‘Fanatic approach’ indeed
It seems pretty clear, in hindsight, that Modi’s government was not serious about talking since Nawaz went to Delhi for his inauguration; when the Indian foreign secretary unceremoniously held an unannounced and provocative press conference. Since then there has been more compelling proof. The Indian leadership’s calculated belligerence, for example, especially the ’71 reference in Dhaka. And, of course, the unprecedented aggression at the Line of Control and Working Boundary; to the point that Pakistan has had to approach the UN.
Modi has also obviously decided to break from tradition very sharply on the Hurriyet matter. Nawaz chose not to meet them in Delhi, to the displeasure of many, as a good will gesture; to show the Indians he was serious about moving towards constructive engagement. Yet the Indians have set this as the bare minimum, something they knew Islamabad would never accept. This matter led to cancellation of foreign secretary talks last year, and now it has again been leveraged to bulldoze the national security advisors’ meeting. Again, it is not as if Delhi thought Islamabad would agree to talks without Kashmir under any circumstances. That they postured towards talks till the last moment, before playing the Hurrieyt card, speaks volumes about their real intentions.
The aim of such a policy can only be continued friction. Indeed, even the ruling party has finally got its narrative in order. The desire for peace, better times and more commerce has given way to a more realistic assessment. The eastern border has become a problem once again. That is why Khwaja Asif was careful to mention the ability of the military to protect the state’s sovereignty. But, in reality, Modi risks over-playing his hand. India is a diverse polity and there is only so far the extreme right will be allowed to steer foreign policy, especially its most important components. Unless there is a measure of rationality introduced to New Delhi’s priorities, the whole region stands to suffer, India included. And once it inevitably steps back, it will have to accept some of the conditions it is rejecting out of hand right now. The sooner this ‘fanatic approach’ is checked, the better for both countries.