Who’s afraid of India?

By
Fahd Husain
-
39
179

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 [email protected] or on Twitter @fahdhusain

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39 COMMENTS

  1. Its one of the best articles . clear thinking is well reflected. Every Nation/Religion has its share of Extremists. Please don't equate all Indians to Muslim/Pakistani Haters. Majority is usually silent. Most Indians love Pakistanis than hate.

  2. @Fahd. Your whole argument is built around India shinning. Ask any economist and he will tell you that with strongly rising income the consumption and imports will also rise. Now India has given MFN to Pakistan and one would expect that they will import more from Pakistan. The real figures are $200 million of imports from Pakistan. Compare this to exports to Afghanistan estimated at $2billion. Some people have offered NTB (non-tariff barriers) as the reason. Is that part of free trade setup? Could you or anybody else resole this riddle.
    On the other hand, Pakistan imports $1.2 worth of goods from India even without MFN. In my mind it is India that need to open its trade door first.
    I have a suggestion that let us set up a free trade area between Lahore and Amritsar and see how it functions and then expand it.

    • Look at it from some other angles.

      If you are interested in Pakistan's Export: empower your marble and granite industry, build reliable land transport (road/rail). Just one example that would bring a billion dollar in export almost overnight. There are many others…

  3. Fahd:

    There is so much truth in what you are saying. Bangladesh is a good example. Myanmar may be going in the same direction soon. Pakistan may take a little longer to turn around…

    • @Anon, give me some figures for Bangladesh for Indian imports and exports just don't talk in air. Please respond to the points I raised.

  6. It is not Pakistan but India is scared of Pakistan and so is most of the world. India and Pakistan developed their ‘IT’ industries and created finest institutes. From all over the world, students to come to India and Pakistan to specialize and earn Ph.ds in ‘IT”. The difference is as world knows that in India ‘IT’ means “Information Technology” and you start your training by learning ‘Software 101’and in Pakistan ‘IT’ means “International Terrorism” and you start your training by learning ‘Soft-Targeting 101’. Pakistanis, please, leave India alone. Having Pakistan on co-tail means getting your rear examined at every airport.

    • that narrow mindedness and arrogance can only come from a fellow from India…give your women respect and stop raping every whole and then maybe Pakistan can consider you humans and think about doing business.

      Openly hating Muslims or Pakistanis doesn't make you cool. Figure out it quickly. I wonder who comes to india to study info tech. But I know a lot of foreigners who come to Pakistan for MBBS, Telecom engineering and to major in other fields. Facts are facts. Truth hurts. But lies eventually die away. Like we say in delhi.

      • brother ..argue on favts not on rumours…stop living in dreamworld n come out and face the truth…….do you know where is india knwalmost all the cities have metro……..,m not criticizing pak but you shud knw the truth we are worlds 3rd largest economy ,4th in military…..am from mumbai and since my childhood i can count the time when the electricity cutout(5-6 times) was ther in our hose…..italking about infotech….let me remind you current…microsoft ceo is indian,nokia ceo is indian…the pendrive u use daily in created by an india……there are a lot of stuffs u need to ….indeed my roommate is a pakistani ..where am currently studyn…..probaly he admitted tat pakistan still have to decide a long way

  7. On the other hand , let us think about India. Does India really need MFN status of Pak ? It is already growing without the help of Pakistan. If it gets MFN status , it is ok otherwise also it is ok. The beneficiary will be Pakistan and specially it’s people who will have access to cheaper and good quality goods in comparison to costlier goods of Pakistan and worst quality from China. The main aim must be , in this cut throat world to reduce the cost of manufacturing and ond way to do it is reduce the cost of shipment or transportation. Pak is already enjoying the MFN status from India whereas not reverting back.

    • I have raised some important points regarding fair trade. Instead of answering those questions you take the position that India does not need the MFN. Chinese goods are worse in quality than Indian manufactures. That is news to me. Love this train of thought. Get real.
      It has been claimed that Indian income level are higher than Pakistan, then India should be importing more goods from Pakistan to the benefit of Indian consumers. Am I missing something?

        • Chinese goods are inferior. My HCL desktop made in India performs way better than my dads lenovo, made in China. Come to India, will show it to and even take it down part by part, if you wish so!! HEHE

          • Which Bollywood movie told you that. Mr Don, or what was it? Mr Ra 1, There's a real world outside of the dream world of Bollywood which is, unfortunately, very different from the one most of you dwell in.

  8. As a businessman in uk and Pakistan, I cannot see how this will work as Pakistan has no infrastructure and hence cannot compete with India or provide any services. India has electricity, we don't. Until basic facilities are provided in Pakistan no such move should take place.

  9. So while one country offers the other economic growth & progress, the other offers peace in the region. Sounds more like blackmail than understanding, but then again I'm just a Brahminical Hindu by birth from the state of Modi and just like him I hate all Muslims.

    • That's why blackmail is the only language the likes of you understand. Now you know why we blackmail you. Like a good old Hindu baniya, you'd pledge everything you hold dear to save an extra penny or your business. 🙂

  10. No trade with India as MFN till Kashmir Issue is solved as per the wishes of people of Kashmir living on both sides of line of control. If India shows sincerity in this issue by holding a plebiscite in Kashmir, than we must walk an extra mile in facilitating the Indian products and by providing them access to the central Asian market. India is actually eying its access to the central Asia which is only possible through Pakistan .

  11. For heavens sake people! get real. You will get nothing out of this whole equation. I wonder why our authorities are hell bent to make Pakistan a walk free market for the third rated indian products.

    Someone is claiming in the same forum about Indian Products being "Superior" as compared to Chinese, my only answer is, just wake up!

  12. Bravo Mr. Fahad! So eventually you too have joined the bandwagon of those Self Centered Sold Outs, who are commited to make the country a Consumer Paradise for the sub-standard Indian Products? How much you paid anyway?

  13. before taking a decision about awarding MFN Status to India, lets just consider a mutual trade between India & China, which currently stands at US$60 & 2/3 in favour of China & the gap is getting wider by the day. In this background, what is the point of awarding India a MFN Status, while your all weather friend China can help you in an even bigger.

    Being in the business, I personally know quite a lot of Indian Companies, who are importing finished Chinese Products as White Label, labeling the same Chinese Products & eventually re-exporting them as Indian.

    In this context, Pakistan seems to act like a dog asking for bone from a dog, who has in fact borrowed that bone from someone else!

  14. Cool. I wonder why the Govt. dont have Fahad as an advisor? Why President Zardari did not shot a sight on this economics genious?

    China is next door neighbour to India and is world's second economy. For years it had robost economic growth. India always rightly aspired to have such a growth. Never ever, however, it showed an appetite to seek "trade relations" with it at the cost of core issue of Arunchal Pardesh – a disputed territory between India and China? Unlike us Indians always valued to their core geostretegic interests and never got fancied by glitter of economic growth of China. Indians worked out their own way. Instead of looking to China for doling out benefits of economic growth to them they explored other possibilities. And -one must confess- they did that. India is growing because it carved out its own way of growth without bending down before China.

    So can Pakistan. Pakistan is growing. But its pace is not as fast as it ought to be. Pakistan has potential. Infrastructure. Human resources. It simply lack confidence to move out into the market. Apart from India the world is wide opened. We can emerge another economic power without pleading Indians to have us benefit from their "magical growth".

    SHAHID HUSSEIN QABOOLPURIA,
    LAHORE, PAKISTAN

    Why

    • Dude, your English, your geo politics and your surname are all funny and can't be taken seriously…

  15. Mr. Fahd Husain is quite right when he says "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." Unquote: 'window of opportunity' should not be allowed to close. The chance has to be taken by Pakistan for the overall welfare of 150 crore people of this sub-continent leaving all apprensions behind. But bring around all the Hafiz Saeeds of Pakistan.
    Another point is of Pakistani industrialists being apprehensive of losing to indians. It must be recalled that in early 90s, the same apprenensions were expressed by Indian industrialists against opening up to global markets but indians improved their products' quality to compete and were/are successful.

  16. India is going to be the next economical delight of the world. India and Pakistan are dehyphenated by the western powers finally. So Pak must figure out thier own future.

  17. A beautiful article lighting reality happening both nations: True india and pakistan are not friends but brothers : the same race but two religion this is the difference : These two brothers once again come to table and make arrangement of reunion .

    This is a distant possibility : the mutual suspicion never makes reunion . A more militant islam never makes any reunion with Hindu India like germany

  18. PAKISTAN AND CHINA WILL NOT ATTACK INDIA, RATHER THEY WILL BLEED INDIA TO DEATH, OF COURSE A VERY PAINFUL DEATH.

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