Stamped Impressions
Borders of awareness
Reeta Sharma

People in a border state should be made aware of a number of things about the country’s security. Who would know this better than the people of Punjab, especially those living in Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Ferozepore. These people have borne the brunt of three India-Pakistan wars and faced near evacuation whenever the armies of both the nations were locked in conflict.

These people have also had nightmarish experiences with terrorism, which stalked Punjab for over a decade, consumed thousands of lives and ruined the economy of the state. The physical and psychological scars are still raw.

Peace, by and large, has been restored, the economy is looking up, agriculture is getting re-seeded and industry re-invented. Efforts are on to put infrastructure in place. Yet, people have a lurking fear of what morrow will bring. The people living on the border know that for progress and development, peace and good relations with Pakistan are the only ways out.

Punjabis in this border state are not complacent when it comes to personal safety or state security. They are virtually the sentinels of the nation. The unfortunate aspect, however, is that despite the three wars with Pakistan and nerve-wracking battle against terrorism, the state has failed to prepare Punjabis, particularly the youth, physically or psychologically, for future challenges and opportunities, given the fact that both India and Pakistan are N-states.

There been little or no government effort to expose and educate Punjabi youth to the changing security environment. There is almost no endeavour to train them in civil defence or to impart awareness on terrorism and cross-border tensions.

The present-day youth is uninformed of the new geopolitical equations or the import of terms like CBMs (confidence building measures) with Pakistan or comprehensive upgradation of bilateral relations to a higher "strategic level" of cooperation with China. The youth is also almost unresponsive and indifferent to the gunfire and grenade blasts in the Kashmir valley.

Despite all the steps that India is taking to normalise relations with Pakistan, one feels that "tension" continues to persist in the subconscious of the Punjabis about India-Pakistan relations due to Pakistan’s continuous support to terrorist outfits in Kashmir. Pakistan is yet to prove that its soil is not being used to launch terrorism across the border. Yet, there is a ray of hope, as Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee says, "However difficult it might be, there is no alternative available to Indian diplomacy other than a substantive and patient engagement of its neighbours."

One wonders why the youth cannot be involved to play a role in defence and development in the states. It is surprising that successive governments in Punjab have never thought of sensitising the people on defence and security issues or modern methods of warfare. Defence preparedness gets strengthened with the involvement of the people, particularly those living on the border. Who can forget the role of Punjabi villagers, who braved bullets and minefields to carry food and other essentials to jawans during the wars with Pakistan? While physical barriers will always remain, goods and services will have a free flow in global economies. This will require more secure borders.

For states like Punjab, political stability and political economy are as important as economic diplomacy with Pakistan. If India and Pakistan are to engage in anything, the two must focus on co-operation that benefits the people and together they must fight "poverty, illiteracy, disease and work for human resource development."

Punjab, incidentally, has a large concentration of serving and retired defence personnel, who can be put to gainful use to "awaken and educate" people about threat perceptions, diplomatic efforts and economic endeavours with neighbouring countries.

As a border state, Punjab needs good communications infrastructure. Besides the national highways, all major state roads must have adequate medical facilities and ambulances. It is time to inculcate mental strength and a state of preparedness in people in the border areas so that they can work for sustainable external security, defence, peace, development and prosperity. Will Punjab take the plunge?

This feature was published on May 21, 2005