Peace is practical
So Pakistan and India want each other dead, dead and dead. First we used axes, then guns, followed by tanks, and now we brandish nukes. Dead is what we want the other to be.
Fear is the key. Fear of what we can do to each other borne of fear of a hauntingly shared past and an ominously volatile future. Such fear is rooted in the grim reality of reciprocal violence and psychological loathing. When hands instinctively grab the other’s throats and squeeze the larynx, love does not spout from the lips.
Fair enough. But not good enough.
If ever a transformational moment in history was needed, it is now. Mutual acrimony served its purpose, but its utility is fast running out. They say peace comes from the ground up, but what they don’t say is that usually it is sparked off by those at the top. In either case, peace can only become a potent force when it contains within it seeds of mutual benefit. Bottom line: what’s in it for me?
Plenty, actually. Let’s start off with the fact that India is racing towards becoming the third largest economy in the world. Among other things, this means India – the poverty stricken backwater of the global economy – will be a rich country. Sure there will still be slums, and homeless people, and malnourished children, but macro-growth will be galloping, productivity will be skyrocketing and wealth-generation will be multiplying faster than rabbits. Riches breed riches. Especially the ones that are created, not dug out like oil. They also tend to round off hard edges, which means they procreate a strong tendency for peace, stability and an absence of conflict.
So here’s this economic powerhouse rising right next to us. We can either be scared witless, or gaze in wonder at the amazing possibilities it throws our way. If we are scared, we can either capitulate, or strike back in envy. Both options are wrong. There’s a third and better, best described by one word.
Leverage.
Yes leverage the growth of a giant next door. Ride on its wave. Do whatever it takes, but don’t miss the opportunity to grab this opportunity by the horns and shake it till the gold dust falls on our shoulders.
But they hate us, you say. They have never accepted our existence, and never will. They are out to dismember us – again. And not only do they detest us, they loathe Muslims across the planet.
Really? Fine, let us assume for a moment that such thinking reeks of truth. But we are not talking about begging India to throw some crumbs our way, and neither are we tying ourselves to their coattails. Relations between states – on the basis of reciprocal benefits – need not be measured in sentimental terms like love and friendship. They are only measured in more circumspect terms like, well, interests. It is in India’s interest to have a peaceful neighbourhood. It is in our interest to reap economic dividends from the rise of India.
So let’s stop getting mad, and start getting even.
How? Trade is an obvious choice. India has already accorded us the Most Favoured Nation status. That was way back in 1996. As per the requirements of the WTO (which by the way we have signed), we have to give a similar status to India. The government apparently is quite keen to do so, and Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim says all the groundwork is complete. The Cabinet is expected to give the final nod shortly.
But this is just the start. Free trade will spur competitiveness, which in turn will spark off a huge incentive for better quality goods and services. Trade will also create deep and wide economic linkages, provide greater stakes for both countries in each other’s economies, allow for greater interaction and freer flow of ideas not necessarily restricted to the economic field. Economies of scale will kick in, and consumers in both countries will have access to cheaper and better quality goods.
Are we shaking in our boots yet? Perhaps those of us are who fear open competition; who are used to being mollycoddled by the state through high tariff barriers and other types of protection, which by the way, they have used to reap windfall profits on the backs of captive consumers. Such people will cry foul, saying Pakistanis will lose jobs etc.
Baloney.
Fear is never a plan of action. In a market economy, consumer is king, not the manufacturer. If our businessmen can’t give better and cheaper goods to our customers, then so be it. In case these industrial barons have forgotten, we now live in a globalised economy. Which means we have options.
But will these options be constricted because of political disputes between the two nations? Yes, if we let them fester. And no, if we decide economic interest carry far more weight than political disputes. Hindsight is always 20/20. But foresight can be even sharper. The transformational moment is upon us and foresight demands we latch on to it for dear life.
Otherwise, we will be left for dead.
The writer hosts a primetime talk show on ARY News. He has worked as Director News of Express News and Dunya News and Editor The News, Islamabad. He can be reached at fahd.husain1@gmail.com or on Twitter @fahdhusain