A tryst with history

BJP's decisive victory in the recent general elections has ensured a second term for Narendra Modi as India's Prime Minister. History has extended Modi rule with a greater vote, confidence and with a mission and purpose. His last tenure should serve him as a guide. This benevolence from the Providence is in fact an opportunity for him to achieve, what he could not in his last term, for the people of India and South Asia. It would not be an overstatement to assert that he holds a sway over the lot of over 1.5 billion people in South Asia. Their lives are wedded to his decisions during this term that would determine the future course of South Asia. It is easy for him to push India and its neighbor(s) to a (nuclear) war and irrevocably destroy the lives of millions of people and bring a permanent misery and doom in South Asia. It is often said that a great leader faces a moment in his life when he has to make a choice between the long and arduous path that will ultimately lead to peace and happiness and a short one, that is quite easy and which brings quick but only momentary success and a fake fame. The true test of a great leader is that history judges him right in the light of his decisions, which he makes in the best interest of his own people and for the humanity.
With his charisma, charm and clout, which Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru had, and despite many overtures on the issue of Kashmir and solemn promises to the world and the people of Kashmir, with every passing year however, he changed his stance, leaving two neighboring countries in an eternal animosity and exposure to foreign exploitation. Despite his so-called non-aligned movement, he loved to be called the darling of the West. Also, he pushed India to the then Soviet camp to gain access to Soviet arms and ammunition. All others who followed him from his party, his daughter Indira or some others of lesser stature, were afflicted with a kind of guilt, which stopped them from making bold and wise decisions. Partition of India and Pakistan are facts. This must be acknowledged wholeheartedly. Only after admitting this reality both nations can move on.
Future of Pakistan's prosperity and well being of hundreds millions in South Asia are dependent on a wise and bold leadership in India. The Congress leadership with the exception of Sardar Patel (a Guajarati like Modi) did not reconcile with the idea of Pakistan and carried the guilt of partition only to be exploited by the extremists RSS and other similar groups. They were abettors of many sins and injustices during and after the partition. A biography of Chief Justice Mahajan published few years ago would show how he was planted in Kashmir to manage the so-called accession of Kashmir to India. It is indeed unprecedented that a sitting High Court judge was appointed as the Prime Minister of Kashmir and then on the accomplishment of his mission allowed to resume his office as a judge and then ultimately appointed as the Chief Justice of India as a reward for his 'services'. Reference to it was made only to show that Indian National Congress was fully involved in an intrigue against Pakistan. The manipulation of the Punjab Boundary Commission through Edwina Mountbatten and Redcliff eventually paved to way for India's access to Kashmir and control over water head-works of the Punjab only making lives of millions in Pakistan miserable. This is the perception at least on this side of the divide.
Leadership in India and most certainly Modi must realize that except a very small minority who are immigrants from Afghanistan, Arabia and Iran, rest of the lot living on both sides of the borders are sons of the soil, jaat, Rajput and multitude of other castes. They have every right to choose their faith (or not to choose) and follow any path for their salvation. They have every right to be a Hindu, a Muslim, a Sikh or a Christian. Long ago, our Quaid had solemnly assured people belonging to other faiths living in Pakistan that the religion had nothing to do with the business of state. Pakistan was pushed to extremism partly due to Indian policies towards Pakistan, which paved the way for the religious extremists to exploit fears of the silent and peace loving majority. The events of the recent past show that minorities in India are absolutely unsafe. The word 'minority' in the context of Indian Constitution is an aberration for at least since 1975 India claims to be a secular state according to the preamble of the Indian Constitution. Hinduism has no precedence over Islam, Sikhism or Christianity in so far as the Constitution of India is concerned. Historically, Hinduism is only 3,000 years or little more old but India is much older than any religion. It is not thus right to claim that India belongs to Hindus only. It has been a home of all religions living side by side. Sadhus and saints have lived in peace while mullas and pundits have fought for centuries. Nehru in his 'Discovery of India' incorrectly painted a Hindu India. Nehru, being a pundit proved to be a bigot too.
Events have made Narendra Modi the leader of India. War (mongering) will only bring misery, pain and sorrow in the lives of people of South Asia. War is the easiest thing, which any other leader could also start. The happenings of the past February only made the people of this region 'dangerous and crazy' in the eyes of other nations as shown on the Western media which portrayed India and Pakistan as world's most dangerous places, carrying nuclear weapons and only waiting for the doomsday. A nuclear holocaust in South Asia is the most terrible thought one shudders to imagine. It is indeed incredible that after attaining independence, the people and leaders of South Asia are still playing in the hands of foreign powers. Corruption, disease, misery, murder, poverty and pain and utter lawlessness rules across South Asia. They are caught in an ugly race of buying weapons to kill their people. Leadership in India and Pakistan must realize that they have been brought to power by the Providence in order to bring peace and happiness in the lives of masses they were promised at the time of independence.
The minds of Social scientists, politicians and many constitutionalists in South Asia, it appears are barren as they have failed to find out an acceptable solution to the soaring and bleeding Kashmir dispute. After all, since 1815 Switzerland has remained neutral in European conflicts. Kashmir, Hyderabad and many other states outside British India, had a special relationship with the British Crown, while remaining internally autonomous. The late Vajpayee and General Musharraf, it is said, had almost found a workable solution to the problem. Narendra Modi and Imran Khan once again can have a tryst with history. They can and they must rise to the occasion and solve their problems without adverting to war. History tells us that wars never solve problems. They only bring pain and sorrow. Germans and British and French fought many wars. They forged European Union to solve their problems. Europe may have a common faith but people in South Asia have a common stock, language and culture.
Jinnah and Gandhi fought against the British and the colonial rule in their own way. Today, the leadership of South Asia lays with Narendra Modi and Imran Khan whom history has brought to power with a purpose and that is: bring eternal peace, tranquility and happiness in South Asia.
(The writer is an advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan and a former Additional Attorney-General for Pakistan)