Crossing the line

"Ma." It was March 1996, and with this one word, Anwar Sadeeqa fell into the arms of Dharam Kaur. The two women broke down in tears. They had not seen each other since Sadeeqa was separated from her mother at just four years old in 1947 - and they had finally been reunited. "Fifty years is a long time," observed Kaur.

It has now been 70 years since the creation of the border that separated them. In 1947 the British empireA group of countries that were once ruled or controlled by the UK, including Australia, Canada, India and large parts of Africa. was bankrupted by the second world war, and determined to leave India. So in AugustThe eight month of the year. It also means "respected" or "impressive"., after around 300 years of colonial rule, Britain divided the country into two new nations and handed over power.

Pakistan, which initially had land to the East and WestAfter a civil war in 1971, East Pakistan gained independence and was renamed Bangladesh. of India, was designated a Muslim-majority state. India was largely Hindu. These dividing lines prompted one of the biggest migrations in history, outside of wartime. Millions of Muslims left India for Pakistan, while millions of Hindus left Pakistan for India. This is now referred to as "partition".

It sparked terrible violence on both sides. Up to one million people were killed, while tens of thousands of women were abducted and raped. Countless families like that of Sadeeqa and Kaur were torn apart. Neighbours became enemies overnight.

Today India and Pakistan are fierce rivals. There are no direct flights between their two capital cities, and it is difficult to travel between the countries. In June, there was fury in India when Pakistan beat them in the Champions Trophy cricket tournament.

The countries have also been at war several times. The first broke out just two months after partition, over the disputed region of KashmirThe region was not allocated to either India or Pakistan in the original partition. It is still a disputed territory, as both countries claim authority over it.. War flared up again 1965, and again in 1989.

In the 1990s, they both developed nuclear weaponsA bomb or other weapon that uses nuclear energy to cause a big explosion. . And violence continues - only yesterday, three rebels and two Indian soldiers were killed in a gunfight in Kashmir.

Will the countries ever be reconciled?

It is hard to see how, say some. Most people alive now were born after partition; this rivalry is all they know. Hindu nationalism is surging in India under the prime minister, Narenda Modi, making true peace with Pakistan unlikely. Meanwhile Pakistan is busy trying to root out the terrorist groups responsible for a string of deadly attacksIslamic State, the Taliban, and other sectarian groups are responsible.. The lines drawn 70 years ago feel deeper than ever.

There must be a way, say others. India and Pakistan have 1,000 years of shared history and culture. And there has been some progress: when Modi was first elected in 2014 he attempted to reach out to Pakistan. Earlier this month a Hindu politician entered Pakistan's cabinet for the first time in more than 20 years. Partition was supposed to be the start of a peaceful south Asia; that dream is not dead yet.