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The
last five years have seen our PM mouthing the renunciation refrain
with surprising regularly. By playing his master stroke, Vajpayee
has this time placed himself in a win-win situation and left nothing
to chance. The potentially path breaking peace initiative with
Pakistan can also be explained on the same basis. While on a visit
to Srinagar his sudden and surprising offer of talks with Pakistan
was a bolt from the blue even for his own party members. He
announced that he was ready to extent a "hand of friendship to
Pakistan". He said that he looked deep into the eyes of
Kashmiris and identified a yearning peace in them, which stirred his
heart in a big way. Explaining his instinctive and statesmanly move,
which was made "from the heart", he made an unprecedented
attempt of brokering a lasting peace in the sub-continent. It is
surely bad politics .
When
an astute diplomat and a world recognised statesman listens entirely
to the thumpings of his heart. Vajpayee would do well to ponder that
he is not the sole undertaker of a country of one billion but is a
responsible head of a state who holds sway over 22 coalition parties
; so any policy decision cannot be taken by him on the spur of the
moment but has to be carefully deliberated by all his party members
as well as alliance partners as it is the honour and integrity of a
nation that is greatly imperiled. Earlier also, Mr Vajpayee, much to
the chagrin of the people of his country, ate the humble pie and
asked the US to force President Musharraf to end cross border
terrorism.
By
such an unwarranted act, India was put to shame in the international
community and exposed as a nation that could not check terrorism on
its own. This boosted Pakistan's morale which openly began to issue
nuclear threats every time India opened its mouth. Though Vajpayee's
latest peace initiative is attracting right noise s the world over,
and even Pakistan is making appreciative remarks concerning Indian
PM's " own agenda of peace, prosperity and stability",
there is no perceptible change in the ground situation. While India
has been announcing concessions to Pakistan at the drop of a hat,
there is no appreciable response from the other side of the
border.
We
even seem to have forgotten our prime condition of resumption of
dialogue, that is reduction in cross-border terrorism. Our much
chastised Prime Minister now talks of making "serious
compromises" with Pakistan, little realising that his
irresponsible comments have the dormant capacity to be misread as a
compromise on the Kashmir issue. That is what exactly Pakistan is
waiting for. It is sure to use the trump card of violence to wrest
Kashmir from India, in case talks do not achieve their malefic goal.
On the other hand, there seems to be no tangible shift in Pakistan's
policy towards India. There is no perceivable reduction in
infiltration across the border. Terrorist camps have not been
dismantled so far.
According
to General Officer-in-Command, 15 Corps, Lt. General Patankar, there
is no evidence to prove that militant activities have declined.
Chief of Army staff General N C Vij said that no doubt there is a
very small drop in the rate of infiltration but that is not due to
Pakistan's efforts of curbing terrorism, the drop may be attributed
to army's preparedness. A senior US diplomat serving in the American
Embassy in Islamabad has designated Pakistan as the new "epicentre
of terrorism" from where many anti-American militant groups
operated. Michael Evanoff was quoted as saying in the Christian
Science Monitor. "This is now the epicentre of terrorism. This
is the only country in the world that has so many groups that are
against US or western ideals."
Despite
the recent peace initiative proposed by India and seconded by
Pakistan, infiltration continues unabated as is indicated by an
increased participation of foreign mercenaries in militant outfits
in J&K.. Also they were found to be better laced with deadly
weapons and moved in large groups. Pakistan's role in curbing
cross-border terrorism is highly doubtful. Mr Musharraf is merely
mouthing empty assurances of closing the tap of terrorism from his
side. Pakistan is continuously changing its stand and making
discordant noises instead of cutting down on militant operations
from across the border. It was the US Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage who himself pointed out the cantankerous nature of
Pervez Musharraf's statement when the later stated that there are no
terrorist camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and if there are any,
they will be gone by tomorrow. What he really meant to say was that
the makeshift camps would be merely shifted from one area to
another.
Even
though Vajpayee represents the soft face of his party, he can't
ignore the practicalities of good politics. Nobody doubts his
credentials as a statesman of rare perspective and foresight, but a
nation has always to be placed before an individual. In his
eagerness to return to the saddle of power next year, he should
ponder over the consequences of his Pakistan policy otherwise his
forthcoming retirement threatening will prove to be his swansong.
The compulsions of crying wolf Once again, Mr Vajpayee's time
tested, old habit of resorting to "retirement drama" has
managed to create a super scoop for the consumption of political and
media coterie. It remains a matter of speculation whether his old
gimmick of fooling people will have any takers (read voters)
Sunita
Vakil
-- award winning journalist covering Kashmir -- is the Contributing
Editor, Weekly
Kashur Gazette,
New Delhi | 
