Borders. Walls. Boundaries.

The ongoing immigration laws created by President Trump and the initiative taken by the Indian Government to question the citizenship status of members of the Gorkha Community (who have been residing in Assam for generations) has turned the concept of borders into quite a hot topic.

Humankind has followed the pattern of dividing itself into factions since the start of time. From the creation of civilizations to dynasties, kingdoms and countries, we have not failed to form borders, walls and boundaries between each other. However convenient it may seem, is dividing the world into neat packages practical?

There are two sides to this argument. Borders have been at the center of a series of crises we have faced. They are notorious for the level of unprecedented violence that takes place. India has lost an innumerable number of soldiers at the infamous Pakistan borders and multiple migrant deaths were recorded at the Mexican-US border in 2017.  Borders are also an example of structural violence. They are a method for authorities to exploit their power and deprive a plethora of people of opportunities and resources they deserve. Furthermore, the act of creating a border, drawing a line, has a fundamental violence to it. The ideology that "What's on this side of the line is mine and what's over there is yours," and the constant repercussions of breaching this have a strong undercurrent of threat. Essentially, borders are upheld so sincerely because of the oppressive enforcement by the hands of governments.

Because of these inherent traits of violence, one could argue that their existence should be abolished, or at least altered. However, on the other hand, imagine the conundrums of a borderless world. In such a scenario, it would be practically impossible to curb terrorism or maintain a certain, required level of control over the people. Governments are indebted to provide security, along with economic and social stability for their citizens. Without strict borders, there would be mass immigration, which would lead to economic instability, as well as excessive burdens on the state’s infrastructure and public services. The unrestricted influx of people would wreak havoc, with no authority being able to efficiently exercise their power. Other than that, borders between countries represent distinct cultural and linguistic values, they allow people to have an identity that pulls them to one side of the border.

Borders bring forth the fundamental human desire to own and protect property and physical space. Being a “citizen of the cosmos”, as said by Socrates, is an extremely irrational idea, keeping in mind the current stature of mankind. However, the fantasies of a utopian, borderless world are quite appealing, considering the constant problems created due to these very things that are meant to secure and protect a nation and its people. In the end, it is hard to predict would actually happen. But due to the current trends of humankind, it is safe to say that this fantasy will remain a fantasy in the near future.

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Written by Nooran Ahluwalia

Edited by Nandini Nalam