Borders shut, but glimmer of hope remains
Over the past four days, the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar witnessed heart-breaking scenes—families bidding emotional farewells and tear-inducing stories of love and hope. As borders between India and Pakistan shut again, lines from the popular Javed Akhtar song from the film Refugee (2000), Panchhi, dariya, pawan ke jhonke, koi sarhad na inhe roke…, keep running through one’s mind, a haunting reminder of times when political and diplomatic tensions between the two nations reach a boiling point.
The first strike in such tensions is quite often the snapping of cultural ties and people-to-people interaction—as has happened again this time. While the call for action against terrorism remains a priority, the shrinking space for cultural exchange between the two hostile nations over the years is too evident to ignore.
While banning Pakistani artists from working in India is not a new development, this time, the government also banned Pakistani entertainment channels, cutting access to the popular Pakistani dramas in India.
Over decades, Pakistani dramas have garnered immense popularity for their grounded and realistic content, cultural resonance and elegant Urdu. While this latest move has disappointed fans in India, it also raises a critical dialogue: cutting ties—particularly in the realm of culture and people-to-people interaction—also blocks any hope for normalcy.
“Cultural stream running in both the countries is the same, so, despite several incidents of diplomatic coldness, the people-to-people interaction never broke pace. Since Partition, we have never been able to divide Baba Nanak, Bulleh Shah, Amrita Pritam, Manto or Faiz between us—then how could we now?” says Arvinder Chamak, a poet and artist from Amritsar.
Chamak was part of an Indian delegation that visited the Faiz Festival in Lahore this year and previously. He was supposed to attend a literary event in Lahore on May 7 and has been curating the Sanjha Punjab initiative in collaboration with Majha House, fostering cultural and literary exchange between India and Pakistan. “We were to host Moneeza Hashmi, daughter of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, for an event in Amritsar and now it will not happen,” shared Chamak, reflecting the deep disappointment one harbours when people on both sides are denied direct dialogue.
Amritsar-based Hind-Pak Dosti Manch and the Folklore Research Academy, which organise a candle march and lighting ceremony at the Attari border every August 15, have also appealed to political leadership to resolve the tensions through peaceful negotiations. Led by eminent journalist Kuldeep Nayyar, the organisation released a statement expressing concern as both countries cancel visas of citizens, tearing apart mothers and children and separating loved ones.
The statement urged that exemptions on humanitarian grounds, especially for medical treatment, must be considered. “The common people should not be punished for the inhumane acts of terrorists. It is very important for governments to treat the common people differently from the terrorists. Politicians and media in both countries should also refrain from inciting hatred or provocation at this time,” said Satnam Singh Manak, General Secretary of the Hind-Pakistan Dosti Manch, a forum dedicated to people-to-people dialogue.
