Title Intentionally Left Bank: Do Good Fences make Good Neighbours?

Posted by SMM on 13:24

I have a daily calendar on my desk, with a thought for each day. Today's though of the day is:

"A border can be drawn on a map only after it is first drawn on human hearts."
- Anonymous

This is one thought which really struck me. Don't we see it in Kashmir today? Borders were drawn on maps before the borders could be drawn on human hearts. Had the borders been drawn on human hearts, would we have had all this bloodshed today? Would we have had Kargil? Would we have had the various blasts and the Taj seige?

I guess its easier to draw a border on a map than it is to draw a border on a human heart. We saw it first during the Bengal partition when the British divided East Bengal (which is today known as Bangladesh) and West Bengal. When you draw a border on the map, you have to make the heart understand that border. Today, we have trespassers/ intruders on our land. We will fight them and throw them out. But my question is why do they trespass? Maybe because this was once their home too. By drawing a line on a map, you may have thrown someone out of their home.

Anonymous says:

3 February 2009 at 21:08

I am currently in Assam,and reading up a lot on this.This is a issue very dear to all of us, as we have places inundated with the influx of illegal Bangladeshis.And I wish, I could see both sides of the issue,but when I see villages in Assam virtually flooded by migrants and the locals being outnumbered ..all sympathies fail.
Still trying to form an informed opinion on this issue.

3 February 2009 at 23:39

This is suuuuch a complicated issue, I wonder would even leave god himself puzzled.

4 February 2009 at 01:09

smm, that's a very wise and rational thought that needs to be aired more often as opposed to the hateful propaganda we keep getting subjected to. there is really no difference between 'them' and 'us'. the faster we accept that, the better it is for both the countries. pakistan, sadly, is an artificial construct. it shouldn't have been there in the first place. borders are artificial. there are more similarities between indian punjabis and pakistani punjabis than indian punjabis and indian telugus let's say. that says a lot, innit.

thanks for writing this.

Keshi says:

4 February 2009 at 08:42

I agree 100%! I always believed that borders drawn on maps r stabs on many hearts! no wonder wars go on for years.

IMAGINE there's no borders...

Keshi.

SMM says:

4 February 2009 at 10:15

Hey Lostonthestreet, my husband is from Dharamshala. He has a similar opinion on the Tibetans there.He sympathises with them, but he cannot empathise with them.

I understand what your saying. We will throw out intruders on our land - but that is not a solution as we have already seen in Kashmir. maybe we need to find another solution. You know I'm confused about this - I don't know where I stand. I understand the plight of the migrants and also that of those whose livelihood & homes they have taken away

4 February 2009 at 10:16

J, I totally agree. I know for a fact that I am certainly confused like I just told Lostonthestreet.

4 February 2009 at 10:18

Roop, thanks :)

My husband may gag at the 'wise' bit though :P

Roop, I am confused about this. This is not someting which is black and white - we need to find a solution here but if that solution means sitting back and letting others intrude on our land, I would be the first to say No.At the same time, i also understand the plight of people who were forced to move away when boundaries were drawn and overnight they went from being Indian to Pakistanis and were separated from their homes, families and friends

4 February 2009 at 10:19

Keshi, if we had no borders can you imagine the Indian cricket team. We'd have Tendulkar, Dhoni, Dravid, Ganguly playing alongside Inzamam-ul-haq and Shahid Afridi :P