Amid tension, civil society on both sides bats for peace

Is civil society the most important promoter of peace between India and Pakistan?

Is civil society the most important promoter of peace between India and Pakistan?

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Even as the militaries and governments of the South Asian neighbours bickered over the events leading up to the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC), politicians, journalists and lawyers from the two countries participated in a debate on the role of states and the civil society in bringing peace to the region.

"Hardliners from both countries have always managed to derail peace," said actor Kabir Bedi, speaking in favour of civil society's pivotal role in promoting peace between India and Pakistan. "It is only civil society on both sides, who can ensure peace."

Pakistan Supreme Court lawyer Salman Raja argued that while governments can seal agreements, it is only deep engagement between ordinary citizens that can make it hard for states to roll back peace initiatives. "Peace isn't only about a ceasefire," Raja said.

But former Pakistan minister Javed Jabbar, Indian MP Mani Shankar Aiyar and journalists Najam Sethi and Shoma Chaudhuri criticized the "simplistic" notions of civil society's role in peace building initiatives between the countries.

Aiyar, Sethi and Chaudhuri argued that civil society itself is hard to define, and its commonly understood definition includes those against peace between the two nations. Jabbar also pointed out that the complexity of the relationship India and Pakistan share is possible only for governments to navigate.