dna edit: When life is a bargaining tool

With elections round the corner in Pakistan, any hope of Sarabjit Singh’s release seems remote. In both India and Pakistan, the Sarabjits, Afzal Gurus and Ajmal Kasabs have a role to play. Though they feature at the bottom of the pyramid of bargaining chips, they are useful bait while pandering to rabid domestic elements. This is the sort of diplomacy that exploits human lives for narrow temporary gains and doesn’t take into account the big picture of bilateral relations.

Except for giving certain sections of Indians a cause to celebrate, India gained little by hanging Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab. Guru’s hanging brought Kashmir to a boil, and it continues to be in a deeply disturbed state. With the death of Kasab, the country lost a key witness who could have, for instance, identified the masterminds behind the 26/11 attacks.

On June 26 last year, there was hope for Sarabjit’s family when Pakistan agreed to release him. But faced with strong condemnations from fundamentalist groups, Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari backed out. And then news came from Pakistan that it was a name confusion as the person who was to be released was Surjeet Singh, and not Sarabjit. A face-saving measure, of course. Though Surjeet’s death sentence had been commuted in 1989, he continued to languish in Pakistani jails for 30 years till he was released last June.

The political establishment in Pakistan should have realised by now that the average Pakistani is more concerned about violence and instability within the country. They have deeply affected its economy. This explains why in the run-up to the elections, there is hardly any rabble-rousing against India.

But India hasn’t been able to cash in on this shift in perception. That the common man in Pakistan no longer views India with hostility is a remarkable development. Our  politicians continue to indulge in inward-diplomacy that uses the lives of people as bargaining tools.

They fail to realise that such moves make martyrs out of the Gurus and Kasabs and provide fodder for hate politics across the border. The time has come to recalibrate our response towards our neighbour and recognise the need to boost bilateral relations with Pakistan. There is little to be achieved by viewing Pakistan with suspicion and hatred.