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About sixty years ago, an Englishman named Sir Cyril Radcliff came to India to draw a line on a map. The result broke a nation in two parts and left a deep scar on both sides that would take years to heal. Whenever the two sides tried to come closer, the memories of Partition came in the way of collaboration and progress. For our parents and grand-parents, the word Pakistan, or India, would always remind them of the trauma and mindless bloodbath.
2006 – More than 50 years later, with a legacy of three wars and many skirmishes behind us, there appears to be light at the end of tunnel, firing our imaginations with possibilities. This fire is being fueled by us, the Youth of both countries. We were born in a free country. We love our elders, empathizing with their experiences of the past. However, we love our future more, and are determined to not let that future be distorted by going on hugging the past. I believe this could become a powerful, unifying theme providing a shared platform for the teenagers from two nations to work together in future. Therefore, we need to increase our communication and improve understanding so that the road ahead is smoother.
Parents and grand-parents tend to inadvertently pass their prejudices on to children. This can easily lead to a vicious cycle. This continuum of meaningless hatred can only be stopped through dialogue. The youth in India and Pakistan today, have many characteristics in common. Both want to be the best globally, fuelling this strong inner-drive for success is modern education and cultural adaptability. We are also not afraid to use our power of reason to help us identify the benefits of collaboration. The process of exchange has already started as can be seen from the Indo-Pak cricket matches, Film and Book festivals and the opening of air space and railways.
If both governments also allow free trade and open markets, there could be huge gains. Economically, we are similar; consumer and producer bases are synergistic; and can easily increase both demand and supply. Economic development would take place in both countries while new products would improve standard of living. Customers would also have a larger product range and workers more jobs to choose from.
However, discussion alone never results in change, action does. I believe a large, close-knit student community in both countries, that shares similar ideals, can make a huge difference to their environment when they enter the real world. I would like to use the Internet, and start a blog page, exhorting action. Internet blogging would stress on the importance of collaborating for a vibrant future. Through a message-book, students can share thoughts, encouraging discussion and calling for action.
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Aditya Bindal
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