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Earlier this week, President Asif Ali Zardari urged India to resume the process of composite dialogue without any conditions to jointly address common problems, including Kashmir and terrorism. Now, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a peaceful partnership with Pakistan, which he argues is in his country’s vital interest.
On Tuesday, Dr Singh said, ‘I have believed India cannot realise its ambitions unless there is peace and prosperity in South Asia as a whole and if our neighbourhood is suffering from instability and turbulence that has direct bearing on our own evolution as a democratic polity committed to sustained growth and development.’
Do you think the threat of spreading regional militancy will pave the way for Pakistan and India to work together to combat terrorism? Is a détente in the offing? And are Pakistan and India ready to revisit the Kashmir issue in the prevailing socio-political climate?
I think I am more concerned about
1) Chandrayaan 2: When we land a rover on the moon by 2010-2011 and man by 2018.
2) Metro’s that are being launched in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and out and out expansion of Delhi metro
3) Commonwealth games in New Delhi.
4) Indian economy touching 1 trillion dollar.
5)Bollywood overtaking Hollywood, not only in films produced, and number of audience, but also in financial revenues.
6) Indian companies and billionaires controlling world companies and stock markets.
I think Pakistan just has one mission: INDIA, and Pakistan cannot think beyond India.
Indians are always talking about terrorism, but how about the terrorism committed by the Hindu majority against their own minorities (Muslims, Christians and Buddists).
Not a single Hindu right leader, even the ones who publicly acknowledged their involvement in such attrocities committed by their party members at their behest have been prosecuted or banished from public life.
Not just Pakistan, but India itself needs to address their internal problems of mistreating minorities if they are to have good relations with their neighbours. Constantly blaming India’s smaller neighours for all of its problems is not the solution for India. If anything, it shows a serious lack of ‘maturity’ coming from a country that calls itself the world’s largest ‘democracy’.
India needs to accept its own faults in dealing with its neighbours before she can attain any kind of peace and cooperation form them, whether it be Pakistan on Kashmir, Bangladesh on the issues of the seven sisters (keep in mind this problem would only get worse in future), or confidence building with Nepal and Sri Lanka.
It is about time that India ‘grew up’ and stopped complaing in the world forum and started taking responsibilty for its own actions and failures.
To all my friends a very Good day ( Salam – Namaskar )
First of all let us have some myths that some of my friends ( and people of the same “ARYAN RACE”) have:
1. We Indians are and were more worried about China and their RED army when we tested our nuclear weapons and when we develop our forces against them. (Pls note that they attacked us in 1962, apparantely to conquer us)
2. India is now comparing most of its development goals to have a “welfare” state.
3. We have 22 national languages and 28 distinct states + few union territories that have their own culture, cuisine and beliefs.
4. There is no movement in India against the Union goverment ( maoists are only against local governance ) except Kashmir, to have a different seperate nation.
5. This movement began only in the 1980’s but we got the accession papers in 1948 from the Maharaja of J&K for the entire Kashmir (J&K and POK).
Please let me know if I am mistaken on any of the above points. Could we now face facts and start a dialog….?
Asmat even if Kashmir issue will be solved(it will remain with India..dnt even dream of any other way), the extremists, ISI and Pak govt will find other reason to bleed India! We dont trust them plain and simple.
The peace and prosperity is only possible if both sides genuinely regard and respect each other. Until that happens, the instability in one country will ultimately be fatal to the stability and peace in the other country. Both Pakistan and India are inherently interconnected, too deeply, whether we like it or not. We can not keep our eyes closed, when the neighbor’s house is on fire, your own house will ultimately catch the fire. Case in point is Afghanistan, how long had Afghaninstan been burning, but did any country cared, No. No ultimately the whole world’s attention is on Afghanistan and Pakistan, its immediate neighbor has been pulled into Afghanistan’s fire. If this trend continues, India will be pulled into Pakistan’s fire. This cycle will consume everyone, if we don’t stop this non-sense blaming each other and do something concrete to stop the fire.
Pakistan is sitting on a time bomb and unless its people decide that their leaders (military and political in that order) begin to treat the country with the respect it deserves, their future is terribly bleak. The question of finding a way to break the deadlock between the two does not arise, atleast not for the present. Whom does India talk to? whom can India believe? which institution (apart from its military and Intelligence) remains permanent enough to promote dialogue of any kind? In the present scenario there is not much hope. Pakistan needs to stabilise within before it begins to deal with the outside world.
Mr. Jamal
First of all Namaskar to all my pakistanis friends.This is very sad to hear from your side that we are interfering in you internal matters.Please try to reffer you history,who is interfering in the internal matters.do you remeber 1948 attack of pakistan.war of 1965.1971,kargil,punjab terrorism,kashmir terrorism,parliment attack,26/11 attack.Pakistan is asking for kashmir since 1947 but it cant take care for his own country….we know Pakistanis are not bad but your fundamentalist and government dont want a friendly relation with us as their bread will not be there if the relation is coordial.Please correct me if any thing is wrong. Namasakar.
Direct cooperation between India & Pakistan on fighting terror at this point of time seems to be most unlikely.
We got a feeling here in India that Pakistan is riding on two boats at the same time – on one side they are “fighting” terrorists inside Pakistan and on the other hand still providing “moral” support (officially) to the militant groups operating in Kashmir.
This is simply nothing but double standard. There is nothing like good or bad terrorists – all terrorists are equally bad for mankind. Kashmiri militants are also killing innocent people just like talibaan or others, but Pakistan is still calling them “freedom fighters”.
So, I believe, unless Pakistan recognize Kashmiri militants as equally bad and offers all supports to fight them out, full coordination and cooperation between these two countries on fighting terror is absolutely NOT possible.
Both your Govt’s need to forget about each other for a while. Hunker down and mitigate internal problems without constantly looking over the shoulder. Today you are in the formative phase Europe was when it was undergoing the thousand year wars. There are no established hierarchies of fear. They take many wars and many rebuildings, to establish and reinforce. Plus with the new low intensity conflict there may never be any clear winners/losers. It is just about perpetually annoying the other.
Pakistanis love to trace their lineage back to Central Asia and think of themselves as martial, invaders and conquerers (look at names of missiles/naval ships).
Indians like to think of themselves as a civilization that survived against all odds. Both gloat in their own pride and build their own castles for now.
Let us have a century of existence in complete isolation, draw on the strengths of your respective peoples and confront each other as a strong modern US and Europe would, sometime in the distant future. A thousand year war in a nuclear subcontinent is ill afforded.
Its the irony of fate that the front line leaders of both the neighbour countreis are not taking serious interest for resolving the selfmade contradctions between the bordered countries ie Pakistan and India. Whilst, people of the both countries have fully sympathetised for each other, no aggression can be tollerate against non of them by any corner of the world. Let come out from such biasing, greasing and clumsy state of affairs. lets, through concentrated efforts divert the myth into truth that Pakistan and India are two brother countries.
I wish and hope in near future leaders will be run behind the people instead of masses are running behing the leaders as in the present scenario, in such situation INSHALLAH all the controvercies will be nipped in the bud. Ameen.
To me the partition itself was basically wrong,any how it too late now and can be corrected by not being at each others throat.
Kashmir can be solved in one minute.
Maintain the status quo without terrorists
and army
Hi
I think now time has come ,we should STOP blame game and help each other to move ahead..
We have many other problem to solve instead of fighting …
Let us up lift the peoples life in asia
When EU can stand,why can not we..
It’s crazy to fight. We have too much in common and cannot prosper without finding a way to coexist decently. To some extent, we will have to discuss and solve our problems. To some extent we will just have to forget some history. As we say in Punjabi, mitti pao. Europe has shown the way. Gradual building of trust to make everyone feel comfortable. Gradual building of cross-border institutions. Let’s work to get rid of visas. That would be one good step forward.
Pakistan continues to believe that India poses a mortal threat. When asked to list India’s acts of ommissions and commissions Pakistan is at a loss.
India has moved on and desires to become an economic, intellectual and cultural power on the world stage.
Its just that Kargil, Khandahar, Parliament attack and 26/11 brings India back to face the reality of what a fearful Pakistan will do.
I dont think Pakistanis have realised how angry Indians are this time.
I am afraid the situation will continue. India will progress despite Pakistan while Pakistan will have to deal with its uncertain future irrespective of India.
Guys,
I have read enough of the excuses our Indian friends have been making to divert attention from the crux of the problem. Since when have Pakistan claimed Kashmir ? All that Pakistan or Pakistanis want from India is to simply let Kashimiries decide their fate as per the UN resolution. All other issues of terrorism are the Bi products of the denial of such right. In no way any Pakistani ever supported terrorism. Just think how long any country can keep the population as hostage with over six hundred thousand army personnel over small area and small population, the way as Indian has kept against Kashmiries. Until the justice is served, the real peace in the whole region will remain a distinct desire as the stateless actors will keep on doing what they have been doing so far sadly on both the sides, no matter how much people like us keep talking about peace. We all need to remember it is about the Kashmiries. Let them have their right and say. Rest will not need any efforts. It is as simple as that.
Let’s accept truth. India and Pak can never be friends but, can certainly be better enemies!!!!!!!
Pakistan is already atleast 50 years behind India in terms of development and growth!!!!!! and it is in the best of interest for India to keep it’s distance
Peace is the need of time. Can Pakistan do it alone——-NO! India too has to play a major role. The first and foremost is the Indian mindset. It has created an image larger than its size. It has to tone down that.
It should stop interfering in its neighbours internal matters. All its neighbours are wary of this situation.
Peace can come through justice. If Kashmir issue was solved, I am sure the extremests would not have found fuel for their perverted agenda.
I feel India is only thinking about it’s own benefits so we should be a little aware of them ….
The sooner India and Pakistan start seeing that their real enemy is poverty, lack of education and infrastructure, etc. the better. It will be far better if the politicians, national institutions, social and economic organs and elites in both countries worked towards buliding trust amongst peoples of the two countries instead of what has been going on since the British left the subcontinent. Dr. Singh is absolutely correct when he says
that peace, stablity and good relations are vital if the countries are ever to realize their potential and put the gut-wrenching poverty of majority of their people behind them. Look at what China has managed to do in less than three decades of right policy and strong execution. Thoughtful folks in India and Pakistan must ask what is wrong with us? People have suffered too long. It is not necessary given the current state of knowledge. Let the people march hand- in- hand towards decent lives.
Assume that both Indian and Pakistani governments agree to work together and love each other. There is still an issue. Some militant leader in NWFP will have his own agenda against India and would still send terrorists across the border.
The Pakistani govt has two options:
1)It says, govt did not send terrorists. It was out of the govt’s control
OR
2)It will crackdown on militants having anti-India agenda heavily to make sure this doesnt happen again.
Problem with option 1) is that govt ends up admitting it is not in control. This also sounds more like an excuse to the international community.
Problem with option 2) is that the opposing party in Pakistan will use this ‘crackdown’ on militants to gain popularity and then unseat the current govt. [There might be a lot of popular support against domestic-terrorism in pakistan but it far outweighs support against terrorism directed against India]
Seems to me that true peace with Pakistan’s neighbors won’t be possible until Pakistan actually controls all of Pakistan. As it stands now almost 1/3 of Pakistan has seldom and perhaps never been under the real control of Pakistan’s govt.
Lebanon and Palestine have similar issues – doesn’t matter what the official govt line is when large territories are controlled by Hamas or Hezbollah.
Any Country which has independent armies running around under the control of autonomous leaders has a problem. When that problem is large then that State should be considered a “failed state” – which is the largest reason that many consider Pakistan a failed state.
Dr Singh didnt openly invite Pak for talks! He said until Pak stops cross border terrorism, we wont start talks. This time Indians are angrier than they have ever been. Dr Singh has got a strong mandate. He cant take it for granted if he(Congress) wants to remain in power in 2014.
Sir:
One can not clap with one hand. In the same way, one party can not declare peace. For peace to happen, both concerned parties must agree and more importantly must honor the agreement. What difference does Kashmir make to either country if they are able to coexist as peacefully as, say, Canada and U.S.?
The issue should not be of Hindus versus Muslims. After all, where does the population of Pakistan come from? They come from the soil of India. Where did Pakistan itself emerge from? It was a part fo India just 60 years ago. In that broader sense, the peoples of the two countries are like brothers. It is a shame that they do not live together peacefully.
I agree with the comments of Mr.Rakesh Ranjan and Mr.Thkkur Manzoor A. Khan.
Fasle nazroon ka dhoka bhi to ho sakta hai
Wo mile ya na mile hath barha kar dekho
It is neccessary for the prosperity of people of both counries to establish peace.
hey guys, to be honest, i think indians and pakistanis hate each other, and the biggest reason for this is that the new generations do not know each other.
I am studying in US right now, and to be honest i make good friends with pakistanis then some other indians, however the reasoning is simple, people r same on both the sides with same objectives, the only difference is what we are taught..
my friends from pak are very dissapointed with the happenings in pakistan an we also share jokes on the oppositec ountries and take them lightly.
i just hope entire sub continent is as tolerant as we are, then there would be no problem