A Message From The Stubborn Peacebuilders

Amidst the escalated tensions at the border of ours, we stand firmly against war-mongers. Amidst the clamour for war, we reaffirm our belief in peace. Amidst the professional restrictions imposed on artists, we resolutely build more people- to-people contact. Amidst the threat of a nuclear catastrophe, we pray together for peaceful coexistence.

This struggle and resolution of ours at Lighthouse Project echoes with hundreds of people in both India and Pakistan, despite being mocked, abused and threatened when they speak in favour of India-Pakistan’s unity. This indomitable spirit in people who are capable to over-look the flawed nationalism doctrine which is being sold out and rise above the doctored mass animosity, is a reflection of the belief of peacebuilders in the principle of non-violence as propagated by one of the revered figures of the sub-continent, Mahatama Gandhi.

Past two weeks have been a real testing time for people of IndoPak while juggling between the manufactured jingoism and patriotism. The former was processed, produced and distributed without delay by our National Television Channels. It seems as if media houses have taken over the role of the executive and the military and are fighting amongst each other on who will be able to push either of the States to launch their first missiles, whereas the latter called for a period of introspection wherein one expressed condemnation and sadness on the lives lost and thereafter, looked it by putting the same into a larger sub-continental perspective by measuring the pros and cons of the impulsive declaration of war, if taken.

The killings of 18 Indian soldiers at Uri, Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists was an inflicting point of relationship between India and Pakistan in the recent past. The events which unfolded post the attack were rightly taken by the Government of India, in order to protect its civilians and sovereignty from the external aggression which included series of diplomatic measures taken with a hindsight to isolate Pakistan internationally, followed by a review of Most Favoured Nations Clause (MVN) and Indus Water Treaty and the subsequent ‘Surgical Strike’. However, while government was acting maturely, the masterstroke of fuelling mass sentiment against the neighbouring country and strengthening the pitch for a war by TV Channels to Indian and Pakistani masses is where everything started to topple down.

These are times when our belief and capacity of peacebuilding is questioned internally coupled with instances of being dragged and forced to clarify our stand to people who insinuate and tag us as ‘anti-national’ and ‘traitors’. The political climate of both nations is heated up and being flared by people who seem to think that it is only war and destruction of the other which will bring peace. How conveniently we forget that India and Pakistan who were once conjoined twins and annihilation of one will result in the death of other. Moreover, war advocates forget the impact of the same which would result in the destabilisation of the continent as a whole. The inflated idea of pride and showcasing the other of one’s military and muscle power is based on the mistaken principle of attaining peace through aggression. History is proof of the fact that war has savaged one and all and has nowhere brought peace.

We are disturbed and angered and rightly so on seeing the lives of uniformed men being taken by the external aggressors, but why do we fail to acknowledge that our soldiers are also victim of the conflict and hatred planted between two of our nations. They are the pawns in the hands of both the governments and the call for war will make our armed forces more vulnerable and susceptible to more harm.

Amongst the audacious promotion of hate against another State, both nations have found it easy to target artists and has called for the ban on their movies alongwith the broadcast of the television shows. The argument pitted against the actors and singers is that they have failed to condemn the attack and hence, shouldn’t be allowed to earn from their stay at the other’s territory. But, do they really have onus to do so? Since when has art been a victim of nationalism? How many Indian actors have condemned the killings of adivasis and violence in Kashmir? How many Pakistani actors have come forward to talk against the brutalities against Shia, Ahmadiya community and Balochs? The unsound equating of artists as official representatives of the states along with the selective stand of expectation to denounce human rights violation is problematic and if coupled with threats to their lives, goes against the very edifice on which our nation stands.

The situation on ground is becoming more tense with each day and the possibility of the military actions is no more a utopia. This is the time to do away with the sadist and macho fantasy of war which not only has the capability of jeopardising the lives of ours, but the lives of men and women at the Line of Control, which was the reason for this new threshold of hate and condemnation at the first place.

We at Lighthouse Project on the occasion of the Gandhi Jayanti, condemns the killings of the soldiers across both sides and stand rigid against escalation of any kind at the border juxtaposed with the hatred for the other and pray for a peaceful subcontinent.