New Delhi and Islamabad need to find a way to ensure that they do not destroy the wider peace process. PHOTO: FILE
Hawks, who remained most active in India, have failed in their efforts to scuttle the meeting between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, scheduled to be held later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. The cries demanding the meeting be called off had soared following incidents at the Line of Control (LoC), in which soldiers of both countries were killed. While Pakistan has denied having a hand in any such incident, Indian opposition leaders have demanded contacts with Islamabad be suspended, with a hostile media backing this demand.
Fortunately, the Indian government has not caved in. Indian High Commissioner Dr TCA Raghavan met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s adviser on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, in Islamabad on September 3 to discuss the agenda for the meeting, which will be the highest level interaction between the two countries since the PML-N government took office. Reports say that it took considerable effort behind the scenes to ensure the clouds hanging over the meeting were lifted. These clouds had deepened following Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid’s warning a few days ago that a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude was being adopted vis-a-vis the meeting.
It is a positive sign that both sides seem to have made effort to get the talks back on track. The demonstration of commitment augurs well. Dr Raghavan and Mr Aziz have both spoken favourably of talks and we must hope that they can help ensure a resumption of the bilateral dialogue process. This, of course, is badly needed. But the events of the past few weeks have demonstrated just how quickly things can fall apart. This is something that also needs to be discussed between the two countries, so that ways can be found to make relations less brittle. Incidents such as those at the LoC can occur any time; this is the fact. New Delhi and Islamabad need to find a way to ensure that they do not destroy the wider peace process, which is so badly needed right now.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (10)
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@Strategic Assets From my experience, some ET mods are too sensitive to comments with "too much truth". They like "mild" comments that do not expose the harsh realities.
ET: Would you please ensure that your mods are not trigger-happy? I posted 2 comments more than 12 hours ago. One was somewhat critical on India on women's rights where I linked it to financial independence and the other was this article where I did not acquiesce to your hypothesis. None of my posts were accepted today. Why? Are you afraid of someone?
The relationship of India and Pakistan had begun on a not very cordial note with distrust, disharmony, disregard, animosity and antipathy as the primary features that remained a regular political phenomena for almost six decades. The entire gamut of bilateral relationship and the yardstick of patriotism had been the degree of animosity, distrust, dislike and antipathy a person on one side held towards the other side or the international boundary. These features of bilateral relationship proved to be most conducive for the hawks on either sites to realise their political ends by keeping the passions on either sides burning on an equal degree. The realisation with the period of time had begun to dawn during the late seventies and eighties of the last century which was however not strong enough to push forward the movement of amity, trust and friendship and above all the idea of an Asian Fraternity as an identity. There were and have been other forces that have ensured the continuance of a not very cordial bilateral relationship between the two neighbours in order to ensure the fulfillment of their economic interests among which the arms lobby in the West was a major player and still continues to be one. An Indo-Pak friendship, infact a Sino-Indo-Pak friendship is the biggest challenge that poses a threat to the vested interest of those external forces who desire to continue their influence over Asia. There have been various incidents not very fortunate to discuss with regard to the happening on the Indo-Pak diplomatic front as well as on the international boundary which have given the ray of hope to the hawks that their upper hand over the doves has continued to persist. This perception has suffered a momentary setback with the two neighbouring nations having agreed to move ahead and have a comprehensive dialogue that off course shall take time to prove conclusive. This is the on going exercise that will continue in the economic, political and diplomatic interests of the two neighbouring countries and the responsibility of making this a success lies not just with the Governments of India and Pakistan but even the citizens who must strive towards achieving this goal. This is just the beginning and the path is still a long way to go and miles to go before we sleep.
I read some persuasive writings in the Indian press arguing why the prime ministers should meet in New York. I allowed myself to be persuaded that the meeting should take place without preconditions. Then, Mr Nawaz Sharif must be aware what expectations India has from any such meeting. Dr Manmohan Singh should let Mr Nawaz Sharif deliver himself in the manner he likes and wait for him to respond to Indian expectations. If Mr Nawaz Sharif does not say anything in that direction, then we should conclude that Mr Nawaz Sharif is unwilling or unable to play his part. Let’s wait and see. In another two or three weeks we shall know. V. C. Bhutani, Delhi, 6 Sep 2013, 1630 IST
@gp65 - Looks like the meeting will happen. We cant expect anything better from our PM Mr. Singh. Not against the peace process but personally I feel its such a bad timing when our people are being killed. Further they have done nothing about Mumbai so far. Pointing gun to our head and telling us to talk.
Experience teaches us that Indo pakistan talks are one step forward and two backwards. If this trend has to be reversed, all parties need to tread carefully in one direction. There is mistrust on India's side after Mumbai attacks. Pakistan needs India's friendship more, as it is relatively unstable. But as they say yesterday is gone and tomorrow may not come, so let us make peace today.
At best a round for doves. How can there be winners and losers in a game which is not yet over.