Delhi should see light

It was quite unbecoming of Dr S Jaishankar's stature to blow hot and cold over evolving ties with Pakistan. The Indian Minister for External Affairs is a seasoned diplomat, and an astute politician, and must be conscious of the precarious situation that the region is facing. Any overtures from Islamabad should be welcome in New Delhi, and the reason is that confidence building measures are lacking in essence, paving the way for waywardness and disconnect is interstate relations.

Jaishankar's stance that India will "react favourably to positive signals from Pakistan" was appreciated, but the contention that "actions have consequences" and Delhi would "respond in kind to any adverse actions from across the border" have nullified the goodwill that was expected from the big neighbour in response to an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan for the SCO summit to be held in October.

India is in need of some course correction and must see light. It is high time for both the states to opt for normalisation of relations. Thus, the External Affairs Minister's thrust that "the era of uninterrupted dialogue… is over" is condemnable, and hints at the Hindutva mindset of sowing the seeds of otherness. Delhi must take a lesson from the Dhaka debacle, where even a pro-India dispensation cannot stand the ire of people as they smelt hegemon and disgust. Designs to keep Pakistan under the thumb are a wishful thinking of the past, and it is time for geo-economics to take precedence over bad blood.

There is an opportunity in disaster for both the states to reorient their ties and walk the path of positivity. Modi's air-dash to Islamabad for the SCO moot would be a good beginning, which would come with the added features of getting to gel with regional perceptions on Pakistan's indispensability in the region, and as a state that is busy fighting terrorism itself. Kick-starting Composite Dialogue and upgrading their respective diplomatic missions is the minimum that is desired after a pestering frostbite.