Propaganda Creates Bitterness in India-Pakistan Relations

The India-Pakistan ties are not improving because leaders and bureaucrats on both sides are pursuing a doublespeak policy. Both are indulging in pseudo nationalism. Political leaders and officials are vying with each other in publicizing themselves as nationalists. Owing to this false propaganda, bitterness is created in relations between the countries.

Currently, the ruling party in Pakistan is engaged in starting such a campaign. All-out efforts are made to prove former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto a staunch nationalist. They are propagating that even during the reign of Benazir many anti-India conspiracies were planned. A former army officer has claimed that during the term of Benazir in 1990, the Pakistani Government had taken a decision that in the event of India targeting the Pakistan nuclear base, the Pakistani Air Force should get ready to attack the Indian nuclear installations.

Change in Pakistan's Mindset
According to a claim made by former Pakistani Army Chief General Mirza Alam Beg, that the then Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had, amid reports of an alleged plan by the United States and Islamabad to attack the Indian nuclear installations, issued these orders. The general also claimed that on the occasion of formation of the Islamic Democratic Alliance, Benazir had incurred huge amount of money in this connection. Such propaganda is being made in order to bring about a change in the mindset of Pakistanis about her.

As a part of this campaign, a section of former military officers and present political leaders are making a bid to prove that Benazir was a staunch nationalist and she preferred a huge number of tasks for the welfare of Pakistanis. While carrying out this campaign of false propaganda for presenting political leaders and bureaucrats as nationalists, no heed is being paid to the relations between the countries.

Sentiments of Common People
In India and Pakistan, no political leader and bureaucrat is considered a patriot unless and until some or the other act is performed to cause damage to the interests of each other's country. Through the statements being made in the wake of the assassination of Benazir, an attempt is being made consistently to project that she was a true nationalist and she formulated plans to teach a lesson to India. It is distressing to note that the so-called democratic leaders of India and Pakistan are not caring for the sentiments of the common people in this context. This campaign to slight the two countries is causing unrest in this region.

The media in the two countries is also not lagging behind. Reports are being carried in the media every other day wherein certain political leaders and bureaucrats of the two nations are being projected as Jihadis [crusaders]. The motive behind this drive is to instill hatred among the common people of the two countries against each other. The people are being misled through efforts to develop such a mindset on both sides.

Uncommon Advantage
The uncommon advantage is being derived by political leaders and bureaucrats of the two countries from this false propaganda. By encouraging such a psyche, the common people are being entrapped in the false concept of pseudo nationalism. It is in the wake of the pursuance of such a policy that the issue of relations between India and Pakistan is being utterly ignored.

The common people of the two neighboring countries are desirous of peace and friendship. The path of peace and progress can be opened through peace and economic development and prosperity. The real need is to stop false propaganda in both countries.