India –Pakistan: A Never Ending Saga?

ARHAN ANAND

One issue in the history of independent India which has not shown any considerable signs of resolution has been India’s tense relations with Pakistan. Almost all Indians have a viewpoint and maybe even a solution about the issue maybe because the topic sounds easier and too familiar as Pakistan is the neighbour next door. But it is cumbersome and difficult beyond comprehensions.The issue is a multi-layered one.The history or the problem behind this relationship starts with partition of India way back in 1947 and rest is the seven decades of ups and downs with four direct wars and three decades of proxy war imposed by Pakistan in Kashmir which occasionally spills over rest of the country in the form of acts of terrorism.That in itself explains the serious if not precarious condition existing in Indo-Pak relations.

It is logical that we are increasingly discussing this issue at a time when Pakistan has again started border incursions and targeting Indian positions. At the same time despite our security forces achieving considerable success in controlling Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, the forces of destruction have reactivated with renewed vigour.It is another story that the successive Pakistani rulers despite agreeing on negotiation table and during bilateral dialogues, every time went back on their promise. Realising that it was difficult to defeat India in open war, Islamabad adopted the backdoor policy of fomenting and unleashing terrorism on India soil.

Coming back to war as an option, let me make it clear that there was always and more at this time need for the two neighbours to deal with each other at a different level. India has been consistently following a policy of friendship towards Pakistan which has often been found dithering in its commitment towards better Indo-Pak relations.The Indo-Pak relationship is a multidimensional issue. These could have been resolved systematically but unfortunately Pakistan’s misplaced priority of interfering with India’s territorial integrity with Kashmir as the flashpoint has time and again become a roadblock. Some even say that India’s obsession with Pakistan factor has to some extent contributed to the issue lingering for long.

So what does the debate require us to do? Well, it is just to keep calm. Yes, the forces know best what is to be done.Politics will never be sidelined and thereby it is a rather sane thought that we must all possess that keeps our opinion balanced between dialogue and military action.