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A United India (Or so We Hope)

 Every year, for one second at least, the destinies of two opposed countries intertwine. Midnight, 14th/15th August: The Independence Days of Pakistan and India. Be it a state of war or hostility, for that moment, both nations rejoice, recalling a shared heritage from a past time. The very culture which was so disparate yet bought us together. The same culture that showed us that humanity suffers regardless of superficial man-made divisions. The culture of a united India, one where there was never an India or a Pakistan. 


Indians (all of us), by history, lived in a society which starkly contrasted Europe. We lived in a society where peaceful coexistence reigned, and discord and disharmony never showed its foul head. When Europe had the Inquisition with its 'heretics' on trial, India had a splendiferous hall for religious debate in the court of Akbar. When Europe was burning alleged witches, India was furthering the horizons of science and mathematics. Now, times have changed, and, lamentably, so has the situation. Now, when in Europe we have peace marches and a secular voting stance (mostly), India falls to riot, protest and turmoil over religion. In a world where Indians once were the epitome of a secular society, now we are case studies for communalism and religious hatred. 


We Indians have to unite, for our governments are too caught up in power struggles and their pride. There is no hope in asking the governments of the Republics of India and Pakistan to make-up their differences; they have long ridiculed, insulted, attacked and criticised each other. The onus of uniting the governments of India and Pakistan lies with the people, who must forego their uncharacteristic communal hatred of each other, to achieve a truly independent India.


Seventy-four years ago, India and Pakistan became free nations, but not independent ones. For one is only independent when there is peace in the soul and region: India has that not. It may take us seventy-five years to reach independence after we were 'officially' given, but we would have gotten it after all, rather than never at all. What freedom we were given seventy-four years ago, that we would finally achieve by breaking the imaginary walls we built between each other and extending a hand to help one another. Only then will India be independent again, only then shall the region be united again. 

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