figure in literary India, wrote in 1939 “It does not need a defeatist to feel deeply anxious about the future of millions who, with all their innate culture and their peaceful traditions are being simultaneously subjected to hunger, disease, exploitations foreign and indigenous, and the seething discontents of communalism.” As the two nations celebrate their Independence Day, a thought to take home is that perhaps they are, stronger together.