Not talking to Pakistan hasn't changed behaviour of our enemies: Menon

Indian National Security Adviser says enemies do not want India to talk to saner elements in Pakistan.

NEW DELHI: As talks between Pakistan and India remain suspended, Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon critiqued his country’s policy of not talking to its Western neighbour, saying it has not changed the attitude of India’s enemies, Times of India reported on Wednesday.

"Our Pakistan policy still faces the dilemmas that Patel's generation faced: of how to prevent the enemies of India from having their way. Patel's answer was clear, as you saw from his Amritsar speech: fight your enemies at a time and place of your choosing but do not make innocents, the people, (or refugees in that specific case), victims of your policy."

Menon’s statement, referring to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, was in response to Indian External Affairs minister Salman Khurshid’s comments over the weekend. Khurshid had said that there was no dialogue with Pakistan at the moment.

Menon further criticised some former diplomats who had urged prime minister Manmohan Singh not to meet with Nawaz Sharif in New York.

"When 40 self-styled experts and some political groups say do not talk to Pakistan until ideal conditions exist and all terrorism stops it betrays a lack of self-confidence. That is precisely what the terrorists and their sponsors in the Pakistani establishment want, for us not to talk to those in Pakistan who might differ from them."

India’s NSA added that using the avenue of talks to punish Pakistan, has not yielded the desired results.

"Not talking does not change the behaviour of our enemies. In fact it hands them a success that only encourages them. At the very least talking to the saner elements in Pakistan could encourage them to stand for the right policies and could create confusion among our enemies," he added.

Talking about Patel, Menon said Indians should build their internal strength to be able to deal with the world more ably.

"That was his [Sardar Vallabhai Patel] core message, which it was from strength that one had to negotiate, not just talk, about the issues. But at the same time, as his own example shows, he did not wait for ideal situations and conditions in order to engage."