UNITY OF INDIA-PAKISTAN-BANGLADESH.
Since 1947 when India was portioned into two, there was lot of hatred between the two nations surrounding around two major communities, Hindus and Muslims, both blaming each other for their hatred. Because of this hatred India and Pakistan fought three wars one of which finally slashed Pakistan and brought about one more nation, Bangladesh into existence. India played a major role militarily to help Bangladesh to come into existence. Though without India’s involvement Bangladesh would never come into existence yet last month when Bangaldesh marked its 37th independence and liberation day, not a single mention was made of India and its enormous sacrifices made in the liberation of Bangladesh. I still remember how we in Goa were taxed to raise funds for the support of East Pakistani refugees infiltrated into India and to support this war, by way of paying extra stamp fees for every financial transaction done.
Instead of original two nations from one root now we have three nations – India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. Even though the history, traditions and cultures of all these three nations spring from the same roots yet there are many barriers created by the leaders of these three nations on them. Most of these barriers are creating psychological hatred and dislikes for one another. Thank God, due do saner counsel prevailed, the current leaders of all the three nations are trying to get rid of many of these man made barriers to integrate and assimilate peoples and goods of all these three nations thereby creating a sense of unity amongst them. The recent re-starting of “The Maitree Express” Railway service after a gap of 4 decades between India and Bangladesh is a right step in right direction not only to bring the two nations together but also the two peoples closer to each other. Thru this closeness of peoples lot of goodwill shall surely develop and thru this goodwill lot of benefits will be accrued by both the countries and both the peoples.
Earlier two deadliest enemies in the subcontinent India and Pakistan tried to bury their bitter past by creating a new chapter of goodwill and friendship between two of them. Nawaz Sahrif Government in Pakistan and BJP Government under Vajpayee in India did lot of spadework to link the two countries thru Bus Service between them, besides other links. The Rail service between India and Pakistan thru Samjhauta Express and Thar Express augurs well for the friendly relationship not only between India and Pakistan as two nations but more than that between the two friendly peoples of both these two countries. Creating of air link between the two countries is a further booster for the better assimilation of both the peoples. Because of these links lot of people to people contacts have been developed, better goodwill has been prevailed between the two countries and ancestral relationships have re-developed and blossomed. Let this increase further. Because of these man to man contacts earlier hatred has been diminished and better relationship developed. Because of these improved friendly relations visas issuance for peoples from both the countries has been eased while earlier even a letter could not be exchanged.
Sports are one factor that unites people beautifully. In the just started Cricket League in India under Indian Premier League, the national barriers created between India and Pakistan has been further demolished when Pakistan allowed its top Cricketers to integrate with Indian cricketers on Indian soil and play alongwith Indian cricketers for Indian clubs without any discriminations and differences. When they play, they play as if they are from the same country with a strong feeling of oneness. Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are devided into three categories by the harsh stroke of circumstances but these circumstances can be easily eradicated by the current leaders by uniting all these three nations either by seceding their current sovereignty into one nation which is not very easy to implement or by creating a CONFEDERATION of all these three friendly nations so that lot of interaction is created not only amongst the three countries but more than that amongst the peoples of these THREE SOVEREIGN NATIONS. Thru this process I am sure we will have a peaceful atmosphere free of wars and hatred in the subcontinent which will surely create a peaceful future for our future generations. In this CONFEDERATION we can even have a common currency and free flow of the peoples without even any need of visas.
There are very many instances in the history where it shows how single countries splitted into two later on reunited into one because of the strong and centuries old historical, linguistic, cultural and traditional bonds existed amongst them. Defeated Austria in the last world war and splitted into 4 parts with very clever and deft diplomacy reunited into one. Inspite of fighting deadly wars against each other, Capitalist North Yemen and Communist South buried their past and joined into one. Inspite of 40 years of separation between them, East and West Germany by breaking the Berlin wall rejoined together into one sovereign Germany. Many of us have even seen on TV the breaking of Berlin Wall by the Germans. In Asia, close to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, we saw how Korea is still under separation between North and South. But winds of change are blowing very strongly there and at any moment we will get the news of their reunification. The current trend is that two peoples with the same ancestry do not want to remain two, they want to be one. Earlier they become one the better it is for them to lead a peaceful life and also better for the world peace. Let that peace prevail first in the subcontinent where lot of resources was wasted in fighting unwanted wars.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
