It takes two to tango

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks about hoping to normalise ties with Pakistan should lead to both cautious optimism and melancholic soul-searching. When asked by a reporter what five things he would like to achieve in India’s relations with Pakistan, Singh replied, “I think five is too much, if I can succeed in normalising relations between India and Pakistan, as they should prevail between two normal states, I will consider my job well done.” The optimism should stem from the fact that the prime minister seems genuinely committed to peace between the two nations. At the same time, Singh’s remarks are indicative of just how much damage has been done to relations between the two country’s since the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. There was a period before that when diplomacy had led to relations being just about as normal as was possible. Singh is now reduced to hoping that ties can be reset to the pre-2008 status quo.

However, there is reason to believe that, Singh apart, the Indian government isn’t too keen on building ties with Pakistan. A US State Department cable posted by WikiLeaks suggested that while Singh truly hoped and strived for peace between India and Pakistan, the rest of his cabinet opposed that vision. If his government is not with him, there is very little even the prime minister can do to ensure that his desired policy becomes a reality. For the moment, talks between the two heads of government — as happened in Mohali during the World Cup semi-final and in Sharm-al-Sheikh in 2009 — seem to be the only way to keep the lines of communication open.

Pakistan, too, is making the prospect of peace extremely remote, with the army being the chief hindrance. It should be obvious by now that withdrawing all support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba and taking action against its leadership is a prerequisite for improving relations with India. Yet, the army, as Chief of Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani himself has said, sees India as its biggest threat. This attitude does not augur well for peace. It takes two to tango, but neither side appears ready to dance.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th,  2011.