During wartime, states don’t just secure borders—they secure imaginations. Particularly between rivals India and Pakistan, war isn’t about space so much as about identity, story, and sociological constructions of belonging and dread. The state becomes at once protector and storyteller, shaping unity out of security hardware, ideological speech, and the demonization of the “other.” In India, one can see this in state initiatives such as Border Infrastructure and Management, NATGRID, and One Rank, One Pension, and campaigns such as Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Though these have practical purposes, they operate symbolically, creating a watchful, emotionally engaged citizen. Patriotism becomes performative—citizens contribute to military funds, share nationalistic messages, and engage in rituals of collective devotion.
Media and education fuel this identity-forming. Newspapers and news channels become cheerleaders for Nationalists and books whitewash National history while demonizing the other. War is presented not only as geopolitics-driven inevitability, but as morality crusade. When we portray a neighboring country—such as Pakistan—as not just an adversary, but as a threat to our national honor and moral values, we risk oversimplifying complex realities. This approach fosters emotional uniformity and suppresses dissent, painting a one-dimensional picture of an entire nation and its people. Such narratives obscure the multifaceted nature of relations and fail to recognize the shared human experiences that transcend political boundaries. By humanizing our perspective and embracing the diversity of voices within both countries, we open the door to a more empathetic understanding. It is only through recognizing the humanity of the “other” that we can foster genuine dialogue and mutual respect, moving beyond labels and working towards a future based on peace, cooperation, and shared values.
For today’s Indian youth, Nationalism is a part of their identity. Though they might not have experienced the trauma of Partition or previous wars, they are highly subjected to the never-ending flow of patriotic events, social media trends, and activism driven by their friends. To them, articulating national pride is not some intellectual exercise—it’s embedded in their everyday existence, becoming a ritual, a means of identification with their culture, and a method of participating in the world at large. But under this veneer of passion is a generation in search of meaning, a sense of belonging, and a need to forge their own destiny in a world that is rapidly changing. Nationalism, for them, is as much about individual identity as it is about collective belonging. Against the din of war drums, civil society refuses to back down. Aman Ki Asha and South Asians for Human Rights are campaigns that foster dialogue and people-to-people engagement. Marginalized though they may be, they are urgent reminders of shared humanness. In border villages—where grief is real—citizens observe candlelight vigils and breathe prayers for peace, even with the fresh sounds of shelling.
The 10th May 2025 ceasefire provided fleeting hope. Negotiated with international backing, it briefly silenced the guns. But within hours, Pakistani ceasefire violations reignited war. For the Indian people, this violation was not merely strategic—it represented betrayal, and so justified renewed anger and media hysteria. National identity, momentarily softened, hardens again. The cycle repeats.
From a societal perspective, this recurrence is deeply concerning. Ceasefires turn the symbolic into moments—proven tales of mastery, civility, and justice. Any transgressions reinforce permanent images of the other and rekindle requirements for emotional and ethical identification. Cultural space shrinks in the process: cinema, song, literature, and pedagogy start to mirror singular nationalist truths. Scepticism and compassion are interpreted as weaknesses or betrayals.
When war comes into daily life. It shifts language, connections, and consciousness. Citizens learn to suspect, protect, and do loyalty. Gradually, the moral imagination contracts. Compound individuals on the other side are reduced to two-dimensional dangers. Conversation is treacherous. Patriotism is obedience (unquestioning loyalty). Patriotism is the feeling of deep affection, commitment, and connection an individual has toward their nation. It typically expresses itself through emotional loyalty, a sense of civic duty, and a collective national identity. Although similar to Nationalism, Patriotism is often viewed as a more inclusive and citizen-focused form of national pride. But, as a person from sociology and as human beings, we cannot let this erosion happen. Every shell that drops interrupts actual lives: children truancy, fields left untillable, families destroyed. War is not just strategic; it is human in its costs. Our work is to challenge this dehumanization, to reassert empathy, and to have faith that peace can happen not through dominance, but through dignity and recognition.
Year after year, even after unrelenting tension, India has extended friendly approaches to Pakistan through gestures of peace, conversation, and harmony. These moves are not superficially political but reflect a greater societal commitment towards those values which cherish peace rather than hostility. Again and again, though, such gestures of amity have been rewarded by treason, causing profound marks upon national consciousness as well as Indian popular life. The most telling example was the Lahore Declaration of 1999, where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee embarked on a symbol of peace bus to Pakistan and declared a vision of friendship and common future. That gesture of peace was nullified soon as Pakistani forces and militants started the Kargil conflict just months later. Diplomacy thus became a cynical exercise. In 2001, as peace efforts were ongoing, terrorists supported by Pakistan struck at the heart of Indian democracy with an attack on Parliament—another grave violation of trust. The 2008 Mumbai attacks are among the saddest pages in this history. A band of well-armed Pakistani terrorists initiated violence around Mumbai, killing 166 innocent civilians. India opted for restraint in response and accessed justice through diplomatic means instead of retaliatory war, shouldering yet another moral responsibility. More currently, even subsequent to the 2021 reaffirmation of a ceasefire, Pakistan has continued to create tensions with violations and militant infiltration along the Line of Control, jeopardizing civilian lives on a constant basis. But even while so, India has stood firm in its devotion to peace with dignity. Indian Nationalism is guided by no spirit of hostility, but by strength based on patience, moral leadership, and abiding faith in living together. But peace to endure must be based on mutual respect. One-sided trust, however noble, cannot weather repeated betrayal.
On April 22, 2025, the serene valley of Pahalgam turned into a site of unimaginable horror when Pakistani-backed terrorists brutally attacked innocent Indian tourists—families who had simply come to find peace in nature. The tragedy claimed numerous lives, shattering families and once again exposing the deep-rooted terror infrastructure supported across the border. This was not an act of war—it was an attack on humanity. In response, India acted with precision and principle. Striking the terrorist training camps within Pakistan, Indian forces ensured that no civilian or civilian infrastructure was harmed. This distinction is critical. India’s actions were a targeted defense against terror networks, not an aggression against Pakistan’s civil society or military. It reflects India’s long-standing ethos of restraint and justice, even in the face of provocation. Pakistan, in contrast, has repeatedly targeted Indian civilians and military bases, including drone incursions designed to destabilize the region further. India’s defense systems have responded not out of desire for war, but out of necessity. Once again, civilians have borne the brunt of these war-like tensions, not because India seeks conflict, but because Pakistan continues to export it.
A ceasefire agreement reached on May 10, 2025, offered a sliver of hope. Yet, as has happened many times before, Pakistan violated its own commitment with renewed attacks, showing little regard for peace or the well-being of its own people. From a sociological perspective, this cycle erodes trust, disrupts civilian life, and normalizes violence as policy. India’s resolve remains firm—not against the people of Pakistan, but against the terror networks that thrive under its patronage. Real peace demands accountability and sincerity. Until then, India will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its values, not through aggression, but through principled strength. In its essence, peace is not just the absence of war, it is a universal social value based on respect for one another, empathy, and shared humanity. It is the foundation upon which equitable societies and secure nations are established. For any country to actually flourish, it must be grounded in values, ethics, and moral accountability, not in fear, coercion, or violence.
Pakistan needs to accept this universal reality: Nation-building cannot succeed on the basis of spreading terror. Enduring progress arises from the cultivation of education, inclusiveness, democratic discourse, and respect for life, values that are transnational. Terrorism not only destabilizes the region but also dissolves the moral foundation of the same society that facilitates it. India’s unremitting attempt to preserve peace, even when betrayed repeatedly, attests to the strength of its civilization and the maturity of its democracy. Yet peace cannot be a unilateral hope, both nations must make a commitment to a future shaped by dignity, cooperation, and accountability. When Pakistan decides to adopt values instead of violence, it wills not only open doors to better bilateral ties but also to a safer, more peaceful space for its citizens. Picking up humanity over hostility, bridges over bunkers is the essence of Nation-building. Once that is done, the dream of enduring peace, not just along our borders but in our hearts as well, can become a reality for South Asia and the world.