Political pundits stand totally aghast as Narendra Modi’s Bharatia Janata Party (BJP) sweeps the Indian polls to take the reins of India, one of world’s largest democracies, in its hands. Now that Modi has formally taken charge of his country as Prime Minister the Gandhi dynasty’s rule over India, for a long, long time, seems to have ultimately come to its logical end.
Narendra Modi, a man who has come up from the grass-roots level to rule one of world’s largest democracies, is known to all and sundry as a hard core Hindu nationalist. Modi’s politics has always been based on religious and ethnic lines. Venomous propaganda against the Muslims in particular has been the mainstay of his political journey, and Pakistan has always been a victim of this hardnosed and totally unjustified attitude of his.
A lot of concern continues to be expressed, at all levels, in Pakistan about how would PM Modi’s rise to the citadel of power in India impact India-Pakistan’s continuously strained relations? If this extremely important issue is looked at in the backdrop of Mr. Modi’s incessant Pakistan-bashing as a hardcore Indian politician then one would be compelled to lose hope for any improvement in the existing bilateral relations between the two countries. However, if one has faith in the fact that things and people never remain the same always, they can change. If this is true, then one could hope for a change in PM Modi’s attitude towards Pakistan particularly now that he is just not a leader of a political party of India but a leader of the entire Indian nation.
The first step taken by PM Modi to extend an invitation to the Pakistan’s Premier, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif to his commencement ceremony is unambiguously a step in the right direction. PM Sharif’s decision to graciously accept his invitation and participate in his commencement ceremony was undoubtedly equally magnanimous. The warmth reflected during the reception of Pakistan’s Premier to the ceremony as well as the one-on-one meeting held between the two leaders has unquestionably sent positive signals.
During their meeting, held in a very cordial atmosphere, the two leaders briefly highlighted some issues of bilateral interest and concern. That the two sides mutually agreed to recommence the stalled secretary level bilateral talks can also be termed as a positive development. Agreed, there have always been lots of ups and downs in India-Pakistan relations over the past six and a half decades. In fact, both countries have always been daggers drawn at each other. This, however, must not form a basis for either country to follow the path of hatred and aggression against one another. The fact of the matter is that the progress and prosperity of both nations lie in mutual respect and cooperation. For the sake of the people of the two countries, as well the region, India and Pakistan must bury the hatchet, once and for all, and make sincere endeavors to ardently follow the principle of ‘live and let live’. This dream would, however, be able to see the light of the day only if the long-pending critical issues between the two countries, such as the Kashimir issue, are seriously brought up for discusson and resolved without furether loss of time.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
There is no pending issue. The so called Pakistan belongs to India and hence there is no kashmir issue as well. Hindostan is one which was ruled by Aurangzeb or Bahdurshah Zafer . It was the British who designed this break up. it is high time the so called Pakistan ralises the fact.
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