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| Cancellation of Indo-Pak talks a slap on the face of Pak, separatists | | Modi has done it | | Neha
Jammu, Aug 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was following in the footsteps of his predecessor Manmohan Singh and a ragtag UPA, his critics had been saying ever since May 26, when he assumed the highest executive office. His policy towards Pakistan and Kashmir was as weak-kneed as it was during the UPA regime, his critics had been saying on a daily basis. Pakistan had been violating ceasefire and breaching International Border, but the Modi Government was watching these provocative actions on Pakistan part as a mute spectator, his critics had been saying. He was a weak Prime Minister and he was incapable of protecting the Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity, his critics, including those from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, had been saying. The Modi Government was soft towards Kashmiri separatists, his critics had been saying. Modi committed a wrong by inviting Pakistan Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif to attend his oath taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, his critics had been saying. The Modi Government committed a diplomatic blunder by deciding to send Indian Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh to Islamabad on August 25 to hold talks with her Pakistani counterpart, his critics had been saying. They had been saying many other things about the Modi Government's foreign policy vis-a-vis Pakistan and vis-a-vis Kashmir.
But on Monday, which will go down in the history of India as an eventful day and as a day of thanks-giving, the Modi Government did something that changed the whole discourse on Indo-Pak relations. The Modi Government took a momentous decision and called off the scheduled talks with Pakistan following the uncalled for and provocative meeting between Pakistan High Commission Abdul Basit and self-styled chairman of J&K Hurriyat Conference Shabir Ahmad Shah at New Delhi. Abdul Basit, who had thrown to the wind all diplomatic norms by inviting the Pakistani agents like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Shabir Shah, went ahead with the meeting with Kashmiri separatist despite the fact that he had been advised by the Indian Foreign Office (IFO) to the contrary. The IFO had candidly told Basit that the Government of India didn't want Pakistan to use Delhi for organizing anti-India events and that it would take a strong diplomatic action in case he didn't pay heed to the Indian advice.
But Basit took Narendra Modi to mean another weak and spineless Manmohan Singh and ignored the Indian advice. He met Shah on Monday and invited a very strong action. Pakistan, the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir comprising National Conference and Congress and Kashmiri separatists of all hues and Kashmir-based and Pakistan-based opinion-makers and commentators have not taken kindly to the very strong diplomatic message given by the Modi Government and described it as a great setback. The Modi Government told Pakistan to exercise a choice between talks with New Delhi and separatist leaders of no consequence. Indeed, the Modi Government did what the nation had been urging the earlier dispensation in the country to do to show Pakistan and Kashmiri separatist and "mainstream" leaders their rightful place.
Pakistan would do well to appreciate the fact that New Delhi of today is totally different from what it used to be after 1947. It will not tolerate anything non-sense. It must remember that the Modi Government's next step would to issue a marching order to Abdul Basit in case he continued to play nefarious diplomacy in Delhi. |
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