1947 is historically deemed as a joyous year, as August 14th marked independence of Pakistan and August 15th marked independence of India from the British Raj. Yet during the actual year, the mood was far from celebratory, particularly in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The birth of India and Pakistan was one of the bloodiest events in modern history. People were uprooted from their ancestral homelands, killing was conducted in the name of religion, and the resulting demographic shift left a long lasting impression on all of the people of South Asia.
The Indian subcontinent was and is a diverse melting pot of language, culture, religious thought, and ethnicity. And through its diversity it was always united in thought and purpose. Mahatma Gandhi when asked whether he was Hindu responded with the following: "Yes I am, but I am also a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, and a Jew." His follower and friend, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a Pashtun and devout Muslim, was similarly united in thought and also opposed the division of the Indian subcontinent. Yet neither of them achieved their wishes and partition quickly became a reality, and a catalyst for division, hatred, and ultimately for war.India and Pakistan have fought four wars since 1947 and still have animosity to this day. The land of Kashmir, one of the most beautiful places in all of Earth, is the legacy of the Partition.
As an American I have struggled often with the history surrounding the Partition. This desire for independence and nationhood originated with the American and French Revolution. On this premise, I can understand how the creation of Pakistan and eventually Bangladesh fostered a new place where the people united by Islam can have a voice and live and work together in peace. Yet I also immediately think to the American Civil War from 1861-1865 when the United States was nearly partitioned into two countries separated on the basis of slavery. It was the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history as it tore apart families and nearly tore part America. Yet somehow the United States was restored and has since become the most diverse and rich country on Earth. Yet around the world there are nation-states with common histories continuing to display enmity toward each other: China and Taiwan, North and South Korea, Bosnia, Serbia, and the rest of the former Yugoslav republic, and even Israel and Palestine. Such seems to be the case in South Asia.
Ghaffar Khan and GandhiIndia-Pakistan Border
As a South Asian American I hardly encounter any ethnic or religious animosity among my peers here. It does not matter to me if someone is a Pakistani Muslim, a Bangladeshi Hindu, or an Indian Christian, for there is no denying that we all have a shared cultural heritage that goes back two thousand years. And I know that the vast majority of my fellow South Asian Americans would say the same.
Yet it is a shame to see our brothers and sisters in India and Pakistan today continuing to fight and live in the politics of the Partition. The shameless and cowardly act of terror that occured in Mumbai during Thanksgiving has been happening almost annually since 1947. And all sides are to blame. This cycle of terror does not seem to be ending because terror begets terror and violence begets counter-violence.
It is unfortunate that South Asians were not united under one country after the British left, and it is unfortunate that Kashmir, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, continues to be hotbed for terrorism and for violence and for war.
When Abkar ruled India, as a Muslim he made peace with the Hindus in his kingdom and even married Hindu wives. Hindu-Muslim marriages today are a forbidden concept, but should they really be?
Only love can end this conflict and only love can end this destructive cycle of hate. It is in all of our blood because we all have shared the same struggles, the same feelings, and the same hopes and desires to create a better world.
