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Too Close For Comfort - Moizullah Tariq Malik Moizullah Tariq Malik works in an airline industry. He says reading and writing are more than a hobby to him.

Few days back, I was in Lahore (Pakistan) on a personal emergency. Living abroad, one doesn’t usually dare to travel these days to places threatened by the possibility of war and more so, a nuclear war. On my arrival at Lahore, what I saw and experienced was completely different. The Print & Electronic Media paints a very grave picture of the situation between India & Pakistan. Both Armies are supposed to be on alert for any eventuality within very short notice. Despite this threat, the people live a very normal life. They have no fear of War or destruction.

I read an interesting story about the attitude of the people of Lahore. When Nadir Shah conquered the city of Lahore, he announced that there would be a mass killing at 5 PM, which will start from Lahore and warned the people to stay indoors. When he came out of Lahore Fort at around 5PM, he saw a huge gathering outside. He asked his men what was going on. Were these people not informed of what was going to happen to them if they were out like this? He was told that the announcements were made quite extensively and as a result of that they had all come to see the mass killing with their own naked eyes. This may be considered a joke, but I could feel the same attitude and culture in the city.

While in Lahore, I read statements made by the ruling elite in the media. These statements seem so far from reality, they almost seem ridiculous. One of these statements was that the Nation should sleep calmly as the defense was in the good hands. How can people sleep calmly knowing they could become “collateral damage” in the eventuality of war??

On both sides of the fence, the elite is determined to defend every inch of their motherland, but no one has ever made it clear as to how. There is no one explaining how they propose to defend the people. The armed forces of both countries are closely watching each other, but what if missiles are even as they are watching? What if the atomic firepower shakes the very ground, on which they are standing and watching? How can this situation be addressed? The truth is that nobody on either side is safe if there is a war. It would be just a case of collective suicide.

If we suppose that this WAR is somehow limited to the conventional war methods, how many people can get medical support if they are affected? Will electricity and water be restored if targeted during WAR? History has it that if these facilities are even affected by rain and thunderstorm, nay, even kite flying, So what can we expect if there is a war? Nobody has the slightest idea how to overcome such emergencies should they arise. Is there any contingency plan prepared? If yes, where is that? Why people are not informed of it?

The common man is plagued by problems of poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy. Perhaps he is not able to comprehend the magnitude of destruction that could be caused. Defense is not only to protect the borders and lands; it is equally important to protect the people. Keeping nuclear arsenal is one thing, protecting people from a nuclear attack is another. I don’t think either country have ever thought about that?

I personally do not see any possibility of war at present. Efforts should be made towards the solution of the KASHMIR issue. If we ignore the solution again, then it is again a matter of time till the two countries wage a war. Not just on Kashmir but also on the issue of WATER whose shortage will bring the people to the defense line along with their respective armed forces. Once that happens, there will be nothing short of total destruction.

Footnote:
This article was written on 6/14/2002

Edited by Sandhya Acharya.

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