Modi’s opportunity

Talking through social media, India and Pakistan choreographed their aspirations for realising a better neighbourhood. But the sentiments were muted as the leadership preferred sticking to the status quo in vogue, and used half-baked vocabulary for voicing their course of action. In an exchange of greetings on ‘X’, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif were the first to express their courtesy by welcoming a third-term for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and hoped to see resolution of outstanding disputes between the two countries. Delhi’s straitjacket response and a deeper interpretation of the text hinted at digging of heels in the form of conditionalities. This is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse, impeding normalisation of ties in an era of mushrooming geo-economics.

The Indian PM commented that the people of India have “always stood for peace, security and progressive ideas”. He went on to say that “…well-being and security of our people shall always remain our priority.” Whether it is a reiteration of policy discourse or sarcasm intended at asking Pakistan to ‘do more’ is not clear. That perception got a shot in the arm as Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told the media on the sidelines of oath-taking that “…we would want to find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism.” Last but not least, he observed, “…relations and problems with China and Pakistan were different.” This drives a serious debate and it is high time politics of exigency was put aside to take forward real issues of concern between the two states. The jargon of ‘cross-border’ and ‘China card’ has kept the region on tenterhooks, and in a perpetual state of confrontation.

India must reorient its policy towards both the neighbours with which it has territorial disputes. The region longs for serenity and development, and much time has already been wasted by Delhi in playing to the mantras of Akhand Bharat and Hindutva. Modi has an historic opportunity to rewrite regionalism by extending an olive branch to Islamabad and Beijing.