FairPoint: Why are neighbours always so terrible Pakistan, Israel-Palestine and Ukraine-Russia

HERE'S a question that haunts not just citizens of conflict-ridden regions but every concerned global citizen: Why are the neighbours always so terrible?

- DEEPIKA BHAN

Across the world, relationships between many bordering nations are marked more by mistrust and enmity than cooperation and peace. From Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine to the complex, ever-flammable Middle East crisis involving Israel, Palestine, Iran, Yemen, etc., and back to the subcontinent where India and Pakistan remain locked in a hot and cold conflict -- tension is always simmering.

Why is it so hard for countries to be civilised neighbours?

The answer, of course, isn't simple. Global diplomacy is layered and politically charged. History, identity, borders drawn in haste, and the scars of colonialism have left deep wounds. The role of religion and ideology often worsens these divides. But somewhere in this maze, a disturbing truth exists: some nations choose confrontation not just as a reaction but as a core part of their identity.

Take, for instance, Pakistan. Since its inception on August 14, 1947, it has fashioned its national identity in opposition to India. From the very moment it emerged as a separate country -- born of the violent partition of the subcontinent -- it has behaved not like a neighbour wanting peaceful coexistence but like a rival consumed by bitterness. Its obsession with the two-nation theory and religious identity has driven its politics into a perpetual state of hostility.