The Indian Pakistan Nuclear War (Revelation 8 )

Indo-Pakistan rivalry

by Editorial , (Last Updated 1 day ago)

• A bad time

Pakistan and India keep up the sniping against each other, symbolized by firing against each other on the Line of Control between the two nuclear-armed countries. There have been exchanges of fire on both sides for the last week, and the only attention paid to the greatest challenge both countries, along with all others face, is Indian COAS Gen M.N. Naravane, who said during a visit to Srinagar that Pakistan was busy spreading terrorism during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is a pity that faced with a common enemy, and faced with such common difficulties as inadequate healthcare systems and poverty, neither country has an establishment willing to put aside differences and cooperate in what is probably the worst crisis that either has faced in its existence. Both countries have been victims of whatever pandemics have come to the world, especially the region, but this is the first pandemic after Independence. Neither country’s establishment has come off particularly well, and neither has been able to manage the lockdown needed to stop the spread. That the Indian government has used the pandemic to foment hate against Muslims has neither helped soften Pakistani opinion, nor helped it counter the disease. Both countries have been signally unsuccessful at one of the key components of a successful lockdown, keeping people at home.

For these two countries at least, as well as other countries in the region, this was an opportunity to build bridges of, if not friendship, at least of a shared experience of a common danger met. Instead, the characteristic experience has been of establishments of both countries risking going up the ladder of nuclear escalation, thus putting the whole world at risk. The risk of nuclear winter is not something the world needs at any time, but now is a particularly trying time for the world to be saddled with a fresh global issue. The establishments also need to be aware that the powers which usually intervene have now got pressing problems of their own, and cannot be relied on to keep the peace. That is something the two establishments must work on. There will be time enough for wrangling when the pandemic is past. It should be put off until then.