We need this passion, but for another battle

But let us remember that the West, more particularly USA, has fought and won the most important war of all — the war against poverty. Both India and Pakistan are still to win that war. We have yet to achieve the common goal of uplifting Daridra Narayan.

In war, men behave like brutes or beasts. Douglas MacArthur, who had experienced war at close quarters than most men, in an address to the US Congress in 1951, stated, ‘‘I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both sides, friend and foe, has rendered it useless as a method of settling internal disputes.’’

As I have seen, the wars we — Indian and Pakistan — as neighbors have fought over the last 50 years have only made us more impoverished. Terrorists and terrorism are mainly due to dissatisfied, misguided youth, who are being led astray by political and religious fanatics.

But we shouldn’t allow them to destroy our lives. The common effort of the developing world, more particularly of Pakistan, China and India, is to win this battle against poverty. If we achieve success in this, we could potentially be much stronger than the West. Today, much of our resources are being spent on maintaining the armed forces.

Even now there is time to think aloud and come up with common solutions to our common problems. But for this our leaders will have to demonstrate a statesman-like vision — a commodity that is extremely rare in these parts.