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Pakistan-India ties: peaceniks playing their part By Nizamuddin Siddiqui In the welcome change that has recently come in relations between Pakistan and India, a small group of peaceniks have played their part. The group - the Pakistan-India People's Forum - had been established in 1994 so that a strong voice could be raised against hatred and xenophobia. Initially, there were only 27 signatories to the charter that was formulated at the forum's first conference, held in Lahore, the chief of the Indian chapter of the forum, Tapan Kumar Bose, told Dawn the other day during a visit to Karachi. But today thousands of people belonging to civil society in the two countries subscribe to the forum's views. There have been a lot of ups and downs along the way. "For example, when the government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amassed almost a million troops along the border, all our peace efforts were neutralized. Then the Indian government proceeded to bring trumped up charges against the diplomatic staff working for the Pakistani consulate in New Delhi. As a consequence, diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed." In the opinion of the slightly-built and bespectacled journalist, the BJP government was not very sincere in its so-called "peace efforts". It seemed as if it wanted to make peace under some compulsion. "Or perhaps they wanted to make peace from a position of strength, which explains some of the tactics they employed." Speaking of likely solution to the Kashmir problem, Mr Bose said the Line of Control might be made a permanent border. "Things, I think, are moving towards such a partition." In his view, the Kashmiris should be involved in the process of reconciliation between India and Pakistan. "I say this because the Kashmir issue is not just about property. Until and unless the legitimate fears and apprehensions of the people of Kashmir are addressed in a proper manner, there simply cannot be a lasting solution. This issue must be accorded importance by the Indian as well as the Pakistani government because a division of Kashmir might not work if the Kashmiris don't get a sense of participation." Referring to the change of guard in India, Mr Bose said the Congress-led government had so far not hinted at any change in policy towards India-Pakistan peace process. "And, mind you, it would be very difficult for the new government to discontinue the process. However, there might be some slight changes, qualitative changes." The defeat suffered by the BJP and its allies in the recent elections, he said, had taken almost everyone in the Indian media by surprise. "Nobody expected that the rural population could vote out a coalition which talked of religion and Hindutva. But we were all pleasantly surprised." Mr Bose said the people belonging to the urban areas who supported the BJP did not turn out to vote in great numbers. "The BJP supporters grew fat, so they did not come out to vote. But the rural population, who did not like the BJP's 'India Shining' campaign which actually became a joke, came out to vote in large numbers against the BJP. This is what made all the difference." Asked if the pressure on Sonia Gandhi to decline the opportunity to become a prime minister reflected badly on Indian democracy, Mr Bose said: "The pressures just showed how intolerant the BJP and its allies were. "Sonia has been a part of the Nehru family ever since she married Rajiv several decades ago. She is a naturalized Indian, yet she was treated as a foreigner. Unlike the American constitution, the Indian constitution does not make a distinction between a born citizen and a naturalized citizen. "Obviously, the BJP and its allies are not in agreement with the constitution on this issue." Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
