With the mounting tension between India and Pakistan, I can’t help (and so can’t a billion others in both the countries) but think about the damage a possible war can cause. And neither of the countries (for their own reasons) can afford a war at this point in time. Yet, the mob expects to see some “action” on behalf of the lives lost.
As much as it saddens me to think about the lives that we’ve lost. Our outrage or reactions aren’t going to undo what’s already happened. Moreover, it’s the armed forces. And people join them to serve with the intent to lay down their lives when needed. Not to retire with a nice pension, a shiny medal and a gold watch.
Fates of the people in both countries hang on their leadership and how willing they are to give peace a chance. Here’s an address by the Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
I think it makes a ton of sense. Yes, I know, we’ve lost precious lives. But that doesn’t give us the license to go rogue. Does it? And this certainly can’t be an ‘act of self-defense’ when we had ample time to plan airstrikes in another country. That’s a retaliation. An attack. International law/policy experts may think differently about this.
I don’t believe getting emotional about the situation is an option. We need to think ahead and talk this out. Pressing on the nerve is only going to ruin it for us. And most importantly, we need to accept that not having casualties isn’t really an option. But going to a war certainly is.
No, none of my family members, relatives or close friends died in the Pulwama attack. But my deepest sympathies to the families of the departed. And as much as we would like to avenge their deaths, we need to pause and accept that nothing at all is going to bring back the dead. But if we continue to press on, we will have a whole lot more dead, ruined and destroyed.
Is it worth it?
Let peace and better sense prevail. I think we as better nations of this ever shrinking world we need both.