Devalued Human Security in India & Pakistan: A Quest for Conflict & Military Might

Minal Hussain

In the world of conflicts, a quest for peace and human security is inevitable. Even though the credibility of the United Nations has certainly become questionable on conflicts amongst the states, its efforts in the domain of peace-building and human security are certainly affective and worth appreciating in developing and under-developed states. Relating the idea of security with people instead of territories was the basic concept of Human Security that was first coined by UNDP in its Human development report “New Dimensions of Human Security” in 1994. The idea was certainly thought-provoking as, before that, the lens of security was limited to the protection of territories and response to armed conflicts. The concept in its self is very broad, however, seven essential elements that included the economy, Health, Political, Personal, Food, Environmental and Community were enlisted as the basis of human security. Various factors have not been given due consideration by the UN, however, religion, caste and creed and ideological orientation are few of the important factors in the context of South Asia that can be part of the human security concept. Although human development remains a focused agenda in the developed world, the situation in developing states remains seriously alarming.

Pakistan and India are two nuclear and highly securitized states of South Asia, where the concepts of human development and human security seem to remain a myth. Both the states have poor economic and health condition, political instability, poisoned and contaminated food with branded labels, environmental degradation and culturally & racially intense communities, yet securitization remains a priority for both of them as humans on both sides of the border may survive but aggression against each other has to be responded with complete zeal and strength. Extremist tendencies and aggression against each other remain a very dominant factor in the bilateral relationship of both the states.

The latest Citizen Amendment Act passed in India is another example of extremist tendencies and hatred against Muslims thriving in Indian leadership. India is already being bashed for imposing a curfew and committing serious human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, while at the same time introduced anti-Muslim legislation which fueled the sentiments of 210 million Muslims across the country. Muslims all across India protested against the Modi government and his extremist policies and the country’s political and communal environment was seriously intensified. How can a country which accounts for 11% of the Muslim population all across the globe ignore rights of an entire community? Though BJP government faced serious challenges after this bill was passed from the Parliament as it conceded defeat in the eastern state of Jharkhand, yet the implementation on the legislation was not suspended, nor violence on Muslims was stopped. Violent protests erupted in Assam and north-eastern states which further intensified the situation, though the students from Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University and various other institutions created trouble for the government and security agencies. Videos of students protesting against the policies of government surface on social media daily initiating a debate for every segment of society. Similarly, the voice of national celebrities in the campaign has also gained it much fame and popularity, however, Asad-ud-din Owaisi’s criticism in a public gathering on Prime Minister Imran Khan were the words put in the mouth by their establishment and not much. While Pakistan and India rank 150 and 129 in human development index concurrently, the fact that CAA bill will further impact human security in India cannot be neglected. Economic progress will be downgraded and anti-Muslim rift across different states of India will surge leading to conflicts and internal stability. Besides, all the other religious minorities of India will also take an anti-Muslim orientation of BJP government as the next step towards their community. Pursuing principles of extremism and hatred as a national narrative will not let India remain a secular state.

Human development is a necessity in the 21st century if India intends to prosper on the path of development and growth. It is high time for both the states to re-identify their priorities, as ever-increasing expenditures in defense and security will not help people of both the states to improve their lives. Current Corona virus crisis proves that both the states spent huge on military hardware which is useless today. Now both the States are facing the shortage of ventilators for virus infected patients, in addition to this, they are also facing shortage of protective suits for their doctors and paramedical staff and even surgical masks for the common people. Even though both the countries are nuclear states, clean drinking water is a luxury for a major chunk of the population. A good number of people sleep daily without having food while malnutrition in children is a common phenomenon which people have even stopped to care for. How can a country still afford to invest in maximizing its security if its people cannot afford to have even necessities of life? How can a country afford to create an environment of extremism and hatred through laws, if it is unable to grow in terms of its GDP? Undoubtedly, Pakistan and India share complex differences with decades of unresolved disputes which cannot be fixed in a matter of days or months. Revocation of Article 370 and 35-A and recent Kashmir domicile law is going to be a nail in the coffin by the Modi government for the resolution of disputes. Besides, continuous Pakistan bashing by Indian politicians and its top leadership are making things worse between the two states. Although, the dialogue is the only possible solution for Pakistan and India, until and unless the Modi government revokes back its actions in Kashmir, the intensity of the conflict will grow. The situation of Kashmir is also alarming and genocide is going on by the Indian forces as pro-Pakistan sentiments will continue to grow. Human development in these two countries will continue to suffer and securitization of both states will continue to grow. Redefining priorities is the only option for both these states, however, a sane leadership is required in the top hierarchy of India specifically to prioritize human development and human security instead of military might.