Why some People oppose Peace?

One of the most welcome news from South Asia in recent times has been that of the understanding reached by India and Pakistan for an early ceasefire on May 10. From India’s point of view, the objective of responding to the cruel Pahalgam terror attack had been achieved in the form of a significant and effective way, and to avoid further escalation in a fast escalating situation, it was the most sensible thing to accept the ceasefire offer. This timely decision has potentially saved the life of a large number of innocent persons on both sides. Particularly in the context of people living in border areas or very close to such areas, it can be stated without risk of exaggeration that the early ceasefire has come as a big relief to them as well as their near and dear ones living in distant places.

While this news certainly brought a lot of relief to the vast majority of people on both sides of the conflict, at the same time almost every day one hears of some voice or the other of criticism regarding the early cease fire. Someone speaks without providing any evidence at all that India has been deprived of a bigger victory. Someone else says that like in times of Indira Gandhi India should have marched forward for complete victory, completely forgetting the difference in conditions then and now.

In the 1971 war for freedom of Bangladesh, there was the urgency of stopping a genocide. Nearly a million people were killed by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators (various estimates range generally from three hundred thousand to three million persons killed). In addition there was mass displacement of people with nearly 10 million displaced people coming to seek shelter in refugee camps in India (nearly 3 million were displaced internally). So it was a war which had become essential to stop this mass distress. This distress would not have stopped just by local opposition, very courageous though it was, as the Pakistan army was very heavily armed and had the support of both the USA and China. The local freedom fighters had no Air Force or Navy as against the formidable forces of Pakistan. Another big difference was that both the sides did not possess nuclear weapons then, so that the Indian army could advance very swiftly without having to reckon with the possibility of either nuclear or tactical nuclear weapons being used.

On the other hand, in the present context, all the factors favoured ceasefire as early as possible, before a full-blown war could start. It makes no sense to enter a war without carefully considering where the war will end. Any such consideration leads to a conclusion that ceasefire as early as possible was the best option for both the countries as well as for the entire South Asia region.

For one thing in future also any violation or similar incident should not be exaggerated or blown out of proportion to create a false scare or incitement.

[Contributed by Bharat Dogra]

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Vol 57, No. 50, June 8 - 14, 2025