Aman kiss Ass a?

I read the Deccan Chronicle, not Times of India. So when I saw an ad on the TV, where people across the border (read Pakistan) and Indians play a game of dumb charades to communicate a Radio Song Request, I had no clue about 'Aman ki Asha'


Those of you who know me personally also know that I am a huge fan of Mahatma Gandhi. Even when it was fashionable to be a Gandhi hater. I believe in peace not for lofty humanitarian ideals, but because it makes sense. Economic Sense. While watching me shoot zombies to bits you would hardly suspect that a rabid supporter of peace is wielding a Hand Cannon and a Machine Gun with so much panache.


Considering all this, why do I hate this renewed attempt at fostering peace with our neighbour?



Gandhi said "Nonviolence and cowardice are contradictory terms". I am hard-pressed not to categorize our constant attempts at peace with Pakistan as anything but cowardice.


Back when I was in school/college, there was a lot of criticism against peace with Pakistan because of the 'hurt of partition'. The generation affected by the partition just could not forget what they had gone through and could not bring themselves to forget it. I never understood that stance. Doesn't it make sense to forget the past and move on?


That's the same question I asked myself when I saw the 'Aman ki Asha' ad.


Sure, I can forget the partition happened. Because it happened well before me, and I have not been affected by it. I suppose by the same logic I can forget the first two wars with Pakistan (especially because my excuse for a research, i.e. Wikipedia,  leads me to believe we were responsible for one of them).


And going by my earlier statement, I had to forget even the recent past. The past I had lived through. That included Kargil, the numerous terrorist attacks (which sadly I have lost count of), and even the recent one in Mumbai where we captured the lone terrorist, gunman, innocent bystander who has the same DNA as the terrorist by a freak of nature.


Sure let me take inspiration from Aamir Khan in Ghajini  and erase every bit of our past with Pakistan. But can I erase the present? If I forget anything ever happened, would I still want to be 'brothers' with a nation that is regressing backwards in time at frantic pace, a nation that is still the main hub of Terrorism Outsourcing., a nation that has no semblance of democracy?


I am not for war. No. That is not what I am saying at all. I would want us to be internally secure, that means taking down all the 'sleeper cells', and the Maoist threat (which is actually more worrying right now) and then just ignore Pakistan. No animosity. No friendliness. Like the way I treat my annoying neighbour who clears his throat and spits from the balcony every single day.



Which is why the whole incident with the Pakistan cricketers being ignored in the IPL auction made me laugh out loud. Especially Afridi's statement 


And those of you who say Sports and Arts should be kept away from politics... just give me one good reason.