#dnaEdit: Beyond cricket

The flutter in the Indian media over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephonic conversation with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the eve of the cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is immature, misplaced and uncalled for. Modi spoke to the president of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and president of Afghanistan as well because these countries too are playing in the World Cup. To believe that Modi has used the World Cup as an icebreaker with Sharif is based on the naïve assumption that the game of cricket will somehow melt away the bitter differences between India and Pakistan. The myth of cricket diplomacy has to be laid to rest forever if there is to be real progress in India-Pakistan bilateral relations. 

It is to be expected that Modi or his foreign policy advisers are not investing in the rites of cricket. Indian Prime Ministers must avoid the pitfall of wanting to solve all or any of India-Pakistan problems. Neighbours, and that too contentious neighbours like India and Pakistan, should never hope to see eye to eye on anything. This is evident from Sharif expressing Pakistan’s opposition to India being made permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in his telephonic conversation with United States President Barack Obama.

It is natural that the new foreign secretary, S Jaishankar, should travel to Pakistan and the rest of the south Asian neighbours. It could be at the behest of the Prime Minister. The Indian foreign secretary is bound to be in touch with India’s neighbours. His visit to Islamabad should not cause too much excitement among the enthusiasts in the India-Pakistan friendship societies in New Delhi and other places. The resumption of focused India-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks is still in the speculative realm. For the time being, Jaishankar will be holding talks with his counterparts in all the neighbourhood Capitals.

It is also part of diplomatic practice that despite persistent differences, talks and exchange of views must continue to take place at all levels and through different ways. As a matter of fact, minister of state (independent charge) for petroleum and natural gas Devendra Pradhan was in Islamabad last week to participate in the ministerial steering committee meeting of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI), to get the gas pipeline project going. There is recognition in Islamabad that boosting economic ties with India would be of advantage to Pakistan, especially Pakistan businesses which are only too keen to enter the huge Indian market.

It is inevitable that Pakistan will continue to bring up the issue of Kashmir, and India will remind Islamabad of terror organisations as well as the extremist Islamist organisations that are operating from Pakistani territory. It would be unrealistic to expect Pakistan to go silent on Kashmir or take an unambiguous stand over Islamic extremists in its midst.  These are issues integral to Pakistan’s existential crisis. Ideologues in Islamabad fear that if Pakistan were to give up on these two issues, it would lose its raison détre. It would take a very long time and a sea-change in the South Asian and global political climate for Pakistan to accept that its nationhood is stable even without these two aspects. All that India can do is deflect Pakistan’s barbs on the Kashmir question, and continue to pressurise Islamabad to contain the Islamic terrorist organisations across the border. India’s career diplomats know that Pakistan need not be at the top of the country’s strategic agenda. It is the strategy wonks who must square up with reality and abandon the scenarios — either of war or of sudden camaraderie with Pakistan.