Hope for Progress in India-Pakistan Talks
India and Pakistan had a historic opportunity in front of them: an opportunity to move beyond the old cycle of rhetoric where each side simply indulges in grandstanding and only puts forth its complaints against the other, not ways to move ahead. But on February 25, when the talks were finally held between the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries, they only reaffirmed the need to talk; they did not even put forth a date for future meetings.
In 2004 the governments of India and Pakistan started the composite peace dialogue to tackle some of the key issues troubling the two nations. The November 2008 attacks in Mumbai by the Pakistan-based Kashmiri jihadi group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, however, led India to put a hold on these talks.
With the reelection of the Congress-led government to power in June 2009 there was hope that the peace process would resume. The meeting between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Yusuf Raza Gilani at Sharm el Sheikh in July 2009 reflected these sentiments. However, for the last few months India has refused to hold talks. It insists that in order for the composite dialogue to resume Pakistan must do more on tackling the terror infrastructure within its borders.
Terrorism is a major Indian concern, and Pakistan needs to tackle the multi-headed hydra monster that previous regimes allowed to grow in their country. However, just as terrorism is important to India, security is paramount for Pakistan.
There are many principles which underlie any nation’s foreign policy and the same is true of Pakistan. However, the one key underlying factor is its sense of existential threat from a larger neighbor India. Its security, defense, and foreign policies have been framed to a large extent by this fear, resulting in unwillingness on the part of Pakistani leaders to seek cordiality with India.
If someone indulges in paranoia, the best way to help the person overcome the fear is to reassure that person that we have no ill will towards them. Over the years successive Indian leaders have done that starting with Jawaharlal Nehru and continuing through Atal Behari Vajpayee and incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Here is a sampling of their statements:
I can assure the people of Pakistan that India has no aggressive designs against any country, least of all against Pakistan. We want Pakistan to live in peace and to progress and to have the closest ties with us. There never will be aggression from our side.
A stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan is in Indias interest. Let no one in Pakistan be in doubt. India sincerely wishes Pakistan well.
India would like to live at peace with Pakistan and we are ready to extend our hand of friendship and partnership with Pakistan.
India has no designs on Pakistan. India could no more defeat and hold Pakistan than Pakistan could defeat and hold India. Pakistan itself can’t defeat and hold the tribal areas within Pakistan. What hope would India have?
Not that India doesn’t have contingency plans. I am sure that India has plans for attacking and holding Diego Garcia. But these plans cannot succeed in even the near long term and only a fool would execute them.
Pakistan and India could both benefit from closer economic ties just as both Israel and Palestine could benefit from closer cooperation. The reasons that this hasn’t happened are the same in both cases; a lack of trust and the use of this lack of trust by ruling elites to help maintain their power.
“Some Indian analysts assert that just as Canada has accepted that the U.S. is the dominant power in the continent, similarly, Pakistan must do the same.
Indians need to be realists, not hawks or idealists. Lighting candles at Wagah border is not going to solve our problems, but neither is blaming Pakistan for everything. Pakistani leaders also need to realize that blaming India for all domestic and security related issues will not solve Pakistan’s problems. Instead, by developing better ties with India, a lot of Pakistan’s economic and security-related issues will be resolved.”
India is not America.
And Pakistan is not Canada. Its hard even to type such a hilarious statement.. Comparing the most backward nation on earth with one of the most refined…
Why is this even on pajamasmedia?
The “typical White person” could care less about what the Indians or pakistanis think of each other,as long as they are kept in check and the nukes are under control. And rightly, justifiably so. This isnt an American issue.
Raj:
“Some Indian analysts assert that just as Canada has accepted that the U.S. is the dominant power in the continent, ….”
You don’t know Canadians. The USA-Canadian relationship flows much more as friendly equals who have shared interests. The two times in the past that the USA and Canada fought, we (USA) had our butts whipped. We have learned our lesson.
Pakistan/India, like Palestine/Israel are contending over access to limited water resources. If you want to solve the crisis, arrange for Pakistan to have secure access to water. A couple major aqueducts should do it.
“This isn’t an American issue.”
Why do you imagine the US has no commercial or security interests in either country?
“The two times in the past that the USA and Canada fought, we (USA) had our butts whipped.”
We have never fought the Canadians, we have fought the British, each time we won or fought to a draw. Since the Britiah gave up one retaking their lost colonies, I think we won overall.
Tom we beat the British in both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. But in both wars US assaults against Canada were turned back. I was being tongue in cheek about getting our butts whipped but it is true that the Canucks held the field after each battle.
You don’t know Canadians. The USA-Canadian relationship flows much more as friendly equals who have shared interests. The two times in the past that the USA and Canada fought, we (USA) had our butts whipped. We have learned our lesson.
We can do the trust on the Pakistan Becoz so many this happen already.