Normally, politics is something that I don't like posting about but since these days that's all we have going on in the timepass section, here are my two cents on it as well.
The progress of a nation isn't just about the numbers in financial sheets, but also the collective conscience of a nation that is living it's life on the ground. After living a little in Sweden, I've realized how socieities are built and how tolerance and understanding is at the heart of real growth. The motto, "no one should be left behind and social welfare for all" is the cornerstone of life in this country and it's such a beautiful thing to enjoy. I'm sure there are many flaws in the system here too but even if they are, they are considerably less than many countries.
This is how it works here, the elderly are cared for, the sick are cared for, the best of the society are given an opportunity to grow, the ones that fall behind are given protection and support. People are treated as people, regardless of what their skin color or religion is. The sole focus of the society is to give an equal opportunity to everyone living within the society without any discrimination.
That's a beautiful thing to have. A society where privilege isn't the only factor that decides what you can and can't be.
India has done well on the economic front. There's no denying that; India has produced scientists, engineers, doctors, sports personalities and elite thinkers throughout history but now they are being recognized all over the world. It's good and at times makes me envious as well.
There's however a problem that now this beautiful nation has to tackle, and that's basically challenging the status quo and questioning the beliefs that are being presented to them about their enemies. The next step in the evolution of the Indian nation in my point of view.
As someone who has grown up in Pakistan, I'd heard countless times that India is out there to get us. That the worst thing to happen to the world was India and it's secret agenda against Pakistan. I always fought those words and believed that there's more to people than a stereotyped image based on falsified propaganda. I feel the Indian kids have grown up to the same demonizing of Pakistan and a lot of them have dehumanized Pakistanis in general. Muhammad Ali Jinnah is seen as a demon, an evil person who broke India and created all this mess.
This book
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinnah:_India,_Partition,_Independence (I know Wikipedia isn't a source but still) is something that should be read by people to get another perspective about Pakistan as well. It's a perspective, of course and it may be wrong but before hating the enemy, there's some merit to understanding the perspective as well.
Pakistan isn't really a failed state (yet), it hasn't done as well as India but it isn't also as bad as some people want it or make it to be. It's definitely not even close to the Bollywood depiction of Pakistan where old middle-aged mullahs are marrying teenage girls and rabid violent protestors are on the street with AK47's shooting at anyone without a beard or a woman out of her burka. We have issues, many of them and many of us are well aware of our own shortcomings. Our economy despite all the problems is still in the top 30 of the world on many major indicators. We may not have produced CEO for google but Pakistani scientists and doctors have helped shape the world as well. Our sports haven't been as glorious as they could have been but they also haven't been terrible. It's a country that has a young population and will achieve a lot more if it continues to have some stability.
We have made and are making errors considering the political climate. But at the same time, we are producing movements like PTM and people like Malala and Jibran Nasir who stand up and challenge the status quo. We know that our army has plundered but we also know that we can tow them in line. We don't go on saying janab twenty million times a day and chanting death to India slogans before we step out of our homes and back into them. Even PakPassion has some really good Pakistani posters who keep showing us the other side and make us challenge our daily ideology.
We may not have made a dent in history yet, and we may never really do it, but we have a chance and we are a capable enough nation to do that. The bottom line is, we are not as bad as some people want us to look like.
It doesn't please me one little bit that India is demonized in Pakistan. It saddens me a lot. The people of subcontinent deserve better from the governments of their respective countries. Majority of us just want to live, enjoy life, marry the people we love, and produce babies (in most cases) and then die with our loved ones at the side saying "beta hamaari umr main aik nazr main pata chal jaata hai k larkay aur larki k beech kia chal raha hai".
Wars look good in history books, and distant lands but when your own houses are burning, they don't feel so nice and peace is something that we should all strive for.
I hope sanity prevails in India and Pak. I hope that people on both sides understand that there's no gain in continuing the mindless fracass that has continued for seventy two years. I hope new money and old grudges don't shape our countries and the war mongers and hate spreaders are told to go hide into their little hateful dens. People deserve a chance to rise above hatred and differences and enjoy the common aspects of human existence.
Here's to hope. May it find a path to illuminate all the darkness that surrounds us.