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| India's first fine diplomatic move to emerge leader of South Asia | | Separatists in Kashmir a disappointed lot | | Neha
JAMMU, May 26: It's a welcome development for the nation. Pakistan Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, who today reached New Delhi to attend the oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and will return to Islamabad on May 27 after holding a brief meeting with the new Prime Minister of India, did not meet any of the
Kashmiri separatists. In fact, the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi didn't invite any of the Kashmiri separatists and this happened after several years. This is not to suggest that the stand of Mian Nawaz Sharif on Kashmir and his attitude towards the so-called Hurriyat leaders has changed. It's not changed. Kashmir is on the top of his agenda. The fact of the matter is that meetings between the Hurriyat leaders and the visiting Pakistani leaders, including former Pakistan President general Pervez Musharraf, were a normal feature, with the opposition terming these meetings in New Delhi as diplomatic blunders, and that the political environment in India is such that led to what is being described by Kashmir-watchers and commentators as an "unusual break from the tradition".
It's obvious that the decision of the visiting Pakistan Prime Minister not to meet the Hurriyat leaders has disappointed the latter. One of the Kashmiri separatists reportedly said that Mian Nawaz Sharif did not meet Kashmiri separatists to "avoid controversy" and another Kashmiri separatist said that the one reason could be that "Sharif's decision to visit India was taken in a haste", which is not true. The truth is that the time at the disposal of the Pakistani political established was enough, three long days to be more precise. It was on May 20 that New Delhi invited heads of the SAARC countries to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Mian Nawaz Sharif gave his consent only on May 24 evening after taking on board everyone who matters in Kashmir, including the Army and the ISI, which control Pakistan's foreign policy and dictate terms to the political establishment. He did not take the decision in a haste, as one desperate and frustrated Kashmiri separatist suggested. It is pertinent to mention here that it is for the first time in 65 years that any Prime Minister of India took a decision that was calculated to tell the international community that New Delhi will not be a silent spectator in the region that comprises India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Afghanistan and that New Delhi will play a pro-active role in the strategically important South Asia. The initiative in the region will be in the hands of India was the message from New Delhi. Indeed, the decision of Narendra Modi to invite the heads of the SAARC countries to attended his swearing-in was a mater stroke and constituted a clear indication that New Delhi would want the SAARC nations to work in tandem for the development of the region and Pakistan - if it wishes to have friendly relations wit New Delhi - will have to behave as a responsible country and responsible neighbour. In fact, Narendra Modi threw the ball in the court of Pakistan. In sum, it can be said that India is on the threshold of a new era full of hope and promise for the future and that the Indian foreign policy vis-à-vis Pakistan and other hostile nations, including China, will not be weak-kneed. Narendra Modi is neither Ashoka, The Great, nor Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and I K Gujral. He is also not Mahatma Gandhi. His vision and concept of India and on India is totally different. |
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