Going nowhere
Relations between India and Pakistan are going nowhere. Both the countries have got into a virtual conflict mode with the Line of Control in various regions like Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla and Kupwara being turned into a battle field on daily basis. The situation has gone so bad during the past two months that hardly a day passes off peacefully in the entire belt.
These daily skirmishes notwithstanding, the situation at the administrative level is also alarming with both the countries leaving nothing to chance when it comes to targeting each other over various issues.
Presently, the two nations have got entangled over announcement of elections to the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly scheduled for next month with India raising a serious objection over the move announced by authorities in Pakistan.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday termed the elections illegal and raising concerns over the alleged rights violations in the entire region by Pakistan army and other forces.
The continuous verbal feud between the two nations has now turned into a routine affair with each country blaming the other for various reasons and issues. The relations have now turned so sour that they seem to be headed towards a point of no return.
The two arch rivals seem to be in no mood to improve the strained relations that have been taking a heavy toll on both the countries and the people of Kashmir in particular. The people living along the LoC die to see peace in the region so do those who have been left stranded and separated from their near and dear ones owing to the conflict and strained relations.
Though the two nations are the main players in South Asian politics, as the two constitute 86% of its population and control over 80% of the land area. When these two are at peace with each other the whole region by and large witnesses calm and when their relations witness a troubled phase, the entire region remains on tenterhooks.
Since their inception both the countries have grown ever further apart and their policies both domestic and international have evolved increasingly in divergent directions. During the seven decades of their existence, the two countries fought three full fledged conventional wars and a war like situations emerges almost every second day on the LoC.
Given the fears and the current suspicions among the leadership in both the countries it seems highly unlikely that the relations may witness some improvement in the days to come. Both the nations have shaped their relationship on mere rhetoric and any long time friendly relationship between the two countries seems unlikely.
And amongst all this the leadership in the two countries forgets about the daily sufferings of the common people as they are paying a heavy price for the hostility between the two nations.
KV Network
