Neighbours

 It is always your neighbor who will respond to your call or plea first, than any distant relative or friend, no matter how closely connected you are with them. A neighbor probably has a sense of every movement and happening resulting at your place. He keeps knowledge of your eating and style preferences, frequently visited places, people and many other things. His might not be the greatest suggestion on earth, but there is no way to dodge or get away from him as he is going to stare into you every possible day.

One can ill afford to have a ‘face off’ relationship, as it would serve nobody’s purpose. Raising tempers, constant bickering not only creates a bad impression, it also would make life miserable. It always pays to give in and act cordial not matter how bad or arrogant your neighbor is. Your turn will certainly arrive, as what goes around also comes around. There certainly will be occasions where your help would be sought by him; therefore he’ll have to show equal understanding and respect. But this thought is seldom understood by many.

To put this into the perspective of India and its adjoining neighbors, we’ll have to sort out things to pave way for smooth bilateral and unilateral relations. Smaller nations like Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh which are rich in resources and talent constantly require investment for capital expansion and innovation. Since these nations have a strong cultural and traditional match with India than China, we need to capitalize before China plays its card. Sadly we haven’t managed to do so because of border and various other issues. The reason to place Pakistan out of the bracket is because it requires a different approach than the other nations. If these nations show good growth potential, it increases India’s opportunity to invest in them and reap the benefits of their growth. From a larger view point, there would be reduction in border trafficking, illegal migration and other currency related issues as well. Not to say that such issues would be always tackled differently. When it comes to Pakistan, both nations would have to realize the fact that, any issue that remains unsorted for more than 60 years obviously cannot be sorted with just a few meetings and discussions. Also this one impending issue shouldn’t stop these two nations from coming together and cross investing. If India and Pakistan can work jointly in the fields of education, women empowerment, improving trade and commerce at the same time continue its cultural ties; I certainly feel it could create a huge difference in our relationship.

Relationships need time and need constant nourishment to give shape and strength. One would have to learn the art of giving before he expects to receive.