Time for Modi, Imran to talk Sufi, Mian Channu and Holi

Indians and Pakistanis are meeting (virtually) and talking anything and everything under the sun. They are sharing their joys and sorrows thanks to various social media platforms. While the leadership of both the countries are failing to settle their outstanding issues, they cannot put breaks on their people to remain aloof with people of their neighbouring country

Balance on both sides Imminent

- If Rashids and Choudarys are there on the other side of the border, we have the likes of General Bakshis and Arnab Goswamis. They too use extremely provocative language against our neighbor

- Nuclear armed States need sane and reasonable voices that clam down the hysteria rather than blowing up things

- When the bloody war between Russia-Ukraine is still on, the world cannot afford another war even though the world has been on edge watching India and Pakistan's tension packed ties

- The Channu Mian episode demands that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan speak and discuss the missile issue

For the fast dwindling population of people from the land of dust and seers of Multan who migrated to India in the wake of partition of the country in 1947, Mian Channu is quite a familiar name of a city. It was named after a Sufi seer, Baba Mian Channu. Alas, Mian Channu is currently in news for indeed a very dangerous reason as India acknowledges the fact that it had accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan because of a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance.

It goes without saying that such mistakes must not be repeated at any cost whatsoever as both India and Pakistan are nuclear armed nations and their relations have never-ever seen warmth. They remain on loggerheads more often than not and fought many bloody wars and engaged in several smaller armed clashes.

"On March 9, 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile," the Indian Ministry of Defence said in a three-paragraph statement.

India is duty-bound to conduct an inquiry to ascertain the reasons for the mishap that could result into huge crisis. Those who are found guilty of such an error must face the music. It is an unpardonable crime that they have committed. They deserve no mercy.

Thankfully, accidentally fired missile has not provoked war-hawk Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed to declare a war against India. This politician from garrison town Rawalpindi with Kashmiri ancestry and shares his alma mater (Gordon College) with great actor Balraj Sahni, has time and again, said if India attacks Pakistan, it will descend into an "atomic war". On August 21, 2020, Sheikh Rasheed had said, "Our [nuclear] weapon will be very calculated, miniature and perfect, and will target India while protecting the lives of Muslims." It looks that perhaps Sheikh Rasheed is very occupied in saving the Imran Khan's government that is facing a no-confidence motion from the spirited opposition. That is why he has no time to spit fire against India.

The very unfortunate Mian Channu incident apart, India has perhaps never threatens Pakistan with nuclear war. Remember after article 370 was revoked that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, couple of Pakistani ministers have started warning India of serious consequences. Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that the two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, were determinedly facing off each other at present and that the world needed to resolve the Kashmir issue right away. "If India wants peace, we're standing (ready) for peace but if they want a war, we're standing prepared for a war. Our Army and everyone, including children, are ready to fight," he added.

If Rashids and Choudarys are there on the other side of the border, we have the likes of General Bakshis and Arnab Goswamis. They too use extremely provocative language against our neighbour. See, nuclear armed States need sane and reasonable voices that clam down the hysteria rather than blowing up things.

When the bloody war between Russia-Ukraine is still on, the world cannot afford another war even though the world has been on edge watching India and Pakistan's tension packed ties. It is no secret that India and Pakistan have sizable nuclear arsenals. Some observers may say that nuclear weapons are responsible for both countries to step back from the brink. However, their ties remain tense. The traditional school of thought is that once two countries establish secure nuclear arsenals that can withstand attack and still hit back, they enter a state of mutually assured destruction, or MAD. Even the loser in a war can devastate the other's civilians, making military victory and relative military power all but meaningless.

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain, was spot on when he once said, "In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers." Meanwhile, the Channu Mian episode demands that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan speak and discuss the missile issue. They won't require any interpreter as they can speak the same language. The dialogue would go a long way in settling the dust.

During their conversation, Prime Minister Modi can enlighten Imran Khan about India's great festival Holy's Multan connections. The stories of Palade Braga, Hiranyakashipu, Holika, Narasimha and Holi have been scattered in the land Multan.

Meanwhile, it is laughable that Pakistan's all weather friend China is sermonising both the countries. It has no business to suggest that India-Pakistan should hold a dialogue and thoroughly look into the incident (Channu Mian). Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said, "China calls on the countries to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing, and promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents will not happen again, and misunderstanding and misjudgement can be avoided." India-Pakistan must not allow third party suggestion or intervention on this subject.

Finally, the only heart-warming thing about India-Pakistan ties is that people to people contact across the border is only growing fast. Indians and Pakistanis are meeting (virtually) and talking anything and everything under the sun. They are sharing their joys and sorrows thanks to various social media platforms.

While the leadership of both the countries are failing to settle their outstanding issues, they cannot put breaks on their people to remain aloof with people of their neighbouring country. Now millions of Indians and Pakistanis have become friends. They discuss everything with each other, including contempt for their political masters.

(The author is a Delhi-based journalist who closely follows South Asia, business, Delhi and Indian Diaspora)