Bonding in adversity

In sickness and in health, for better, for worse. These are the vows that the most sacred bond of a marital union promises. Bonds may be legal or political but their endurability depends on the emotional strength. The best of marriages fall apart when hearts do not meet. The best of political unions crack as the minds do not match. Think of Brexit, think of celebrity marriages made in heaven. That is why when two avowed enemies come together in moments of crisis it makes politics, economics, history and geography look immaterial. And in a highly material world where the scarcity of material due to Covid-19 has made countries become even more insecure, such moments revive hope in humanity. India’s “descent into Covid hell” as the British papers describe it is very sobering and heart wrenching. With arch enemies, normally such adversities draw “serves you right” sentiments. But, Pakistan and Pakistanis, right from the leadership to the masses, are trending “Pakistan Stands With India”.

Such a trend and sentiment seemed impossible a few months back, but here we are reaching out and extending support and solidarity to the same people we were having a war with not too far back. This is an indication of how human values overshadow political expediencies eventually. This is the second time in a matter of weeks that Pakistan and India have come together more so in a positive than a negative manner. The spontaneous video released by a Pakistani video blogger Dananeer Mobeen became a trend as “Pawrri Ho Rahi Hai” in Pakistan. Then the Indian YouTube music composer Yash Mukhate made it even more hilarious and catchy. That video created a tsunami of memes in both the countries that revived the language, culture and humour commonalities. The whole-hearted participation in this fun activity by every walk of life in the subcontinent softened the hardened stands. These two incidents at this juncture of history can spur more thought and discourse on the utter meaninglessness and waste of the Indo Pak conflict. The relationship needs to be re-looked with the new lens of a world amidst Corona:

1. The deterrence war- Imagine spending billions of dollars on developing nuclear weapons just to tell a neighbour to “stay off”. Both India and Pakistan have to keep on building and maintaining their defence capacity to match each other in its weapon inventory. One rough estimate shows the enormous cost of these weapons. Each country probably has allocated more than $1 billion to design and manufacture a small number of nuclear-capable missiles (Prithvi and Agni for India, Ghauri and Shaheen for Pakistan). For the bigger ones the costs may be in double digit billions. In this war against virus the world economies have crashed. In India every 10 minutes this virus is killing one person. Medical oxygen has finished and patients are lying on pathways as hospitals do not have the capacity to deal with this inflow of health devastation. Amidst Covid India had a full-scale border conflict with China and skirmishes across LoC with Pakistan. That time and money could have gone into ramping up health supplies and facilities. If this calamity does not make the two neighbours rethink their relationship, nothing will.

2. Corona poverty war- The subcontinent houses almost the largest number of poor in the world. Almost 30% of India and 33% of Pakistan live below the poverty line. That means a combined population of hundreds of millions who are poor, have little access to health, education and barely a meal a day. With Corona pushing the middle class down these numbers may hit half a billion. This is staggering. This will have impact on crimes, extremism, and diseases. Imagine the spread of viruses with such population having no idea of SOPs and no access to health.

3. The variant battle- just when one wave goes down another bigger one rises. Just when one country controls Corona another gets out of control. The virus mutation is serious. Whether the present set of vaccines will be able to fight them is an unchartered territory. As Indian mutant engulfs the country, just by banning travels it will not be contained. What is needed is a global “help each person” in the world movement or it will be just a matter of time till the virus discovers ways of reaching everywhere again.

Churchill had famously said: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. While this adversity is more than a sword hanging over your lungs, it is time for both countries to engage in non-traditional diplomacy:

1. Medical diplomacy- Time for not just a global body like the World Health Organisation (WHO) but a global body like Global Medical SOS forum. The Indian example has shown that it is not just vaccines that are needed, much more is required. This forum, like the G20 can be the ‘H2o’ forum that basically ensures medical supplies, workforce and facilities required in countries going through Pandemic emergency. These can have regional bodies who are vigilant about situation in the countries and are able to match supplies from those who have excess to those who have a shortage. Pakistan has already extended its help to India and should offer all other help possible.

2. Sports diplomacy- In times of extreme stress the best diversion is entertainment. From football to cricket, the best coming together is through sports. Time for Corona Cricket Charity matches to start. There is IPL in India happening and there is PSL in Pakistan that will be taking place in June. Without crowds the way to raise funds for Oxygen, hospital supplies, etc., is to declare part of the earnings of a cricket match for this cause. This can happen with Pakistani players giving a shout out for India and vice versa.

3. Civil society diplomacy- Faisal Edhi of Edhi Trust led the way. He wrote a letter to Indian government offering ambulances. This is the time for the civil society to bond and come together. The Red Cross in the world and many small local organizations need to globalize their effort and form umbrellas of local chapters with many other civil society organizations. The aim is to bring together a seamless ‘Health/Help without Frontiers’ concept in action.

These are defining moments. We will not be able to overcome this adversity by doing what we have always done. We have to think, act and bond the way we have never done. We have to unlearn our ways of conflict and win-lose mindset. The pandemic is one calamity that even if one person out of 7 billion is a lone loser, sooner or later the rest of the 6.999billion will be losers. Let us come together in this dark hour to create hope, light at the beginning of the tunnel.

(The writer can be reached at [email protected])

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021