Some time ago I came across the news that business transactions (for example import and export connections) between India and Pakistan had been severely affected due to the bitter relationship.
I was shocked at reading the news and I started wondering why the unfortunate official apathy had come in the way of doing business (thereby causing great loss to both the countries unnecessarily).
I am always attached to things like what I have quoted above. To be frank, my first-ever job had involved the export and import business transactions in my native place of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu in India. We had procured the usable material and food-items (foodstuff) from the areas like Tuticorin, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Marthandam and Nagercoil, all in Tamil Nadu in India and shipped/conveyed to the respective destinations and the various countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Singapore.
Likewise, both India and Pakistan have natural resources in abundance. But bad politics and the lethargic attitude have taken a heavy toll on the wealth index of both India and Pakistan.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of the powers that be of India and Pakistan to take serious steps in matters of nurturing good rapport and strengthening the economic activity between the two countries. Far-sighted vision is the need of the hour.
SENTHIL SARAVANA DURAI
Mumbai