Joint Truth and Re-conciliation Commssion for India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Partition of 'British India' continues to haunt India, Pakistan and Bangladesh by way of myriad undercurrents. The violence that resulted in killing of over a million people hasn't ever been collectively regretted, nor the dead mourned collectively. The sub-continent needs a mammoth 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission', headed by Chief Justices of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to let multiple narratives of people flow forth in the public domain. The proceedings of this commission should be telecast live across the sub-continent.

Let truth and compassion heal.

The 'reconciliation', it should be made clear, is not about reconciling geographical or political borders, but about hearts.

It is necessary to exclude reconciliation of geographical borders, lest political parties across the region work themselves into hysteria over threat to national entities.

Such a commission should have sub commissions on, most critically, religion, history, culture and education polices and economic co-operation. Let all – including politicians, religious leaders, scholars, academics, experts and ordinary people -- make submissions.

Let the debate about concepts of democracy, secularism, religion and culture be engaged in, in an orderly and systematic manner.

The proceedings of such a commission -- and sub-commissions -- besides being telecast live, should also be webcast. Websites should also necessarily be created in multiple languages to allow for wider access to people. These web sites should also necessarily have a lot of interactivity where people can have a say.