Author: Editorial
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: January 30, 2002
Even if there was nothing substantially
new for an Indian audience in some of the things which the prime minister
said in Raipur, there was still a need for reiteration against the background
of the persistent Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir.
It has to be admitted that by constantly
airing its willingness to talk to India, Pakistan has partly succeeded
in convincing the US and the western world about its desire for peace.
By adding the bit about a no-war pact, it has even strengthened this perception
about its goodwill. In contrast, India faces the danger of being regarded
as stubborn and ill-tempered, unwilling to respond to these overtures.
It is in this context that A.B. Vajpayee's remarks may seem to be of considerable
relevance.
For a start, his point about which
Kashmir constitutes a core issue for Pakistan is noteworthy. Clearly, the
area that Pakistan has in mind is what is often described as the part of
Kashmir under Indian 'occupation'. But there are other areas as well on
which the respective positions of the interested parties have to be clarified
before a dialogue can begin. For instance, what about the Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK) and the parts which Islamabad has gifted away to China? Clearly,
if talks are to begin, the views of Kashmiris living in these areas cannot
be ignored. However, Islamabad has maintained a deafening silence on this
question and the rest of the world is too ill-informed (and perhaps even
bored by this 50-year-old dispute) to ask it. India, too, has been remiss
in not making these points often enough.
Then, there is the point about a
no-war pact. Pakistan has had no difficulty in offering to sign such a
treaty since it has forsaken the option of war after its defeats in 1948,
1965 and 1971 - not to mention Kargil. Since Pakistan's focus has been
mainly on waging a proxy war via the ISI and the jehadis - elements about
which it professes complete ignorance - it can have no difficulty in signing
a no-war pact. But India can have no interest in such subterfuges. Hence,
Mr Vajpayee's comment that relations between the two countries can only
improve if Pakistan stops its acts of cross-border terrorism. There is
no indication yet that Pervez Musharraf's January 12 speech has had any
impact on the covert operations of either the ISI or the jehadis. Indeed,
there have been reports of an increase in infiltration across the Line
of Control, which is not surprising since the evacuees from the ranks of
the Al-Qaeda and Taliban may look upon PoK and contiguous areas as a safe
haven. For the moment, therefore, India has no option but to keep its powder
dry and let the world know about the issues involved with greater vigour.
