The Indian Govt recently called off its Secretary level talks with Pakistan. The move came in the backdrop of the Pakistani High Commissioner in India meeting leaders of Hurriyat Conference in Delhi. The Hurriyat Conference leaders have been meeting officials from the Pakistan High Commission ever since the conglomerate was formed in mid 90s. They even meet Pakistan politicians whenever any Hurriyat leader visits Pakistan. The Indian Govt so far, all these years never made an issue out of these meetings. Ever since a new dispensation came into being in Delhi in may this year, the expectations had generally been that it will carry on with the foreign policy framework as set out in the previous NDA Govt led by Atal Behari Vajpayee and then continued by the UPA Govt. Expectations were also high after Narendra Modi invited all SAARC leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing in ceremony. In fact both Prime Ministers had a meeting after the swearing in and there was an environment of bonhomie.
In the last two months, Mr Modi also visited the State two times. So the sudden calling off of the Secretary level talks between the two countries unilaterally by India came as a shock, given that there was no serious provocation for doing this. Infact, in the past the two countries have carried talks both at secretary level and even higher levels, despite grave misgivings and provocations. Even after regular skirmishes on LOC the diplomatic talks were never called off. In recent memory, the talks between the two countries only broke down in 2008 after the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
It would be in place here to mention that the major thrust towards opening trade between Kashmir and Azad Kashmir was given by the NDA Govt under Mr Vajpayee. The bus service between Srinagar and Muzzafar Abad was also started during his tenure. All in all, various confidence building measures were taken during his tenure which opened and facilitated the moment of both goods and humans across the LOC. Relatives in both parts of Kashmir, met each other after decades. Though it did not lead to any lasting resolution of the Kashmir conflict, it laid the ground work for relative peace in Kashmir. It also helped Kashmir to get back tourists flows after almost two decades of turmoil when the tourism industry went through its worst time.
During the last one decade, when UPA was in power, the BJP often criticized the Govt for what it called its soft peddling towards Pakistan. Even during its election campaign, Mr Modi made no bones about his opposition to UPAs foreign policy vis a vis Pakistan and appealed to the ultra nationalist feelings of its core constituency. It was expected, given such rhetoric always forms part of an election campaign. But as a ruling party with a clear majority, BJP and Narendra Modi should have felt more comfortable in its foreign policy, especially towards Pakistan.
By calling off the Secretary level talks with Pakistan, without a grave provocation, India has only shown its insecurities regarding its Western neighbor, which is much smaller in comparison. It would be awhile before the threads can be picked up again and any worthwhile progress made on way to fresh negotiations between the two neighbors.
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