Indo-Pak Peace Process: One step closer to nowhere
“Peace, “Friendship” and “Confidence Building Measures”
Today, these are the only substantial movements on the much touted peace process between India and Pakistan - Words. However hard the leaders of both India and Pakistan may try to make us beleive otherwise, there is no denying the fact that the process is nothing but stalled. I do not take into account the buses plying between the two countries or the “Friendship” cricket series'. When I say peace process, I mean the real sorting out of contentious issues of Kashmir, return of Kashmiri pandits, Sir Creek and Siachen. In all these fronts unfortunately, the talks have either completely stalled or are moving slower than the traffic in Delhi at 9am!
Let us take Kashmir, which is the issue that divides bothe sides more than any other issue. President Musharraf has been seen on air touting the Indians on their lack of “innovative thinking” on the issue. He claims that we are too rigid on our stand. Well just hear his innovative thinking, he wants India to demilitrise parts of Kashmir as a confidence buidling measure. I think the only confidence it will give is to the terrorists to go ahead and plan attacks like the bold ones they have carried out in the country. There is a growing awareness in the international community that the Musharraf's clean chit to extremism in Kashmir as a freedom struggle is hogwash. The World realises that Pakistan is the source of terror and while publically they may not say so, in back channel discussions it has been made amply clear to the Pakistanis to stop sponsoring terror. The Pakistanis have found another “innovative” way to respond to the international community, they “capture” Al-Qaeda terrorists and hand them over to the West and then say “Look we are a frontline ally on the War on Terror” and say that those terrorists in India are just freedom fighters! And so the peace process keeps going round in round in circles.
The Indian authorities must also take the blame for the lack of positive developments on the process. The Indian side has been to meek to clearly state its position on where it stands on Kashmir. Ambigious statements like “We will not nogotiate on territory” or “Division of Kashmir is non-negotiable” will not get us far. We have to clearly state what we want and then set the peace process on those terms. There are some factors that can be negotiated on and others where the stand is clear. The current Indian position makes it seem that everything is negotiable and nothing is non-negotiable. If we want to make the Line of Control the new international border, let us make that public. If we want the part of Pakitan Occupied Kashmir back, well then lets say that. But at least say something! Succesive Governments have fudged on a clear stand on the issue. They keep harping on cross border terror, without ever clearing the air on Kashmir. Musharraf may wrong on many accounts but he is right when he says, that Kashmir is the “core issue”. So while Pakistan has an opinion on Kashmir, as does the World community and the Hurriyat, India is seen skirting the issue. Its time to take the bull by its horns and clearly state what we want.
The peace process has also taken a back seat with other compelling international and domestic issues like Iran and Indo-US Nuclear deal. But the Indian Government must not lose track of the peace process because while they may have made a good start with the bus diplomacy, the goodwill will not last long if nothing concrete comes out of it.
“Peace, “Friendship” and “Confidence Building Measures”
Today, these are the only substantial movements on the much touted peace process between India and Pakistan - Words. However hard the leaders of both India and Pakistan may try to make us beleive otherwise, there is no denying the fact that the process is nothing but stalled. I do not take into account the buses plying between the two countries or the “Friendship” cricket series'. When I say peace process, I mean the real sorting out of contentious issues of Kashmir, return of Kashmiri pandits, Sir Creek and Siachen. In all these fronts unfortunately, the talks have either completely stalled or are moving slower than the traffic in Delhi at 9am!
Let us take Kashmir, which is the issue that divides bothe sides more than any other issue. President Musharraf has been seen on air touting the Indians on their lack of “innovative thinking” on the issue. He claims that we are too rigid on our stand. Well just hear his innovative thinking, he wants India to demilitrise parts of Kashmir as a confidence buidling measure. I think the only confidence it will give is to the terrorists to go ahead and plan attacks like the bold ones they have carried out in the country. There is a growing awareness in the international community that the Musharraf's clean chit to extremism in Kashmir as a freedom struggle is hogwash. The World realises that Pakistan is the source of terror and while publically they may not say so, in back channel discussions it has been made amply clear to the Pakistanis to stop sponsoring terror. The Pakistanis have found another “innovative” way to respond to the international community, they “capture” Al-Qaeda terrorists and hand them over to the West and then say “Look we are a frontline ally on the War on Terror” and say that those terrorists in India are just freedom fighters! And so the peace process keeps going round in round in circles.
The Indian authorities must also take the blame for the lack of positive developments on the process. The Indian side has been to meek to clearly state its position on where it stands on Kashmir. Ambigious statements like “We will not nogotiate on territory” or “Division of Kashmir is non-negotiable” will not get us far. We have to clearly state what we want and then set the peace process on those terms. There are some factors that can be negotiated on and others where the stand is clear. The current Indian position makes it seem that everything is negotiable and nothing is non-negotiable. If we want to make the Line of Control the new international border, let us make that public. If we want the part of Pakitan Occupied Kashmir back, well then lets say that. But at least say something! Succesive Governments have fudged on a clear stand on the issue. They keep harping on cross border terror, without ever clearing the air on Kashmir. Musharraf may wrong on many accounts but he is right when he says, that Kashmir is the “core issue”. So while Pakistan has an opinion on Kashmir, as does the World community and the Hurriyat, India is seen skirting the issue. Its time to take the bull by its horns and clearly state what we want.
The peace process has also taken a back seat with other compelling international and domestic issues like Iran and Indo-US Nuclear deal. But the Indian Government must not lose track of the peace process because while they may have made a good start with the bus diplomacy, the goodwill will not last long if nothing concrete comes out of it.
posted by Karan Thakur @ 8:33 PM
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