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Hope in the Face of Conflict: A Call for Action

A life that wouldn’t have had been aware about the concept of war and the civilians killed must have been praying for peace, but lost their lives to something they never wanted to happen

Thursday May 8, 2025 5:55 PM, Raqif Makhdoomi

[Grok 3 image for representation.]

Pahalgam attack escalated the tension between India and Pakistan. India promised to retaliate the attack in it’s own manner. And it did it on 7th May 2025 by attacking Pakistan launching a barrage of missiles. The attack, as claimed, led to the civilian casualties.

And as the Pakistan responded to the attack, it led to casualties on this side too. Pakistan used heavy artillery on borders to respond to the attack. On both the sides, the common masses have suffered and are suffering. The attacks from both the sides have caused death of minors and have destroyed the homes of hundreds of people.

I want to ask these war mongers, what did you achieve from the attack?

Innocents have died on both the sides and the poor have lost their homes. The war never brings win for any side. It only brings destruction for both the sides, especially the common people. Pakistan has lost 31 civilians in the attack, including a 7-year old boy. On the other hand, India has lost 15 people – including two girls (7 and 12-yr-old) and two boys – 10 and 13 years of age.

A life that wouldn’t have had been aware about the concept of war and the civilians killed must have been praying for peace, but lost their lives to something they never wanted to happen.

Both the sides are wailing the loss of their loved ones. I want to ask. Who won? The answer is no one.

The hostility between the two has increased further. The war between the two neighbors will bring huge destruction as both possess nuclear weapons. We all know what nuclear weapons can do. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the living examples of how long do the impact of nuclear explosions remain. Only fools demand war. The world has seen World War 1 and World War 2, we still don’t forget what impact have these two wars left.

In World War I six to thirteenth million civilians died, including deaths from hunger, disease and genocide. And approximately 8.5 million soldiers died in WWI. What did World War 1 achieve other than dead bodies? The answer is nothing.

World War 2 is regarded as the worst tragedy of human history, the deadliest war of all time. The war resulted in 70 to 85 million deaths. That’s a very huge number. Out of these 70 to 85 million, 40 million were civilians. A very huge portion of civilians who lost their lives to something they never wanted to happen, but still became the target.

We all must have heard a phrase, “If you want peace, you have to prepare for war”. But do we know what it actually means? The phrase "If you want peace, you have to prepare for war" is a translation of the Latin proverb "Si vis pacem, para bellum”. It means that to maintain peace, one must be ready for conflict.

By being strong and prepared for war, you deter potential aggressors, as they are less likely to challenge a well-defended entity. It emphasizes the idea that strength and readiness are essential for preventing conflicts and ensuring stability, rather than relying solely on diplomacy or good intentions.

This concept is often applied in military strategy, geopolitics, and even personal security, where being visibly capable of defense discourages attacks. Historically, it’s linked to the Roman military philosophy and has been echoed in modern contexts, like the importance of a strong defense to avoid being exploited by adversaries.

The phrase doesn’t talk about going to war but just being strong and ready for war so that you aren’t attacked. Defending your country is no crime but targeting civilians is in no way justified. You have no moral right to attack an innocent and an unarmed civilian.

Another war related phrase that we all must have heard is “Peace is war, War is peace”. But have you come across its meaning?

The phrase "Peace is war, war is peace" originates from George Orwell's 1984 and it reflects the dystopian regime's use of doublethink—holding contradictory beliefs to manipulate reality. It means that in a totalitarian state, "peace" can be a facade for oppression or control (akin to war), while "war" is framed as a necessary condition for maintaining order or unity (presented as peace).

The paradox highlights how language and propaganda distort truth to justify power. In broader contexts, it can critique how governments or systems disguise aggressive policies as peacekeeping or perpetuate conflict under the guise of stability. It’s a warning about the manipulation of narratives to obscure reality.

Read and know the actual meaning of the two phrases. Both the phrases don’t advocate war but speak about the theory of war.

India and Pakistan have fought wars in 1947-48. This war is called first Kashmir war, then in 1965, 1971 and the Kargil war in 1999.

What have both the countries achieved out of these wars? Seriously, nothing, except separation of loved ones.

After the Pahalgam attack, India ordered the Pakistani nationals to leave. The order led to separation of happy families. Those living here for decades left back their families and returned half hearted.

Wars don’t do well to anyone. It just brings destruction to both the sides.

[The writer, Raqif Makhdoomi, is a law student and a Human Rights activist.]

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