DNA Edit: BJP’s conveying the right message to Pakistan

By declaring that India was willing to engage in a dialogue with Pakistan, while emphasising that there would be ‘zero tolerance’ on matters of national security, the BJP government has managed to not only convey the right message to Islamabad, but also silence its critics. Ever since PM Modi announced surgical strikes in 2016, critics have attacked what they called the government’s ‘muscular policy’ on J&K, which they said has increased tensions on the LoC and could even lead to a war with Pakistan. The government’s recent moves have put all these fears to rest.

The acceptance of J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s call for a ceasing of offensive operations by the Army during Ramzan is one of the recent measures the government has carried out to show that it is serious about peace within the Valley and with its neighbour. The Indian military attaché attended Pakistan’s Republic Day parade; Pakistan recently hosted an Indian delegation along with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO); and in September, India and Pakistan are scheduled to participate in SCO joint counter-terrorism exercises in Russia. What is perhaps most encouraging is that the Track II dialogue process with Islamabad has officially been given the nod and kickstarted in May with an Indian delegation already having visited Islamabad.

All of these measures, however, do not skirt away from the real issues. Pakistan has made no change in its stance that Kashmir must be on the agenda if any talks are to take place. Also, more worryingly for India, Pakistan Rangers, and terrorist groups, have stepped up activities across the LoC, clearly unmindful of India’s ceasefire call. As Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh pointed out in a recent interview, there was little more that the government could do to promote peace. He was also quoted as saying that Pakistan was not ‘mending its ways’ and that it would ‘have to one day.’ Those who have interpreted the Home Minister’s remarks as ‘war mongering’ are clearly not used to a government that is used to standing up for the country.

The 10 years of the UPA showed the then government bent over backwards to please Pakistan, even at the cost of compromising India’s security interests. In 2009, a reference to Balochistan — included in a joint statement of Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Yusuf Raza Gilani, at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt — harmed India as Islamabad then attacked New Delhi of aiding and abetting Balochi separatists. That’s not all. In 2012, Wikileaks documents revealed that the UPA government was ready to demilitarise and virtually hand over the Siachen glacier to Pakistan — a glacier that is of huge tactical advantage to India and was seized at great peril by the Army through Operation Meghdoot in 1984.

The fuss made by former Army Chief and now Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh was one of the reasons why the deal was thankfully torpedoed. Though the deal did not go through, Pakistan learnt then that India was desperate for peace — something that it could use to its advantage. That is no longer the case. While the Centre has made the right noises, it has made sure that national security figures at the top of its list of priorities. Also, by putting the initiative on Pakistan to curb terror in its territory, the Centre has made sure that the ball is in Islamabad’s court. This was necessary as in the days of the UPA, India was taking all the onus to make peace with its recalcitrant neighbour, whatever might be the cost.