I have come to the conclusion, based on my Twitter feed, that someone has a secret crush, a stalking love affair. And they have, not on me, but on India. And it’s not who you think it is. No, it’s not Imran Khan either, although India lives rent free in his Indian mind. He got the India-fever good and proper. Ain’t no vaccine for it.
No it’s not Mr Imran Khan Niazi, (that’s not a typo – it’s his clan – you know the one same as General Niazi – Google it and have a giggle).
No the stalker is the Pakistani High Commission in London. Every other Tweet seems to be about India. Then it hit me. In a moment of uncharacteristic eloquence, I hit reply, and posted back at them (no one else seems to ever reply to their Tweets, so I felt obliged), “You’re trying to justify your existence as a nation, and provide a distraction for your people to excuse your economic failings from the self same starting point as your neighbour. Your birth was proven unjustified, your peoples have been denied the justice of opportunity.”
I admit it was around midnight when I saw the Tweet. To be fair, I think the Pakistani Mission to the UN was Tweeting to Pakistan’s High Commission in London and back and forth. The rest of the world shrugged and said, ‘meh’.
Anyway, the moment of clarity hit me. They are trying to justify their existence. They were claiming Indian media is controlled by the RSS-BJP conspiracy to rule the universe through Hindutva or some such like rant – to be honest my Urdu is rusty. Anyway, my reply was what you read above.
I get it. Pakistan is trying to justify its existence. Afterall if all was okay with India and you could leave her alone, then what need for a Pakistan.
And then the other shoe fell and it occurred that both countries started with the self same economic point. Yet one rocketed ahead. Surely it’s not the bloodline. Nope. The key difference? Other than military dictatorships didn’t work out so well for Pakistan. Let me tell you. The key difference is that one is a theocracy.
I don’t like theocracies. Religion in politics is a toxic mix. The West removed religion from politics in the 1800s largely and accelerated ahead.
I’ve nothing against God, or priests, but once they get their hands on laws – you’re in trouble. Pakistan has many problems. India isn’t one of them. But as Pakistan realises it, it is the solution.
India can solve Pakistan’s problems by giving it a distraction and a justification for existence. It just needs some lies and exaggeration fed to its people and we know from Trump – you can do that. It works. (Mostly).
Anyway, I wanted to share my epiphany. I know, I know, you’d all worked all of this out well before me. Sorry, I’m late to the party.
