'Love Pakistan'? I agree

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

The first morning of 2010 brought with it a pleasant and very welcome surprise. I fetched the newspaper still half asleep, and the next moment, I was wide awake, reading about the best joint initiative between India and Pakistan in recent times Ð Aman ki Asha.

I had no unrealistic hopes associated with it. I did not expect it to change Indo-Pak relations overnight or to wipe out the pessimism and trust deficit that mars the relationship between the two countries or that it would garner massive popular support to force Indian and Pakistani governments into peace posturing.

What I really hoped for was for the two media giants, Times of India (TOI) and Jang, to make their readership perceive the other country from a transformed perspective Ð a viewpoint devoid of the hatred and jingoism that we are fed from early childhood. I hoped for a reality check to the negative light in which large numbers of Indians and Pakistanis perceive each other.

I wished for Jang to show that not all Indians dream of bombing Pakistan. I wished for TOI to show that not all Pakistanis are terrorists or supporters of extremism. Unless a larger numbers of people in both countries stop viewing each other as the enemy and realise that those across the border pay a heavy price due to the protracted conflict and that ÒtheyÓ are also too caught up with the survival struggle like ÒusÓ to obsess over an ÒenemyÓ Ð until then vested interests will be able to continue the conflict by cashing in on our fear of the ÒotherÓ.

Aman ki Asha is not only about people and cultural exchanges, exhibitions and concerts to strengthen goodwill; nor is it just another attempt at celebrating commonalities between Indians and Pakistanis that transcend the border that divides us. Aman ki Asha is an attempt to make the population of both the countries aware that they have paid a huge price in developmental terms due to the continued conflict; that they may find it easy to live without the peace dividends, but that they wonÕt be able to sustain the mounting costs of conflict for too long.

The initiative attempts to expand and strengthen the Ôpeace-nryÕ in India and Pakistan. It is an undertaking to de-programme minds of suspicion and animosity and re-programme them to open up to the opportunities of peace.

Some critics argue that unless core issues are resolved, the common man cannot be pushed into peace mode and there is no point to an initiative unless it is politically supported. However, the truth is that common man hardly ever knows the core issues Ð he relies on the government and the media to tell him the truth.

If those estates have sold him fear, he will spew venom; if they have fed him on benefits of friendship, he will seek aman. Also, for achieving a permanent solution to any long drawn conflict, it is important to build a strong peace constituency that supports concessions and compromises required in such deals.

Destination Peace cannot be achieved instantaneously. There are many hurdles to be crossed before we reach it. However, Aman ki Asha is a great start to a journey that promises to take one-fifth of the humanity away from the bitterness of the past and towards a better future.

The media in both the countries has often been accused of hysteria-onics. Aman ki Asha is an excellent example of the positive influence media can have in building bridges.