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Think like an Indian
The verdict is out: Pakistan’s latest ‘peace talks’ with India were anything but peaceful. Furthermore, insiders...
The writer is a freelance journalist and a partner at Core Consulting (wajahat.khan@tribune.com.pk)
The verdict is out: Pakistan’s latest ‘peace talks’ with India were anything but peaceful. Furthermore, insiders say that nobody really ‘talked’ either — rather, everyone ‘talked over’ each other. The ending was a bout between two immaculately dressed foreign ministers – one a verbose South Punjabi and the other an insipid South Indian – and a very cold departure from a very hot Islamabad by some very frigid Hindustanis.
But while Pakistan’s news cycle has quickly adjusted back to fake degrees and the charge of the Hillary brigade, Indian journos have refused to let go of their ‘Agra 2’ — the new version of a similar breakdown in 2001 when then president Musharraf visited the Taj and buried Vajpayee’s charms right next to Shahjehan’s beloved Mumtaz Mahal. Thus, an insight into what our friends on the other side are thinking is key.
Questioning peace, The Himalayan mulls: “While the Indian government is keen to mend fences with Pakistan, it will not compromise on its ‘core concern’, which is the repeated use of terror…. India has grown at over eight per cent after Mumbai and it will continue to grow ‘despite Pakistan’, the clear implication being that Pakistan needs the dialogue process more than India does.”
Blaming Qureshi, the Indian Express recalls: “Qureshi was not happy with an open-ended language like [talks would resume] “at an appropriate time” and wanted India to specify a timeline. India, on its part, said it was in no position to provide a timeframe as the progress and pace are linked to the Mumbai attacks investigation…. There is also a sense of concern here at the way Qureshi conducted himself and his ‘petulance’ that left the Indian side surprised.” Analysing Pakistan’s establishment, the Hindustan Times alleges: “When the prime ministers met in Thimpu, Gilani indicated he had the full support of his military…. When the foreign ministers of the two countries met in mid-July, the men in khaki were opposed… developments, say sources in both countries, led them to change their minds. The first development was the political resurgence of President Asif Ali Zardari. The Pakistan military has sought to marginalise him…. The military’s view about the dialogue with India had shifted from support to strong doubt. One reason, say sources in Pakistan, was the establishment’s view that a successful dialogue with India would only add another feather to Zardari’s cap.”
But, batting for Pakistan, the Bangalore Mirror cautions: “It’s so easy to blame Pakistan…. But if the trust deficit between India and Pakistan has to be seriously addressed then India should be willing to accept that ‘composite dialogue’ is not a rhetorical ploy but a reflection of how all conflicts in South Asia are basically interlinked…. Like India in Kashmir, Pakistan has bled profusely in Afghanistan. It has a right to be concerned about the future of that country…. Subsequently, India has invested heavily in Kabul…. We remain the venal Karzai regime’s main backer. We have four consulates in Afghanistan and have given its government $1.2 billion in aid, a whopping sum for a country that is 99 per cent Muslim and with which we have no common border. We have also put up their new parliament building and chancery, and have helped train the Afghan army. In terms of one nation’s special interests that subvert another nation’s special interests, how is our involvement in Kabul different from that of Pakistan in Kashmir?”
Finally, sounding the doomsday alarm, the Hindustan Times declares: “‘In an unstable Pakistan the government and the army will become even more dependent upon China,’ the New Delhi-based Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses has warned… [The 156-page report] said: ‘… agencies in Pakistan will continue using terror as a tool of pressure against India an increasing unstable Pakistan may manifest in several ways — Lebanonisation (being divided into several small pockets) or even face disintegration… The army will get more aggressive as it finds itself fighting to save Pakistan: and its own identity. This could result in more sabrerattling and brandishing of the nuclear threat…. Within Pakistan, the society will get fragmented. The ethnic, linguistic and provincial fault lines may get accentuated. Insurgency in Balochistan might get worse. Sindh and NWFP will not remain unaffected. They will challenge Punjab’s dominance.” Thanks for playing ‘Think Like An Indian!’ Your prize: a different perspective. Come back soon.
Published in The Express Tribune July 20th, 2010.
Reader Comments (36)
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What I see during these peace talks is an utter frivolous attitude of India, that it brings in between the Mumbai carnage issue all the time. Should Pakistan start bringing the Samjhoota Express issue in between, what would then happen?Recommend
Mr Qureshi’s demeanour,tone and tenor during the talks was absolutely justified considering Indian Home Sec Pillai’s incendary remarks about ISI’s involvement in Mumbai during SMQ’s visit to India-a bit of soul searching on the Indian side would do good. Remember the Agra Summit and India’s shying away from the ‘core issue’ of Kashmir then?!
What needs to be done is this:
No dialogue resumption till Mumbai masterminds are brought to trial in the ICJ at Hague and a simultaneous UN brokered peace accord with Kashmiris. Only then would dialogue be meaningful;otherwise,I’m afraid, we would see smokescreens winding up and dowwn and nothing substantial in terms of ‘friendly relations’ but mud slinging and leg pulling!Recommend
The fact that Indian papers still have write-ups on Agra-2 shows that India was hoping for positive outcome. You mull over things only when you fail to fulfill the expectations of good results.
It’s crazy to expect India accepts zero movement by pakistan against terror groups and move on to dialogue on kashmir amongst various other things. Indian lives are not bloody cheap.Recommend
And Wajahat what is your take on the talks? I seemed to have missed it in your article.Recommend
Walk Like an Egyptian, Eat Like an American, Shoot Like an Afghan, Plot like a Paki – But Think Like an IndianRecommend
@ Harsh: No life is cheap. Bloody or not. But remember, before terror, came Kashmir.
@ Yusaf: I think I said it all with “…rather, everyone ‘talked over’ each other. The ending was a bout between two immaculately dressed foreign ministers – one a verbose South Punjabi and the other an insipid South Indian – and a very cold departure from a very hot Islamabad by some very frigid Hindustanis.”
@ Sumair: nice line :) No props or a shout out to the author?Recommend
Indians are not ready yet to talk sincerely this is reality,last time Pakistani foreign sec said ” we dont wana go there just to have a photo sessions” and this time our very decent foreign minister said “he does not wish to go on a holiday trip to India”,there must be something thats why these kind of statements are coming from Pakistan.and by the way i agree that Indians are far clever then us in delaying tactics and they are showing it.Recommend
amazing piece. i have lost hope in the talks between the two countriesRecommend
we Pakistani are like door mats any one can wipe their feet on us and we do not react we have uneducated bunch of leaders, who cannot handle anything properly.Recommend
Enter the likes of Samina-will we ever stop our favourite sport of battering our politicians?Recommend
There is no question we are on the back-foot (well put Wajahat). The Indians don’t “need” to talk to us as much as we do to them. However, taking on the Indians with evidence regarding their involvement in Afghanistan and Balochistan is key, in that it would give Pakistan a card to play when talks on Kashmir are imminent but sidelined repeatedly.
We need to call them on it, and the Pakistani Government should be as unrelenting as the Inidian troupe in securing irrefutable evidence regarding Indian involvement and intentions in Pakistan’s Western Frontier, as India is in formulating information regarding our involvement in terror activities across the border. No one is saying Pakistan is the victim in all of this, but we are certainly not the sole puppeteer.Recommend
Going by your response to Harsh, I assume that you believe the terror attacks was pay back for the human rights abuses in Kashmir. I hope you realise that there is no end to this line of reasoning. It does not justify Mumbai. And in response to another respondent – yes, please keep demanding justice for samjhota express (I believe the Anti Terrorist Squad is making strides in getting the prosecution of purohit and the Sadhavi under way).
And did you feel a certain pleasure in typing the word ‘Insipid’ – how did you come to the conclusion that the Indian foreign minister was insipid? He is a lawyer, a Fulbright scholar, a professor at the George Washington University, a fairly successful chief minister of Karnataka and now a foreign minister. And none of this is fake. And to his credit he did not pander to Qureshi’s need for a fight.Recommend
bottom line
pow wow is definitely preferable to shoot-shootRecommend
@ temporal: you are wise. you will go far. maybe you should’ve been at the talks.Recommend
@ Prasad: Second Point First…
insipid |inˈsipid|
adjective
lacking flavor : mugs of insipid coffee.
Yeah, I do think Krishna is boring. Qualified, intelligent, but boring.
First Point Second…
No – Mumbai was not payback for anything. And if it was, one would hope that policy is not continued.
As for Kashmir, well, the problem started in ’47. After that came, ’65 (Kashmir War II), ’71 (War for Bangladesh), ’84 (Siachen), ’90s (Insurgency in J&K), ’01 (Parliament Attack and Operation Parakoram) and ’08 (Mumbai). Do you see a pattern? Do you understand what ‘core problem’ means? Leaving it unresolved is the “original sin” of South Asian geo-politics mate. That’s what I mean.Recommend
Jalal:
Why should we not ‘batter our politicians’? If they make a mess of governance then it is our responsibility to criticize them. Giving them a free pass with the excuse that ‘the Army usurped democracy in the past’ is rather illogical, and an excuse for excusing corruption, inefficiency and ineptitude by our elected leaders.
Yes the Army did wrong in the past, yes there are certain reforms that need to take place in the way that the military functions today, but that is a separate issue from the issue of analyzing the performance of our CURRENT set of elected leaders. You cannot use the former to whitewash and excuse the sins of the other.
In a sense your argument is like that of the PPP minister who had the gall to say that ‘corruption is our right’ (now that they are elected).Recommend
Well, both the countries are stuck in a vicious cycle. India will not talk unless its sure Terrorism is not used as a weapon by Pak. Pak will not talk unless India agrees to talk Kashmir.
But, lets see who loses more or who needs this to work.
India is growing at 9% and in 5 years will become the fastest growing country in the world. It ,clearly,doesn’t need Pakistan to grow. Apart from Terrorism there isn’t much Pakistan offer to India.
Pakistan is at its worst crisis since ’71. Its economy is in a free-fall. Heavily dependent of foreign aid. Is a puppet state of a super power. Growing poverty due to stagnant growth. Terrorism is not allowing investments to come in. Heavy radicalization of Pakistani society. Sham Democracy(I dont call Democracy minus Civilian Supremacy a Democracy). All this because of what India holds dear- Kashmir.
Who needs the talks more? Whose future is dependent on it? Now, who needs to take the 1st steps to break the vicious cycle? You decide.Recommend
Well written Wajahat, but I would like to endorse what trahim had to say: “The Indians don’t “need” to talk to us as much as we do to them”. We are on the back-foot and our footwork and timing is terrible. The Indians have the “Mumbai Card” and they play it with finesse. What do we have? We talk of Indian involvement in Balouchistan, in the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team etc etc., but never have we been able to substantiate it with fool-proof evidence, except for empty statements by Malik et al. If I were an Indian, I would think like one.Recommend
Fine, you want to talk kashmir. Tell me first, why when pakistan has so much concern for kashmir, did it gift away part of ‘Azad’ Kashmir to China?
Pakistan today has 35% of Kashmir and should be satisfied with it and get LoC converted to international border. Pakistan can thus claim victory.
Does pakistan honestly think that it can bend India down to handover Kashmir to it by indulging into terrorism?Recommend
Then we forget to project the other side. Can india really-truly claim its right on Kashmir by suppressing the people there? Wajahat explained well above.Recommend
Everybody here in this August forum knows a Kashmiri Plebiscite is not going to happen as per the UNSC Resolution. Even without India rejecting it, the so called Independent PoK has to be ceded by Pakistan which also includes your recently incorporated Gilgit-Baltistan region. The Trans-Karakoram tract Gift to China needs to be revoked. Aksai Chin, what should be do about that ?
If Pakistan is serious about having a Plebicsite in Kashmir, it better make the right noises pretty soon. I am sure the pace with which Indian Economy is growing, creating more and more oppurtunities for her citizens, I doubt if Kahmiris will really want to vote themselves out of India in about 30 years from now.Recommend
India’s involvement in Afghanistan could be the game changer.
US isnt going to force India out of Afghan. Most politicians support Indian involvement.
Sure, its an advantage for India to get involved. Strategic depth is favourable.
Pak should trade Kashmir (and terrorism) for Afghanistan.
India doesn’t really NEED to be in Af. Its there purely to put the pressure on the Pak’s.
Pak doesn’t NEED to support LeT. It does so for the same reason.
Kashmiri’s dont want to be part of Pakistan. Todays polls show only 2% want to be part of Pak.
Majority want to be independent. If India lets go of Kashmir now, this will only allow militants to further infiltrate.
Give it 5 – 10 years and then the Indian govt should work towards an autonomous Kash – if reqd.
Pak cant even manage their own country. Do they really need to take over a piece of land which might encourage their terrorist/ISI folks to further sabotage what could be a useful relationship.
India and Pak, don’t need China and US to tell them what to do. WAKE UP! Lets get through this.Recommend
Really i think the problem starts and ends at Kashmir, but yet another very well written article Wajahat.Recommend
No. The problem started with Kashmir for Pak, however Pak were too slow and not able to really create a good relationshpi with the leaders. The Kash issue for India is now an India-Kash issue rather than a Ind-Pak issue.
Kash wants nothing to do with Pak.
Objectively – is there anything, policitically or financially that Kash might be able to gain from joining Pak.
Also, under Pak control it will turn into a all Muslim state. Under Indian control, it will turn into an Indian state, ie. plural and secular. No?Recommend
Right to self determination basically means that the majority rules and the minority goes to hell. Just as the way Pakistan ethnically cleansed the minorities after 1947. First the Hindus were eliminated and later the Bengalis were targeted leading to the creation of Bangladesh. And now we have the Taliban Ideology in which the Shias and Ahmadis are being targeted.
It is an extension of Hitler supremacist policy taken over by Islamist fundamentalists or say any other fundamentalist.
In today’s world nationhood is a outdated concept. Peace and economic cooperation for prosperity is the rule.
A society only progress when there is tolerance and equal rights to the minorities.
Hurriyet is nothing but a group of radical fundamentalist suni Muslim Kashmiri organization which has taken the identities of Kashmir. They don’t even talk about the half a million Kashmiri Pandits who were ethnically cleansed through a campaign of rape, murder by these Islamic terrorists.
Accordingly the bulk of the human rights violations were conducted by these terrorist and Indian nation has no option to but to defeat them.
It is necessary for India to move forward with police reforms, judicial reforms, and other reforms so as to become a real democracy rather than kleptocracy which leads to alternative fundamentalist destructive ideologies to emerge.
Pakistan reform to become a true democracy free from military, mullah nexus will determine its success as a nation. Or its downward spiral will continue.Recommend
@ Waj: While replying to Prasad, you are conspicuously silent about Kargil, is there any reason for that? As for Kashmir, on other hand you have included 1971?
You said Krishna is boring, probably as a fine journalist you require monkeys for such talks as it gives you good stories? What is your take for Manmohan Singh ji as also to in between pause of Atal ji? I hope you people will enjoy more if Lalu ji come for such discussions?
Wajahat, we are croaking Kashmir since last 63 years probably Kashmir is more in your vain than blood and it is also making Chemical Locha in brain when on negotiating table. I did not expect covert reference of Kashmir to the situation of NO TRUST due to terror. Your covert reference smacks of terror being state policy for Kashmir solution, isn’t it?Recommend
” Can india really-truly claim its right on Kashmir by suppressing the people there?”
Large part of trouble is fomented by your agencies. Yes, discontent is there, I agree but at manageable levels which can be solved easily.
@ Wajahat
Trying to solve “original sin” by bleeding India with terrorism. Cool strategy, I must say but will end up dousing your own house, as you must be witnessing rite now.Recommend
I’m afraid I haven’t seen any comment on sorting out problem. I believe it’s better to keep quiet, concentrate on studying the sea-change which has happened on the world scene. Go back to history, find similar problems, and derive lesson.
It’s a dynamic ever-changing world. Too few friends and many foes. You are inhabiting a jungle of predators. Find relationships based on mutual interests. You haven’t developed but few.
Don’t you see that the the Ship of the State is heading toward an iceberg, like that of Titanic. Better change course.
A part of the Ship was severed 40 years ago. Attempt to save what remains. Good luck.Recommend
I fail to understand who will open the eyes of indians.After so many years they havent understood that the terrirism in INDIA is because of KASHMIR issue.Once the issue is resolved terrirism will automatically end as we have made a mistake when we withdrew support to khalistan movement upon Rajieve Ghandi promised to resolve kashmir issue,and India being a cunning nation got rid of Khalistan moment but never started kashmir discussion.Pakis should keep supporting kashmir come what may till it is resolved.Recommend
Dance like a West Indian, Sing like a South Indian, Sneak in like a Mexican!Recommend
Yes, we must think like Indians and plan like Americian, but for that we need intelligent educated leaders.Recommend
@ I.M
You admit Khalistan issue ended once pakistan withdrew the support.
Moral of the story is: Withdraw the support from Kashmir issue as well, you will find peace reigning there as well.Recommend
Interesting people worry about Indian involvement in Afghanistan and compare it to ISI’s work in Kashmir. How many massacres of muslims has India supported in Afghanistan ? and BTW Pakistan is more than welcome to provide 1.2 billion in developmental aid in Kashmir. Agree with Harsh. Kashmir problem would be over the moment ISI stops fomenting trouble. Indian muslims have no interest in joining Pakistan as evidenced by lack of long lines in front of Pakistan embassy in Delhi of people seeking political asylum. You don’t have to be a Rocket scientist to know what a failed state looks like.Recommend
India cares for Kashmiris, as evident by the disproportionately high development money given to the state so far; the separatists don’t.
When a country doesn’t care for a state/ province, it treats like Pakistan treats Baluchistan or AJK, not the way India looks after J&K.
Syed Geelani gets medical treatment on Indian government’s expense in Delhi whereas Baloch leaders get murdered by the State. That’s the difference.Recommend
Phew…pow wow..enlightening to say the least. I need Peace..Recommend
Of the 47000 dead in Kashmir in last 20 years of insurgency. 5000 are roughly security forces and 20000 were terrorist mostly Pakistanis trained and send across by ISI. 2000 were roughly civilians killed by security forces or they died in crossfire with terrorists. Rest 20000 civilians were killed by the terrorists.
You say a just cause for independence. First Kashmir is multiracial, multiehnic, multicultural society just like rest of India. How you can justify a majority community with a violent minority be the voice of all Kashmiries.
A insurgency has its life of 15-20 years when it ebbs. A terrorist when picks a gun and starts killing people losses all its humanity and becomes just like an animal indulging in debauchery, loot and murder. The rural population in Kashmir having been the victim these terrorists have turned against them and report there movement to security forces who eliminate them.
The human right violations committed by these terrorists are hundred times more than that of security forces as there is no command and control,no punishment leading to them being law to themselves.
The myth being spread by Pakistani propaganda that 750000 troops are being used to suppress the Kashmir struggle is totally false. Around 70000 CRPF along with local police numbering 32000 are deployed for policing duty. Around 30000 RR of Indian army is deployed for jungle warfare in Hinterland against terrorist. Around 250000 IA deployment is against external aggression of which 20000 troops are deployed on LOC to check infiltration from Pakistani side. Further CRPF will move out of Kashmir Valley with proposed recruitment of 30000 additional local population into Kashmir Police. It is less than half of the propaganda of 750000 troops.
The same is with death toll. It is just doubled with all lies. An armed terrorist dies in battle,he is an innocent civilian and all the murders committed on civilians by the terrorist are blamed on security forces.
It was in Pakistani establishment mind that the situation will explode just like in former east Pakistan but Indian army is disciplined and professionally trained army and not like Pakistan army which killed half a million Bengali’s in East Pakistan in the worst genocide after second world war and doing again in Kashmir and Afghanistan through their suicidal covert terrorist war of which Pakistan itself is paying a terrible price. In short Pakistan army is the worst enemy of Muslims as their policies have killed more Muslims than anyone else which they describe as martyr for a just cause.
Remember a violent society leads to its own self destruction. All revolution are false. A currupt system gets replaced by a even more currupt system. Everyone can talk about his rights but for that you got to respect other persons rights. The kind of mob voilence and frenzy being witnessed in Kashmir today, in the first place 20 years back led to ethenic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits.
If you want respect for your rights the first thing you got to do is live and let live. Or just fight like animals upsurping other persons land, rights etc. and push youself into stone age like Taliban.Recommend