August 21, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
In a time when political tension often drowns out softer voices, a student and feminist, Noor e Emaan organized a thought-provoking session titled “Women and India-Pakistan Conflict in Shirkat Gah, Lahore.
The dialogue aimed to analyse the roles women play during times of conflict and heightened tensions, while also challenging the patriarchal and militarized narratives that dominate discourse on both sides.
The session brought together feminists, activists, artists, scholars and students from India and Pakistan who collectively called for sustained peace and dialogue. The participants from Pakistan side gathered in Lahore, while Indian speakers joined virtually, creating a shared space despite the physical and political divides. The audience included human rights defenders, representatives of feminist groups, students, and members of minority communities, a diverse blend united by the desire to imagine a future beyond borders and bloodshed.
The virtual room resonated with calls for dialogue as voices from across the border echoed a shared longing for peace. The discussion explored the multidimensional impact of conflict, particularly on women, children and transgender persons who bear the brunt of militarization in ways often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
Art, literature, and shared histories as bridges
Adding a cultural perspective to the discussion, Indian poet and novelist Rochelle Potkar recited a poem that vividly captured the human cost of war.
After presenting her poem, she expressed concerns over mistrust, saying, “The hesitation to talk about peace comes only from a lack of trust. In any war, women and children suffer the most.”
Rochelle also mentioned Manto’s Toba Tek Singh and said, “Both stories are the same stories; the people of both countries share a common past, culture, and languages.”
Offering an artistic perspective, Indian artist, scholar, and activist Swarnamalya Ganesh highlighted the role of art in fostering dialogue. She remarked:
“We are not enemies. Art creates spaces where conversations about peace can move forward.”
Swarnamalya also spoke about collaboration between artists from both countries. She said, “Art is a language of emotions, and in such situations, we can talk about peace only through art. Art provides a platform for dialogue when it comes to peace. The artists from both countries should come together and create common platforms to collaborate and create art.”
Challenging militarization
Feminist scholar Nighat Said Khan stressed the interconnectedness between domestic unrest and bilateral tensions:
“The conflicts within both countries make them vulnerable. In Pakistan, regions like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing internal unrest, and these can be exploited by other forces.”
Dr. Haiqa Nasir, another strong feminist voice from Pakistan, criticized the dominant state-centric narratives surrounding the Kashmir dispute and their consequences. She observed:
“Kashmir has always been treated as collateral damage in the India-Pakistan conflict. One of the consequences of this ongoing dispute for Pakistan is the strengthening of militarization.”
Media, misinformation, and manufactured hostility
Haiqa Nasir also talked about the role of the media in the recent Pakistan-India tensions and called it a role that worsened the situation during the conflict. She said, “The media worsened the situation during the conflict, especially the Indian media and tackling misinformation at that time became a difficult task for us. And the conflict between two states always becomes a religious conflict as if Muslims and Hindus are fighting. It is a war between two states, not the two religions. This small bash of egos between these two nuclear giants would cost peace to the people of the countries and it has always been like that.” She further added, “In the midst of conflict, there has been budget diversion, passage of bills and what not. It is quite easy for the state to propagate their narratives into people’s minds and not give the basic tools to the people so they can clearly see the picture.”
The power of resistance and dialogue
Sharing her decades-long experience in using art as resistance, artist and feminist activist Sheema Kirmani reiterated that women have consistently opposed wars. She remarked:
“Women have never supported wars. Art remains a powerful tool to bridge divides and foster peace between India and Pakistan.”
Anupam Batra from Delhi, who joined the session online, emphasized that the absence of dialogue has historically led to violence between India and Pakistan. Reflecting on the cost of division, he said:
“The horrors of partition still haunt me. Why did violence happen even when there was a partition? It is always because there is no dialogue. In the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, no dialogue happened and that is why the situation escalated. People on both sides should learn the lessons now that there has to be the space for dialogue, always. Even if there is any conflict in future, it should be resolved through dialogue, not violence.”
Adding to this, renowned artist and activist Salima Hashmi underlined the importance of understanding who benefits from perpetuating hostility. She said:
“When you list who benefits from war, the entire picture becomes clear. Technology must be used for building peace, not perpetuating hostility.”
Shared histories, shared futures
The conversation also touched upon shared cultural ties and historical connections between the two nations. Former NCSW chairperson, women’s rights activist and feminist author Khawar Mumtaz emphasized that instead of expending resources on conflict, both countries should work together to address pressing social and economic challenges. She stated:
“Our histories, traditions, and cultures are deeply connected. Instead of fighting wars, India and Pakistan should collaborate to address poverty and other pressing issues.”
The way forward
As the session drew to a close, one theme emerged loud and clear: peace cannot be negotiated in rooms dominated by masculinist politics and militaristic logic. The speakers urged that women, as primary caregivers and as communities most affected by conflict, must not only be participants in peace processes but leaders shaping them.
The conversation ended not with despair but with an insistence on the possibility that across borders and beyond propaganda, voices committed to dialogue can still find each other, weaving fragile yet unbreakable threads of hope.