Both nations spend billions of dollars on arms, missiles,
and surveillance — while hospitals run short of beds and medicines, schools
crumble, and farmers take their own lives under the weight of debt. A mother in
Karachi and a mother in Kanpur worry about the same things: a child’s future,
safe drinking water, a stable income, a life with dignity. Yet both are told
that the biggest danger lies across the border, not within their own streets.
The real enemies are hunger, illiteracy, unemployment,
floods, droughts, and corruption. These enemies do not need visas; they cross
borders every day. Floodwaters destroy homes in Sindh and Assam alike. Farmers
in Punjab — on both sides — pray for rains and fair prices. Youth in Lahore and
Lucknow struggle to find jobs despite degrees. These shared pains are louder
than the slogans of hate, if only we choose to listen.
Yes, history has been bitter. Wars have been fought, lives
have been lost, and wounds run deep. But must our children inherit this
hostility as their only legacy? Are we destined to repeat the same mistakes
simply because we are too proud to change?
Imagine a different rivalry — not of tanks and missiles, but
of innovation, literacy rates, clean energy, technology, and exports. Imagine
India and Pakistan competing to eliminate poverty faster, to educate every
child, to heal the sick, to build green economies, to lead the world in science
and discovery. That is a kind of competition the world would welcome — and our
people desperately need.
True strength is not measured by how many enemies we can
defeat, but by how many lives we can uplift. A strong nation is not one that
frightens others, but one that gives its citizens hope.
India and Pakistan do not need to become military
superpowers. They have the potential to become economic and human development
giants — if only they identify their real enemy.
