At the outset, I would like to point out that I am neither a Congress supporter or BJP supporter or even supporter of the thousands of parties present in our country. Neither do I hate any of them. I would not like to waste my readers time in talking about the history of India and Pakistan. But would instead come directly to the point.
Why are both our countries TALKING? I am not a person who says that we should go to war. But what is talking or so called “diplomatic talks” helping us in. Every time our foreign minister goes to Pakistan for so called next round of “peace” talks and have “constructive” discussions. And what are the so called constructive discussions? They bring the topic of Kashmir, of India fomenting trouble in Baluchistan and how India is targeting Pakistani interests. What do we do? We listen nicely without doing anything and then in joint press conferences say that “Yes! Yes! Progress has been made” and blah blah. After a few days, a bomb attack happens and we again say that we’ll do this and that, take action, mobilize our army and what not but after a few days everything is forgotten. Why should we hear Omar Kureshi “rape” our foreign minister SM Krishna verbally? Even Krishna hadnt come on a “leisure trip” sir! But do we care? The disaster started with Agra 2004 and history repeated itself in Agra 2010.
From the attack on the parliament in 2001 to the Mumbai attack on 26th November 2008, we have said the same things about Pakistan supporting terror groups, ISI being involved and it being used as a state policy – but has anything been done at the ground level? NOTHING. After every attack, we mobilize world opinion against Pakistan. Even America says something. But since it knows that Pakistan’s hand is needed to kill Osama, it sends dollar after dollar. Instead of using to kill the terrorists, each dollar is used against India. Guys! Everyone looks for their own advantage. America doesn’t care about India but its own interests. Its just that so called “diplomacy” has to be shown and that’s it.
The Indo – Pak situation is similar to that of two friends A and B. If A yells at B for something bad B has done and B still doesnt bother to talk to A, so A comes to B and says sorry despite the fact that A knows he is right. Here India is A and Pakistan is B. As one of my friend says, a clap doesnt happen with one hand and a car doesnt move with one set of wheels. We talk about being a superpower and all that. But I feel that till the day we are not able to convince the world of what exactly Pakistan is doing and make the developed countries take some action, we would not be fit to call ourselves a world power. There could be a lot of options other than talking, such as economic sanctions, reducing loan packages from IMF etc. But the will has to be there to do something.
Otherwise we will always be known as a SOFT STATE!
PS – I am not against the Pakistani people. I am sure they must be good. Its just that policies which the Pak leadership has of using terror as a state policy which makes me burn with anger!
mini
You are right. I completely agree wit u. India and pakistan have only been talking abt peace and peace fr so many years, i really dont see anything actually happening !!!
Viral
Hello Aseem,
Wonderful article. Well rounded-off too.
Getting a bit strayed from the topic, I would also like to point out over here as to the humungous amount of savings that can be generated, if their respective defense magnitude, across the either sides of the border, is softened up.
These savings can, then, be fruitfully utilized to upbring the development and growth in the both the emerging economies. The same funds can also be utilised for various social causes.
aseemrastogi2
That’s so true..But I guess our governments are more engaged in spending the taxpayers money for such things rather than improve the situation in our country…I really wonder when will our ministers realise that such things are completely useless than anything else..