India-Pakistan- WAR OR WORDS?- THE WAY OUT

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna has clearly hinted that the doors for India-Pakistan sustained engagement have opened with the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries having discussed the subject in a cordial atmosphere in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Monday on the sidelines of the SAARC Council of Ministers’ Conference. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir discussed the modalities of a fresh dialogue process and how to start building bridges of trust, understanding and mutual confidence which could be seen after the Composite Dialogue Process that got snapped in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack. This was what the extremist elements in Pakistan wanted because an atmosphere of tension between the two neighbours suited their destructive designs.

Unfortunately, the Pakistan establishment has been using these elements as part of its policy to achieve its geopolitical objectives. Now it claims that it has launched a drive against terrorists and extremists in the interest of peace and stability in Pakistan. But has it really done so? Why is it not pursuing these evil forces with the same vigour as noticed in the case of the Taliban and Al-Qaida? Why has it not brought to book all those involved in the Mumbai mayhem despite enough evidence provided by India? Why is Pakistan allowing many terrorist training camps to remain intact despite its pledge not to allow its territory to be used for terrorist attacks on India? Why is it helping these elements indirectly to sustain themselves by changing the names of their outfits? These questions are bound to be raised during the Foreign Minister-level talks that may be held between India and Pakistan in the near future.
Those who argue that there is no point in holding any kind of dialogue with Pakistan under the prevailing circumstances miss the vital point that there is no better alternative to talks. Pakistan’s insistence on calling it the Composite Dialogue Process is pointless. All the issues that have been coming in the way of normalisation of India-Pakistan relations can be discussed in any dialogue process. What is important is that the two countries must remain engaged, giving precedence to promoting people-to-people contacts, trade relations and cultural exchanges, which together can create an atmosphere when it will be easier to tackle sensitive issues like cross-border terrorism and Kashmir.