Pakistan’s actions come in the way of India fulfilling its “neighbor’s dharma”

What is the true dharma of a neighbour? To share sorrows and joys alike and to help each other in times of need. But what should be your duty when afflicted by a neighbour? The answer to this question has changed with time, and the country is pondering it again as reflected in the suggestion of RSS leader Dr Krishan Gopal. He proposes that India should send 10-20 lakh tons of wheat to its arch-rival, Pakistan, on a humanitarian basis. Gopal argues that this would be in line with India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam’ (The Earth is one family), especially in the case of a country that was part of the Indian nation just seven decades ago. The Shankaracharya of Puri-based Govardhan Math, Swami Shri Nischalanand Saraswati Maharaj, has echoed a similar sentiment.

Before redefining our ‘neighbour’s dharma’ for Pakistan, we need to put these statements in perspective. We all know that the Shehbaz Sharif government is struggling to provide even basic necessary items to its people. Wheat is especially in short supply, and its price is skyrocketing to as high as Rs. 160/kg. One roti is costing over 30 Pakistani rupees in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Inflation is at its highest in the last five decades, even as the Pakistani rupee continues to plunge against the US dollar. Families from weaker sections are finding it hard to make ends meet, and recent viral images of people running after vehicles carrying wheat flour supplies tell the entire story.

Pakistan imports wheat to meet domestic demand, despite being an agrarian economy. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, last year’s devastating floods that ravaged most of the crops in Sindh, and the smuggling of good quality wheat to Afghanistan have aggravated this situation. This year’s wheat import is expected to be around 30 lakh tons, compared to 20 lakh tons last year. Pakistan government’s data suggests that wheat imports in the first nine months of the current fiscal year have cost around $80 crore. Its foreign exchange reserves were barely enough for three weeks of imports at the time of writing this article, and the risk of bankruptcy is real unless some country or agency comes to Pakistan’s aid.

Pakistan has no one else to blame for this situation. Its decision to end all trade ties with India after the abrogation of Article 370 hasn’t helped matters. It is currently paying much higher shipping charges for imports from Russia, UAE, Egypt, and Brazil compared to Indian goods. The sharp devaluation of the Pakistani rupee has made this problem worse. Most Indian imports came via road and were thus far cheaper. Pakistan is currently paying much higher prices for imported wheat and sugar than other South Asian and Gulf countries that are importing from India, including Qatar, Oman, UAE, and Afghanistan. Sabre-rattling comes at a premium in today’s world.

Indian civilization has long viewed the world as one family, and the Modi government has embodied this philosophy in its governance, as demonstrated by several examples, such as Operation Maitri after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, Operation Ganga, which brought back citizens of many friendly nations from war-ravaged Ukraine and assisting weaker nations with Covid vaccinations. “One Earth, One Family, One Future” is the theme of India’s G-20 presidency. The tricolour has become a symbol of hope in times of calamity around the globe. We saw this during the recent “Operation Dost” after the earthquake that wreaked havoc in Turkiye and Syria. India extended a helping hand to Turkiye in distress without considering Ankara’s pro-Pakistan stand on Kashmir. President Recep Erdogan has announced a joint warship construction project with Pakistan, and last year, his administration rejected a consignment of Indian wheat, alleging it contained Rubella disease. Likewise, India has also invited Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation’s (SCO) Goa summit scheduled in May.

Where does the problem lie in helping Pakistan, then? India’s Minister for External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, succinctly explained that while our neighbour’s economic woes were not good news for us, this alone cannot be the basis for equating Pakistan with India’s other neighbours. The reason is simple; none of our other neighbours has made terrorism their main export. It is no secret that India remains the primary target of this terror industry, and therefore the Modi government cannot ignore the prevailing angst against Pakistan among the Indian masses. Most Indians still haven’t forgotten the Pakistani establishment’s repeated deceits. Pakistan’s elite needs to make a paradigm shift in its India policy for the Modi government to fulfil its neighbour’s dharma. However, the permanent solution to Pakistan’s economic troubles will have to come from within.