Of democracy, nuclear weapons and progress

The current situation in South Asia, sparks the age old issue of asserting a sense of superiority over each other, particularly for India and Pakistan, the two nuclear stats in the region.

Instead of the Governments, people or Military taking swipes individually, it'll be productive to focus on common good. And yes as exciting as bombing each other sounds, it is barely the means to end the suffering of millions of people in the sub-continent. You only have to live in the sub-continent to know the suffering. We live in contradiction. With the slums outside the malls and the barely standing roads connecting our hi-tech cities.

People have a right to self determination, be it Pakistan or India. All south asian countries are at present in the process of discovering, or rather, making for themselves a gourmet democracy, a democracy that they can live with. Sometimes it's built on ideals such as "secularism" or "islamic republic", without the general populace completely understanding what it means or what the rammifications could be for the generations to come.

Both countries have a lot to boast about, the recent economic growth, the military prowess and such. When it comes to some of the basics like Literacy, Sanitation and Internal Security, they have failed miserably from time to time.

The machinery surrounding the politicians and the military of both countries have thrived on demonizing each other. For instance, I don't see why border dispute is the biggest threat to India, at a time when wealth inequalities run the risk of alienating a good 30% of the people. I don't have the statistics for Pakistan, but I'm sure the illiteracy rate is somwehere similar, which is rather unfortunate.

India has had a stable democracy on paper, and as many nations would vouch, there is no such thing as "perfect" democracy. But it is to be believed in, because its the only way forward. The scorecard for Pakistan isn't quite impressive, at least for an outsider due to the constant intervention of the Military in the affairs of the Judiciary and an elected Legislature.

I will hope that the people of Pakistan determine what is best for them and usher in a future, where both countries, will claim Literacy and Economic prosperity as their biggest achievement and not the means to "wipe each other off the face of this planet"