Wishing for love and peace

I like travelling and unique attractions excite me the most. My uncle who stays in Lynden, a small border town of Washington, whom I visited not long ago knew it well. One morning, out of the blue, he announced, “Today, let us go to a park situated at the US–Canada border.”

We soon arrived at the Peace Arch Park, half of which is located in Washington and the other half in British Columbia. To mark the border between them, there are small pillars and anyone from any side could freely roam inside the park without visa permits. Right at the centre of the park, is an arch with gates bolted to its walls. All around there are messages of peace and friendship between these two nations. I vividly remember one message — “May these gates never get closed.”

Following my stay with my uncle, I went to Alberta in Canada. There I visited Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The park has a lake that extends over Alberta and America’s Montana state. Tourists can enjoy a boat ride that goes till the American border and then returns back. En route, I admired the flags of both the countries waving on the boat along with encouraging commentary which remained peppered with proverbs and poetry on the importance of peace. It reminded me of the Indo-Pak border and I wondered when will that day come when the two countries will start loving each other and the border between them will begin to paint portraits of love.

In Europe, where I have lived for three years, there are several countries which were engaged in wars but today they stand united and share friendly relations. Maybe they learnt that wars only lead to destruction. And, there is also the Schengen visa which allows a tourist to travel in 26 European countries. Isn’t that inspiring?

In other words, nothing is impossible. Interestingly, even impossible spells as I M Possible and most importantly, where there is will, there is a way. Unfortunately, India and Pakistan don’t share healthy relations and now with the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, it has again brought waves of differences between the two nations. We now hope that the much awaited Kartarpur corridor project is not suspended.

But, keeping all differences aside what should never be ignored is the fact that nothing is above peace. As Independence Days of Pakistan and India falls on August 14 and 15, why not make them meaningful by sowing the seeds of love and peace which will bear many fruits in the future.