Borders, and that too between people separated by uncontrollable circumstances, play havoc with their hearts and minds, having to exist without those with whom the shared bonds are of history, culture and geography. The people of Pakistan and India, after Partition, have had to live with the new reality since 1947 with not much hope of alteration in the situation, keeping in consideration the bad blood between the two neighbours.
Geo-political, internal status quo, opposing discourses and a myriad of voices (clergy, civil society, media) all in unison map out a narrative that may or may not be conducive for allaying the hostility between Pakistan and India, and that is something that may need to shift into a long-term mandate, the focus of which would be on the maintenance of a friendly atmosphere. With the two countries interacting, artistes from Pakistan working in the Indian film industry in different capacities, Indian writers/speakers as guests on various fora in Pakistan, and sports tournaments (especially cricket matches), the one thing that stands out is the commonality of a shared cultural and historical heritage, thus making the reduction of hostility even more imperative.
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