“And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” — Khalil Gibran
Apart from human beings, all moving living things have complete freedom to roam the earth in flocks and herds. Well-connected with their near kin, they neither need passports, personal identification, nor visas to cross the borders of different countries around the world. How wonderful it is to meet family and friends without any government interference, officials conducting geographical surveys, or casting suspicious eyes on people keen to reunite with members of their clan. With their high intellect and freedom of choice, humans are perhaps the only species that are completely bound and controlled by a few, without whose permission they cannot touch their loved ones.
Having said this, justifications for restricting movement are plentiful. There are issues related to security, peace and order. Despite their intellectual incapacities, animals and birds are well adapted to the earth. They also do not indulge in collective conspiracies against their brethren, although they may kill for food, which is equally important for maintaining ecological balance. Besides, humans are obligated to live together, for which necessary rules must be enacted to ensure communal equilibrium. While people tend to engage in anti-social activities, their other biological relatives are unfamiliar with terms such as smuggling, theft and kidnapping.
By merely stating that a “lion is the king of the jungle”, this creature does not suddenly occupy a throne and start issuing orders, whereas the exact opposite is true within human society. Declare a person the new ruler and observe the transformation from modesty to arrogance to tyranny. Once certain edicts are laid down, subjects in the realm have to abide by them to avoid punishment for disobedience. In the modern era, where governments have replaced monarchs in different territorial enclaves, these invisible (and sometimes visible) divisions have their own set of laws to contain the inflow and outflow of people.
All living species are closely related to their offspring. They are caring and protective. However, humans go many steps further with their emotional bonds that envelop both their immediate and extended families. Consequently, they are glued together in love and association. Of course, there are occasional rifts and drifts in families that sometimes take on quite deep-rooted animosities, but generally the atmosphere is congenial, where connections are considered precious. In such situations, people find comfort in one another’s company and tend to rely on each other’s support.
Again, there may be deviations from a close-knit circle to dispersing outwards in search of greener pastures, but as long as these are by choice, they are not as painful as separations imposed by controllers tearing relatives apart, forcing them into complete isolation. Throughout history, and especially today, there are innumerable occurrences of this nature that can be witnessed in every region of the world. Lines drawn in the name of territorial sovereignty divide homes and localities, placing them in confrontation, where strangers decide who may meet whom and at whose pleasure.
Ask a sister left behind in the newly formed states of India and Pakistan during the mass migration of 1947 how many hours she may have spent crying for her siblings, but for that border which bars her from them
The various ways in which humans bear the pangs of separation include break-ups in relationships such as the end of a marriage or romance; death; a missing relative with no clue as to their whereabouts; delusions of separation; migration from one place to another, leaving behind one’s birth family or clan; and the forceful custody of children taken from parents by government agencies. One can also feel hurt when separated from pets and even inanimate objects such as favourite toys, vehicles, or hobbies.
As mentioned before, separation exercised through freedom of choice is not as distressing as that enforced through complicated legislative procedures. Those affected know best how the heart yearns to embrace a beloved, yet is compelled to wait a lifetime and endure regulatory ordeals for just a few moments of togetherness.
Ask a sister left behind in the newly formed states of India and Pakistan during the mass migration of 1947 how many hours she may have spent crying for her siblings, but for that border which bars her from them. Consider the hundreds of prisoners on both sides who, in their attempt to see a dying relative, defied border controls. With their myopic vision, regulators of the day find it impossible to understand the sentimental perils humans suffer at their hands.
When a maniac sitting at the helm of affairs places a ban on the movement of individuals, try pacifying a mother whose son cannot make it across to her, or explain to an anxious husband why he cannot reunite with his wife, who may be living in abject conditions due to his inaccessibility. There is no count of the emotionally disturbing cases where the pangs of separation have caused ruptures in families, leading to personality disorders, which in turn give rise to glaring insecurities, precisely what these foolish controllers initially claim to prevent.
On the one hand, we seek to bring about peace and calm in our societies, and on the other, through our own actions, we are creating an environment that grows more unconducive for humans by the day. Not only in terms of human relationships but also concerning culture and identity, these divisions and separations stem from the idea of appearing unique. Conversely, they may result in the growth and formation of new identities, but along the way, there are many sacrifices.
If we truly wish to avoid these social mishaps, we must focus on bringing people together rather than encouraging divisive policies. This may be a formidable task, considering how exploiters abuse concessions for their own nefarious purposes, but this can be overcome through an intensely factual compilation of data, which, in the present age of advanced technology, should not be difficult.
Those blessed with state control should adopt a more sympathetic outlook towards affected individuals. Instead of warring, if they agree to peace, they can improve human conditions in far better ways. With accurate information available globally, rules can be devised to ensure that reunion, rather than separation, becomes the way of life.