The British have to be credited with the fact that they for the first time brought under their control the then undivided India and thus gave a geographical and political definition to it. Otherwise there would have been multiple countries which would have emerged from the numerable kingdoms that existed. Having come under one rule both Hindus and Muslims then indirectly and directly started carving out space for their religious controls which resulted in partition. It was inevitable and should be accepted as such without blaming anyone. It was history in action. These very reasons will not permit India and Pakistan uniting again.

Sir

I still beg to differ. It is true that credit goes to the British for taking control of hundreds of the small kingdoms and defining the geographical boundry of the country but while granting freedom and partition they had granted liberty to those kingdoms to exercise their option to join any of the two countries. Since I belong to the family who had the brunt of the partition and had to migrate to India, having been stick to our religion, I had to say that the seeds of partition were laid by the British and some of the Muslim leaders were used for that cause.In our native village, there was nothing so ugly between Hindu and muslim families there.

Indian Muslims are not foreigner to this country - they or their forefathers were forced to convert into Islam by the muslim aggressors. Many muslim families living in Bharat have respect and observe Hindu festivals alike. Similarly, those muslim families who have migrated to Pakistan but having some links with their relatives in Bharat remain interested in our festivals. Muslims living in this sub-continent have similar living styles. The differences if any are not indigenous. I understand that unification is difficult but it is not impossible if both countries continue cultural exchanges and it can get boost if Pakistan Government may understand the ground reality of their people. Unification can solve a number of problems in this sub-continent and we can work over that.

@Gulati : I fully appreciate your sentiments as you belong to the population which got uprooted due to partition. I also accept the fact that large percent of Muslims in the sub-  continent are converts from Hinduism, either out of choice or force and thus are closely related to the ethos of undivided India. This was a contributory reason for both communities living cordially since long. However we are talking of today's times. There is a significant section of our population which wants India to become a Hindu country just like Pakistan is an Islamic country.

The ill treatment of minorities in Pakistan, reducing there share from 12%  in 1947 to less than 2% today is used as a weapon by these forces. Also secularism is blamed for giving minorities more preference by these groups. 

Pakistan has now traveled a long distance and become a nuclear power. Why should it lose its identity by merging with India. These are romanticised dreams which will never get fulfilled. However on a cultural front personal contacts can always take place. Unification is a very very distant dream perhaps not worth chasing.

If the two countries can maintain at least friendly economic and social relationships that would be good enough rather than hope to have a united front which is impossible because that would give rise to many minor issues like having a common law that would be suitable to all cand so on..

I do contribute to your views. This a fact that the  seeds of partition  are laid by the British. In this process they used a few Muslim Leaders. Regarding the religious tolerance both Muslims and Hindus living in some of  those areas had set an example.  My friends' Great grand father shared his fond experiences and passed on to the next generations. And I came to know about them. This I had stated in my earlier responses.

Let's see the things in the real perspective about Political scenario in Modern India. You know how it is trying its best to establish the concept of Hindu Rashtrra. In these conditions unification is not only difficult, but also impossible.

usha manohar wrote:

If the two countries can maintain at least friendly economic and social relationships that would be good enough rather than hope to have a united front which is impossible because that would give rise to many minor issues like having a common law that would be suitable to all cand so on..

 

Totally agree. Differences are far too many to even think of a possibility like that. Being cordial with each other is all we can hope for. I have stayed in Punjab for quite some time and I know many of the families there have gone through the pain of partition and have relatives across the border. But I've also seen the tension there. Even India Pakistan cricket match used to seem like a war !!

 

Musrf Parvez, Ex president of Pakistan accepted in his one interview that Laden, Jawahir is our hero and Laskar is our creation. Now what is left to prove that Pakistan is mother land of terror and terrorist.

anil wrote:

Musrf Parvez, Ex president of Pakistan accepted in his one interview that Laden, Jawahir is our hero and Laskar is our creation. Now what is left to prove that Pakistan is mother land of terror and terrorist.

Exactly. Both the countries had reached a point of no return. The provocative firings across the border and giving shelter to Dawood Ibrahim prove that Unification of India and Pakistan is mere wishful thinking. Here is the proof.that Pakistan is still protecting Terrorists like Dawood Imrahim

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dawood-ibrahim-leaked-tapes-karachi-pakistan/1/409047.html

 

 

Lopamudra wrote:

usha manohar wrote:

If the two countries can maintain at least friendly economic and social relationships that would be good enough rather than hope to have a united front which is impossible because that would give rise to many minor issues like having a common law that would be suitable to all cand so on..

 

Totally agree. Differences are far too many to even think of a possibility like that. Being cordial with each other is all we can hope for. I have stayed in Punjab for quite some time and I know many of the families there have gone through the pain of partition and have relatives across the border. But I've also seen the tension there. Even India Pakistan cricket match used to seem like a war !!

 

 

I agree, hoping and wishing for a unified Pakistan, India and Bangladesh is a distant dream and just that, a dream. People have moved a long way apart and no one wants the union to happen and it is not even feasible and practical. So all we should hope and for and work for is something on the lines of European Union, existing peacefully along with others and not generally interfering in each other's internal affairs. But that too is something that only India can try and achieve, hoping that to happen from other two is again impossible.