In line with Washington (and implicitly Moscow), other western capitals from London to Paris to Berlin, and, of course, Beijing, are echoing the perception that this is the time for India and Pakistan to not turn their backs on each other but sit down and hammer out an agreement, however long it may take.
In an article in The Hindu newspaper, former MP and diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar said indeed, Beijing points to its own dialogue with India that has gone through 18 rounds and is nowhere near conclusion, but has ensured two decades of relative peace and tranquility at the border with no incident getting too far out of hand. It is widely acknowledged that getting to the goal of a satisfactory via media might be long, arduous and perhaps Sisyphean, but they desperately want South Asia’s two nuclear giants to engage and not accidentally take the Sleepwalkers’descent that led the West to the massacres of the First World War only because in 1914, intransigence was privileged over accommodation. Hence, however, loud or sharp the world’s condemnation of Pak-sponsored terrorism, their bottom line is that New Delhi and Islamabad must talk, he emphasised.
He said Sartaj Aziz is, visiting Amritsar in the confidence that the ruder the Indians are to him, the more will Pakistan be seen as the potential peace-maker in South Asia and India as spoiling for a fight. He said India could completely upset the Pakistani apple cart by suddenly and unexpectedly being nice to Aziz. That would make the world far more keen than Indian obduracy is succeeding in doing to reinforce their harsh words for Pakistan with harsh action and their understanding of India’s grievances.
He pointed out that not only did Russia continue their unprecedented military exercises with Pakistan after Uri, but Moscow is displaying its enthusiasm to match India’s diversification from Russia of its defence purchases by finding a new market for its arms and equipment in Pakistan. The final quietus to India’s former “time-tested relationship” with the Soviet Union/Russia was delivered by Putin to Modi at the Goa BRICS summit when he refused to endorse Modi’s plea for strong words against Pakistan.
Mani Shankar said this is an opportunity we must not miss. But, of course, we will miss it – for the Modi government, like authoritarians everywhere and at all times, finds the “othering” of Pakistan a politically fruitful exercise domestically.
When Sartaj Aziz is brushed aside by India at Amritsar, Pakistan will win brownie points internationally; Modi will secure the same domestically on the eve of the upcoming UP and Punjab elections. The sub-continent will continue to tremble on the brink of disaster.
Read more: Pakistan will participate in Heart of Asia conference in India: Sartaj Aziz
