As artillery roars along the Indo-Pak border and the ground quakes under the weight of militarised nationalism, sorrow, fear, and uncertainty cloud the air. National pride, weaponised into aggression, fuels a conflict that claims lives far beyond the battlefield – reaching into farms, villages, and classrooms. Mothers cradle children under fire, farmers plough fields in peril, and schoolchildren’s dreams fade beneath the shadow of shellfire.
In these moments, truth pierces the fog of propaganda. As Syed Sadatullah Husaini, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, rightly observes, “War and strife serve no one’s interest.” His words are not rhetoric but a moral reminder of the absurdity of war in our times.
In India, this call for peace is urgent. Upholding harmony, preserving our pluralistic fabric, and defending constitutional values must override every war cry. Any effort to divide the nation by religion, caste, or creed is not just dangerous – it is a betrayal of the very idea of India, where unity in diversity has always been our civilizational strength.
The Human Cost of Conflict: A Shared Tragedy
The LoC, cutting through the subcontinent’s rugged beauty, is no longer just a border – but a bleeding wound. In India’s border districts, families sleep in bunkers, children are orphaned, and homes reduced to rubble. In Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir, retired principal Narinder Singh reports 13 civilian deaths since Operation Sindoor began. Markets are shut, and streets lie eerily silent under constant threat.
Fear now lives permanently in these villages. “This place was mostly safe, but the attacks have created deep unease,” says Muhammad Sultan, a 55-year-old farmer. His neighbour, Shamsheer Singh, 65, adds, “We lock ourselves in before sunset. We’ve never felt so fearful.” Their anxiety echoes through thousands living under the shadow of crossfire.
Tragedy, however, respects no border. Across the LoC, in Bandli, civilians endure the same terror – overwhelmed hospitals, shuttered schools, and lives upended. Tauqeer Ahmed recalls a night of relentless shelling, voicing helplessness against the violence.
Each lost life – Hindu or Muslim, Indian or Pakistani – is a universe silenced. These are not numbers, but dreams cut short. This collective pain demands more than pity – it demands moral and political will.
Governments must protect border populations. Building shelters, medical access, psychological aid, and displacement relief is not charity – it is justice. Most of all, both nations must uphold international human rights norms in treating civilians.
War: A Betrayal of Shared Aspirations
India and Pakistan, born of a painful partition, remain tethered by shared languages, cultures, cuisines – and common dreams. Both nations yearn to end poverty, expand education, and uphold human dignity. Yet, war diverts precious resources from progress to destruction – schools give way to barracks, hospitals to arms depots.
On May 10, 2025, a ceasefire was declared at 17:00 IST, briefly halting deadly clashes triggered by the April 22 terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives. But swift violations exposed the fragility of this truce, reinforcing the urgent need for sustained diplomacy to avert further bloodshed.
In this nuclear age, renewed conflict is not just perilous – it is catastrophic. No side wins; only generations suffer – scarred by hunger, displacement, and trauma. The burden falls heaviest on the marginalised: tribals, minorities, women, and children – those furthest from marble-floored war rooms where these fates are sealed.
To its credit, India has seen public calls for restraint from several political and military leaders. But words must translate into policy. Diplomacy, backchannel efforts, and people-to-people dialogue are not signs of weakness – they are hallmarks of civilizational wisdom. Peace is not the absence of struggle; it is the triumph of vision over vengeance.
Terrorism: A Common Enemy Demanding Common Resolve
Terrorism remains a common scourge for both India and Pakistan. The Pahalgam attack is a stark reminder that terror knows no borders – it kills indiscriminately and feeds on chaos, ignorance, and polarisation.
Both nations must move beyond debating to share intelligence and address root causes like alienation, injustice, and exclusion. Counter-terrorism isn’t a political tool but a shared duty grounded in the right to life and security.
Lessons from History and Humanity
History bears witness that wars seldom resolve the underlying tensions they claim to address. From the ashes of World War II to the scars of Vietnam and Iraq, we’ve seen that military victories often birth humanitarian catastrophes. Civilisations prosper not through conquest, but through compassion and cooperation. As humans, we share more than borders – a fragile planet, a collective future, and a moral responsibility. The next war may not leave behind memoirs and medals, but only ruins and regrets. The time to choose peace is not tomorrow – it is now.
Faith as a Catalyst for Coexistence
The world’s great faiths are not harbingers of hate; they are reservoirs of reconciliation. The Qur’an reminds us, “We have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another” (49:13) – not so that you may dominate or destroy. True faith transcends sectarianism and champions justice.
Across India, this spirit is alive in relief drives that aid both riot victims and flood survivors, in interfaith seminars that promote understanding, and in youth-led initiatives that challenge hate with harmony. Religion, when understood and practised sincerely, does not divide – it unites.
A Call to Indian Citizens: Defend Our Plural Soul
In times of war, the first casualty is often truth. The second is unity. On May 14, 2025, India’s expulsion of a Pakistani diplomat as ‘persona non grata’ (unwelcome person), followed by Pakistan’s reciprocal action, deepened mistrust despite a recent ceasefire, highlighting the challenges of sustaining peace. We must not allow fringe narratives to fracture our social fabric. India’s real strength lies in its inclusive visionwhere every citizen –irrespective of religion, cast or gender – walk shoulder to shoulder as co-custodians of the republic. This is not the moment to fan communal flames or vilify dissent. This is the moment to rise as citizens – defending our Constitution, upholding law and order, and championing coexistence. Let every street resound with the call: “We will not be divided.” The diversity of India is not a weakness to be managed, but a strength to be celebrated.
To the Peace-Loving People of the World: A Shared Responsibility
The global community must stop normalising militarism. From Delhi to Dakar, from Kuala Lumpur to Kyiv, let voices rise against the merchants of death. Let foreign policy be rewritten in the ink of empathy, not the calculus of arms deals. Imagine a world where budgets are diverted from ballistic missiles to books, from tanks to teachers, from bombs to bridges. That world is not utopian; it is overdue.
A Future Worth Building
Peace is not the passive absence of war; it is the active presence of justice, opportunity, and mutual respect. It demands courage – to forgive, to dialogue, to compromise. It demands vision – from political leaders, religious scholars, civil society, and every Citizen.
Imagine both neighbouring countries connected not by trenches but by trade, not by suspicion but by shared stories. Picture border towns flourishing through cultural exchange, students from both sides learning each other’s histories, and communities rebuilding the bridges lost to conflict.
Let the golden words echo in our actions: “War and strife serve no one.” Let us build a subcontinent where the roar of guns is replaced by the hum of progress, where difference is not feared but embraced, and where peace is not a slogan – but a solemn promise to future generations.
[The writer is Assistant Secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind]