Today, 15 August 2007, India marked its 60th anniversary of political independence from the British. Pakistan, which was created by the British partitioning of India at the time of independence, marked their 60th birthday yesterday.
So here’s wishing the Indo-Pak combine a meaningful 60th.
For human beings, 60 is a landmark age. In some cultures, it marks the beginning of senior citizen stage. Wisdom, maturity and exemplary conduct are assumed and expected of those reaching 60.
When it comes to nation states, however, things don’t quite work that way. India and Pakistan at 60 are a good example.
Yes, they have made significant advances on many fronts in the past six decades. But before that progress can be celebrated, we have to take note of the political and socio-economic turmoil that these two nations — harbouring close to 1.5 billion human beings between them — find themselves in.
Those tensions are exacerbated by the bitter nuclear arms race between these two still-impoverished nations.
When it comes to geopolitics of nuclear weapons, India and Pakistan behave worse than two sill school boys. This is how my friends at Himal Southasian magazine summed it up brilliantly:
And here’s another Himal cartoon which punctures the juvenile male obsession with weapons of mass destruction:
So let’s hope that the 60-year-olds will finally begin to act their age at least now!
Open Minds! 
How come India and Pakistan are both shown as male? I bet a male cartoonist drew these…shows the male chauvinist mind. But then again, it’s MEN, MEN and more MEN who are running these two great countries, taking all of us to perilous brink of survival.
It seems you are the one that need to grow up !
According to your line of thinking , is US “matured enough” to keep the huge stockpile of nukes and use them as an advantage.
If you look at the history of this nation. you can eaisly see how many times the foreign forces have occupied the country. One cannot negotiate for peace without power.
It would be nice if you are more objective about your report and could give a solid proof for ‘claims’ that you are making.
GPS – whoever it is – has spoken like a true nationalist! Need I say anymore?
By coincidence, somebody calling him/herself ‘Enlightened Pakistan’ sent me an email last week with the subject: Will the people of South Asia stand up and reject militarism and a warped desire for ‘greatness’?
It read:
PLEASE CIRCULATE THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES. THEY SHOULD THE FUTILITY OF THE ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA.
Nuclear Nationalism – India
Pakistan Nuclear Power
Pakistan Nuclear Power II
I completely agree with the point that arms race is futile. However, if my neighbor is my enemy(by this i don’t mean paksitan, i mean paksitani armed forces) which can go to an elaborate length to destroy the country, india must do everything it can to preserve its integrity. I think you know the history. India has already fought three wars with pakistan(year 1947,1965,1971). What do you think would have happened if india would have lost?
What do you suggest? Should india give up all its weapons?
I would like to know your views about these questions
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Nalaka Gunawardene Says:
14 January 2008 at 1:29 pm
GPS – whoever it is – has spoken like a true nationalist! Need I say anymore?
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You can give me any label you want(Nationalist,secular,right wing,left wing etc) that doesn’t change the reality. The ground reality is india is a country surrounded by two hostile countries. I would like to see a peaceful world , cure for cancer and happiness everywhere. How it can be done is more important. You can’t have peace unless you are powerful . That’s reality. I hope your reply will have more maturity than mere accusations.
I don’t like to discuss a serious issue with people who hide behind initials and don’t have the courage to disclose their identity.
I wouldn’t have agreed with you 5 years ago. But today both these countries need to stop the hate mongering against each other and one upmanship. I believe that both India and Pakistan have good leadership that must take the opportunity history has given to them to promote peace. The PM of India seems to be a sincere and trustworhy person, who was born in Pakistan, and Musharaf is also quite a sincere man (no one can say he is corrupt or untrustworthy). He promised that if India India took 1 step toward peace. Pakistan would take several. Mush was born in Dehli, India. The great thing is that for the first time since independence, people are beginning to realize that there is not much difference b/w the two folks. I hope things in Kashmir subside and peace returns to the subcontinent. At one time Canada and the US were at loggerheads with one another.Today they have the longest unguarded border and may become part of an economic trading block along w/ Mexico. I hope that things become more peaceful in Pakistan and vibrancy returns where SAARC can become an economic giant rather than a bunch of bickering kids.
I THINK YES !! you are right … I m with you lets call it a day
sincerly your mirco cardes
Good article about India & Pakistan relations. Why don’t you publish it at http://www.indo-pak.org?
Uh… that has absolutely nothing to do with the article and the current president of India is definitely a woman, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil.
Real Awesome!! You write with real charm Nalaka!!
i agree with immi
I think that all of this hatred between Pakistan and India has been caused by the British’s divide and conquer law. And to you Immi, Musharaf is a lier and a cheat. Pakistan will one day fall appart and become India again because of the lake of leadership there. This is all coming from a 2nd generation ,12 year old kid who live in the US.
P.S. For your info dude Prahibha Patil was born in Maharashtra.
i dont like 2 see boys pissing. besharam!!!!
Malik Yaseen is perhaps too young to appreciate the huge symbolicism in the cartoon. This caricature was originally conceived a few years ago by two South Asian journalist friends, Beena Sarwar (a woman) and Kunda Dixit (a man). Like many of us, they were simply tired and disgusted of the tribal and male posturing of politicians and generals in both India and Pakistan, whose behaviour is fundamentally no different from two immature boys trying to out-piss each other!
See also my later blog post:
https://movingimages.wordpress.com/2008/03/23/arthur-c-clarke-of-nukes-and-impotent-nations/
India and Pakistan are 2 dirt poor 3rd world countries. India may have launched 10 satellites in 1 go and Pakistan may have nuclear weapons, but the sad reality is that these are 3rd world dung heaps. India has nearly 1/2 billion poor, more than the combined populations of USA and Indonesia. Most of Pakistan is a 3rd world mud pool.
The only reason these 2 dirt holes can have any benefit of nuclear weapons is to control their own population which combined, constitute 1/6th of the world population.
This is a clear case of 2 European-mimic civilizations trying to keep up with the Jones’s (the Joneses being the White back-holes).
The comics mean a pissing contest, a saying, meaning they are fighting for the sake of fighting. The reason US has nukes is becuase we are a stable country, that is, not in prone to civil war. The reason america has a problem with anyone else having nukes is the same reason everyone does, we think we have better control over them, with layers of secuirty preventing one person from launching them.
The author lacks geopolitical knowledge. With china a country which can’t be trusted, unreliable and a threat to world peace which have nuclear warheads and missiles aimed at new delhi, which thinks arunanchal pradesh in india , sikkim in india is part of its territory and an islamic nation called pakistan which has acquired nuclear technology from china and missiles from north korea and don’t forget pakistan and china both are not democratic ( pakistan was always under some millitary ruler though its a democracy) . with both these notorious nations on either side of border , india needs nuclear bombs to protect its 1 billion population. india’s nuclear program is china specific and not pakistan specific. The author just wants to have a cheap publicity …i forgot writing crap is his bread and butter! anyways china is a big factor in going nuclear, and btw why you have made indians black and pakistani a fair in your cartoon when both are same people just different religion and country , and other point is latest comment should always be on the top and not at bottom , probably the developer of this page lacks sense like you! So grow up
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
THAT’S RIGHT U INDIAN PIGS, IN THE LAST ILLUSTRATION THE PAKISTANI HAS A BIGGER PENIS!!!
HAHAHA, I’M INDIAN, AND I’M ASHAMED OF MY SMALL PENIS AND UGLY, PIG-HEADED COUNTRY!
P.S. I KNOW THAT EVEN ONE PAKISTANI IS BETTER THAN ALL OF US (INDIANS)
Amit…why do you let retards like this post things???
Nik and other moderate readers:
In fact, I have not allowed several comments from both Indian and Pakistani supporters which were considerably stronger than Amit’s, and were outright vitriolic or defamatory — mostly aimed at myself, for having had the audacity to ask these thorny questions! Some commentators have threatened me with nuclear doom, or mushroom treatment, no less!
I did publish Amit’s comments precisely because…they prove the very point I’ve made in my original post. This whole nuclear brinkmanship in South Asia has become a shouting game, a pissing game and worse. And it shows how far and deep nationalism can be stirred up to support the narrow agendas of our ruling military-political complexes…