The Masters of Peace and Love in War

Who could imagine that two disputing armies could come together to gift each other sweets for the Holidays? Frankly, there is no further need to imagine this exchange because it has become a reality. 

To celebrate Diwali this year, troops from China and India exchanged some sweet candy. Both of these nations have clashed over a region called Ladakh for many decades. Ladakh is a part of the Jammu-Kashmir union territory in India, yet since the Sino-Indian war in 1962, the area has been in a constant state of conflict. A portion of this land was, up until recently, shared by the two neighboring countries. Even with the heavy debate in the area, since 1975, not one gun has been shot at the other troop. Though there had been brawls between the opposing sides, not once since 1975 has a gun gone off during these brawls. 

On October 21, 2024, the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the president of China, Xi Jinping, met to discuss the disputed land. They agreed to disengage from the area, and this disengagement was proved with the surveillance of Indian drones. Yet, during this conflict, two opposing sides came together to represent the positivity between the two. Diwali was the perfect boost to create this wonderful exchange, as it is a yearly practice to give to others. 

However, there was another portion of inspiration for these troops. During World War I, the commonly known Christmas Truce took place. It was when the Germans and the Allies rose from their trenches to exchange gifts for the holiday. 

In the end, there were five distinguished checkpoints in the region designed to spread the festive joy and the truce. Since the beginning of this conflict, it seemed nearly impossible to conduct a meeting with the opposing side without a fight. Now, performing a simple act of kindness proves to be a much grander gesture than anything before. (Written on November 30, 2024)