Division
and inclusion.
Division is present throughout the world. Here in India, it goes
back centuries in the most distinctive form, caste. Walls too are present everywhere
- from Israel to Mexico. President Donald Trump wants to build a wall to
separate Mexico and the USA. Israel has built walls to separate itself from
Palestine. These leaders claim that building walls are preventing major wars
but if we look at the research provided by ‘theguardian.com’, it seems Mexicans
have been living both in America and in Mexico for decades without having any
trouble. So one wonders, why build walls to separate people if they pose no
threat to the countries?
This global divide is caused by different mindsets in the world.
Different people have different opinions about different circumstances and
these opinions cause a major rift in the unity of people. Some believe that
women should not be educated while others, that blacks are inferior to whites.
A major difference between the USA and the USSR caused an ideological war, that
of communism and capitalism. The division of Germany into West and East is
another example.
Even though there are divides, the world over, people have also
destroyed both mental and physical boundaries. Take the Berlin wall for
example. This wall had divided people for so long but in the year 1989, people
destroyed it. Nowadays there, people are more open-minded. There are other
examples of progress too. For example, now the girl child is more widely accepted,
supported and even educated. In certain pockets racial discrimination too has come
down making it a better place.
This is what Ms Urvashi Butalia brought out through her
interactions with us on 24th February. She rightly said referring to
Pakistan, ‘You can't consider a
country an enemy’. Ms Butalia argued that Pakistanis look like us, in so many
ways live and think like us, how can we call them ‘the enemy’? This is a
man-made border and a fictitious enemy. Supposedly Pakistan became home to
Muslims, and India to Hindus during partition. People were told that their only
identity was their religion and the other religion was their enemy. Similarly, the
Northeast borders were created during British rule. Many of us label people from
the Northeast as foreigners and Nagaland once demanded independence from India.
So often two different communities seem unable to live together but why?
Surely, the real solution is not to live apart but to live together.
We
concluded Borders aren't always bad; it’s a question of how they are viewed and
written about. Perspectives and opinions are often one-sided and prejudiced. Needless
to say leaders could definitely play a positive role in bringing people together
but the questions remains: do we as ordinary citizens have absolutely no
control over how we view those on the other side of our own borders?
