The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : A ROUTE TO PEACE

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Friday, Feb 18, 2005

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Opinion - Editorials

A ROUTE TO PEACE

THE COMPOSITE DIALOGUE between India and Pakistan received further impetus during the Islamabad visit of External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh. The confidence building measures agreed upon at the February 16 talks have been on the agenda for quite some time. However, from the way New Delhi and Islamabad quibbled over details it appeared unlikely that the proposals would be operationalised any time soon. Given this background, the announcements made by Mr. Singh and Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Kurshid Mahmud Kasuri, will be heartily welcomed. The decision to start a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad; reopen Consulates in Karachi and Mumbai; launch a new bus service between Lahore and Amritsar; and re-establish rail links between Rajasthan and Sindh are humanitarian measures that have been delayed too long. The needs and desires of families divided at the time of Partition were sidelined as the two Governments pondered deeply over the strategic and legalistic implications of these arrangements. In pushing humanitarian considerations to the fore, the two Governments signalled a clear intent to normalise relations between the peoples of India and Pakistan. This affirmation of a positive approach could in time prove to be an invaluable confidence building measure on its own.

The decision to open the Line of Control for the operation of a bus service between the two parts of Kashmir appears to indicate that India and Pakistan will adopt a sober approach to the resolution of this dispute from now on. There has been a significant shift from entrenched positions. While New Delhi dropped its demand that passengers on this route must have passports and visas, Islamabad has agreed that the service should be available to all citizens of India and Pakistan, not to Kashmiris alone. With most of the former princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan, being thrown open, the scope for interaction between the peoples of the two countries has been expanded. However, traffic between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad is unlikely to be heavy at least for some time to come since many details need to be addressed. The road needs to be repaired, security arrangements need to be finalised, and de-mining operations may have to be carried out. While there has been agreement on the nature of travel documents to be used and on the modalities for issuing them, complications could arise when these procedures are actually put to work. As expected, it was emphasised that the opening up of the LoC for a humanitarian purpose will not prejudice the stated positions of the two countries on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. For all that, this initiative holds great promise for the long term.

While the Ministers issued separate statements that differed in emphasis and tone, too much need not be made of this. After all, each Government has to pay due regard to sensitivities on its side of the border. Pakistan could hardly be expected abruptly to drop its insistence that issues such as the future of Kashmir or troop withdrawal from the Siachen Glacier should be addressed with urgency. What needs to be highlighted is the positive development that has taken place recently. India came around and conceded that the pipeline from Iran should be treated as a stand-alone project. For its part, Pakistan appears willing to accept that its Mumbai Consulate can be accommodated on a site other than Jinnah House. Movement towards Indo-Pakistani rapprochement might appear incremental. However, steps are now being taken with such regularity as to suggest that the dialogue is gaining momentum.

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