Once again in the month of August, Pakistani and Indian forces exchanged fire near the border areas which left at least 10 people dead and dozens wounded.
The Indian paramilitary border security force (BSF) alleged the Pakistani forces of firing shots and mortar rounds near the border which resulted in civilian casualties while the response from the Pakistani military was no different as they too accused Indian troops of "unprovoked" opening fire on the working boundary near Sialkot, killing two Pakistani civilians.
As a result, the unfortunate killings across the border were reported in the following way in both countries.
"At least seven Pakistanis killed in Indian shelling along the Working Boundary" - As reported by a Pakistani News channel
"Pakistani troops violate ceasefire again in RS Pura sector; 3 civilians killed, 8 injured" - As reported by an Indian News channel.
The above two headlines from the two leading newspapers of both countries from 28-08-2015 is clear proof that blaming the other side for violence and bloodshed wasn't being restricted to just governments and military but even media became party to it, consequently from governments to media to general public, the tradition of blaming the other side for bloodshed continued in India and Pakistan.
This isn't anything new, for quite a long time, both India and Pakistan have been accusing each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement. Such violations in both countries leave innocent civilians dead on BOTH sides. However a large part of people seem to least care about the innocents dying. They seem more interested in adding fuel to the fire by playing the victim card blaming the other side for ceasefire violation which gives the jingoistic nationalists on both sides another reason to continue their propaganda of hatred against the other country. As a result, people existing in this region of the world are so blind in hatred that instead of focusing on how the bloodshed should be stopped, they are much more concerned about "Who started the bloodshed." For them, it is more important to know that who fired the first bullet instead of focusing on what must be done to permanently stop it.
Even though a large part of people are turning blind in hatred against the other country after listening to their media, there are some people who are utilizing the privileges of living in 21st century in a positive way. Fortunately we are living in the age of social media where information is available on our finger tips, therefore, unlike in the past when we had to rely on state controlled media, today we can easily look at any issue from both perspective and this is why few people from both countries are trying to create awareness about this issue by letting their country people know that people have been killed on both sides of the border and they can't claim to be on the right side only after listening to their media, their media will only show them innocent.
We may continue killing innocent civilians on both sides but in the end, neither Pakistan nor India will win. It is only humanity that will lose. These 10 people were neither Nawaz Sharif's nor Narendra Modi's relatives, they were just poor people who have always paid the price of conflicts between two nation states, simply because they live near the border areas. They might not have any differences with the common people of other country but it is very much possible that the recent killings by the hands of military of both countries may plant the seeds of hatred in their families which will continue for generations I am afraid.
The blood of the innocents killed in Pakistan is on the hands of the Indian Army and vice versa. Unlike jingoistic nationalists on either countries, lets not differentiate between the blood or dead bodies of any human only because of their nationality. Whether the people are from Sialkot Pakistan or R.S Pura, Jammu, the color of the blood that flows is same. Whether you are an Indian or a Pakistani, you are a human before anything else and these border lines between your land can NOT justify murder of any innocent.
It is quite possible that people might not like what's written above, It is also possible that I might have been hailed a "hero" or a patriot by the masses of my country had i cursed the other side India instead of writing what I wrote above but I really care about people who lost their lives and want this madness to stop. I would prefer writing something which might bring some sense in people of Sub continent. Cursing the other country is very easy, lets try to change people's mindset.