General Pervez Musharraf and Dr.Manmohan Singh were supposed to have a “Good Chemistry” between the two. It was expected that the Peace Process would get a tremendous boost after their last meeting. However, it seems their Chemistry is only giving some effervescence at the surface and there is no genuine “Chemical Reaction” percolating into the system. This is because of an unchanged mindset at the critical levels. For more than half a century both the countries have built a wall of hatred and have kept their masses ignorant of the actual ground situation. Defence and intelligence agencies of the two sides have developed a philosophy of perennial conflict for their own survival. The most emotional and sensitive issue around which the entire conflict has been slowly built is Kashmir. For Pakistan it was the jugular vein. The very basis for its existence. For India it has been the basis of its “Secular Character”, after agreeing to the partition of the country on religious basis. The positions taken have been so strongly drilled into the minds of ordinary people that it is impossible to change these overnight. Inter Services Intelligence has the motto of keeping the entire India on the boil so as to prevent it from concentrating its forces in trying to disintegrate Pakistan. Probably they feel that if India is given sufficient number of pin pricks it will bleed to death and will not have the time to achieve its motive of completely obliterating Pakistan. They are probably really apprehensive about Indian designs after the creation of Bangladesh. Even recently the troubles in Balochistan and Pak-Afghan border are being blamed on India. It is said that the Indian Government has set up numerous consulates in that part of Afghanistan which borders Pakistan for fomenting trouble across the border. The sectarian violence between Shias and Sunnis which erupts off and on is also blamed on RAW agents. On the other hand the entire Kashmir Problem is claimed by India to be work of ISI. In addition, all incidents of violence all over the country find the easy whipping boy of “ISI”. A mind set has been created and perfected over decades where the only premise is so called historical enmity between Hindus and Muslims which has finally taken the shape of two powerful countries, now nuclear armed. In fact before 1947 there did not really exist anything like historical enmity between the two communities. The first war of Independence in 1857 was fought jointly by the two communities. The enmity was engineered and perfected by the British for their own vested interests. They wanted to have a hand in the sub-continents pie and fanning of the enmity was the best possible way to achieve that. Unfortunately due to our gullibility, they succeeded in it. Even now they are working stealthy to sustain it. On the surface they pretend to help the two conflicting neighbours to solve all their disputes peacefully while as on the other hand they supply lethal weapons to both to kill each other!

The deep rooted mistrust has percolated to all levels of administration and in every sphere of life on both the sides. Everything is seen with the coloured glasses of bias and prejudice. Because of this situation, all the good chemistry at the top gets diluted when it percolates down and as a result no chemical reaction takes place. Only the tops meet and the grass roots remain poles apart. There have been numerous interactions at the elitist level. They get their visas on priority without any major hassles. However, when it comes to the people’s level, the same dozens of forms have to be filled up for which genuine blood relations have to travel hundreds of miles to the only visa issuing offices located in the capital cities. In a vast sea of humanity like India and Pakistan, with a population of over a billion people, crossing by few thousand privileged souls does not mean a coming together and development of bonhomie. It is only a symbolic gesture to continue the play of diplomatic games. The real revolution can come about only when the masses meet not in thousands but in millions. Every day few million people should be crossing for trade as well as tourism through all possible crossing points by air, rail, road, and sea. That alone can generate the chemistry so drastically needed to change the fate of this sub-continent. The top leadership at present apparently seems to be genuine and honest as far as the crucial issue of peace is concerned. The General may be a dictator, non-democratic and army’s man but as far as the desire for peace is concerned, it seems genuine. Similarly, the “Economist” may be very humble, low profile and “somebody’s” man but his desire for peace seems quite honest and real. However, both seem to be prisoners of their respective systems. To succeed they have to overhaul and carry their systems with them. This can only be done if they are able to change the centuries old biased and prejudiced mind set at the critical levels. It is very strange that on one hand both countries are claiming progress in the peace process while at the same time both have increased their Defence Budgets significantly. They are going on a shopping spree for the most lethal weapons. India’s Defence Budget is slated to be over Rs.1,000 billion if all defence related expenditure both overt and covert is included. Similarly, almost 60% of Pakistan’s Budget gets earmarked for Defence. In spite of much publicised peace overtures, both sides go on testing missiles and rockets which are deliberately named in such a fashion that these strike at the very negative emotional chords among the ordinary people. Pakistan’s weapons are named after the conquerors of India who pillaged everything that came in their way. Similarly India’s weapons are named after various Hindu mythological Gods or the persons who resisted outside invaders belonging to a particular religion. How can these steps help in changing the mind set? At the present moment the sub-continent needs not only genuine and honest leaders but the leaders who can move the masses. Can we get the leaders like Gandhi, Nehru and Patel or Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan? Impossible in view of the political systems which have come up on both the sides. No sensible young man or woman even though having top calibre in any field takes to Politics. They prefer greener pastures abroad and even in the country the cream goes for management jobs in the private sector. It is not that they do not have feelings for their countries and the people but there is such a nexus and mafia in politics that even the ones who decide to stand up for principles to reshape our destinies are not allowed to get in. Nepotism allows only sons and daughters no matter what their calibre! Politics is totally dominated by the “Dons”. In such a scenario the future seems bleak. However, the nature has its own way of changing things. Over the years people on both sides have been emotionally motivated by politicians through the slogans of “Ram Mandir” or “Jihad”. But now these slogans do not sell. People need “Roti, Kapda aur Makan”. People need basic amenities of life and not emotionally charged religious slogans. Ultimate power is the “People’s Power”. The two Germanys united after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. However, the wall was not demolished by the Governments of these countries but by the people. In fact, the Governments were swept away. They did not know what was happening. The result has been the European Union. One big country without any borders. Soviet Union disappeared in less than 24 hours. The same is bound to happen in the sub-continent. A massive chain reaction which will sweep away everything. The leaders must take a lesson from the history and bring the people together. It is better to come together by the urge and free will of the people rather than through disintegration and subsequent coalescing after realisation of the truth. Let the “Good Chemistry” not be wasted but made to act as a catalyst for joining together of the people to usher in genuine peace and prosperity in the sub-continent. Let us begin by changing the “crucial mindset”.