Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent statement that there was “no scope” of India initiating a dialogue with Pakistan following a spree of terror attacks has only highlighted the existing geopolitical reality of the subcontinent. The CM, in an interview with the BBC, reasoned that Pakistan has never stopped meddling in J&K’s affairs and called on the neighbouring country to take on board some of the Indian government’s concerns for a “friendly working relationship.”
It wasn’t long ago that Omar’s party National Conference (NC) echoed the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s line that neighbours can’t be changed. The NC has historically stood by this pragmatic approach—dialogue, even with adversaries, was seen as the only real path to peace. But today, that optimism seems to have worn thin. The reasons aren’t hard to understand. A surge in terror attacks—122 lives lost in 60 incidents last year alone—has left little room for diplomatic idealism.
Ultimately, Abdullah’s change in direction underlines the difficult balancing act facing leaders in Kashmir. His more rigid stance may win support from those calling for stronger action against terrorism, but it also sparks a broader debate. Can a pursuit of lasting peace in the region, let alone in Kashmir, afford to reject dialogue altogether?
The deep distrust and the entrenched animosity between India and Pakistan have ensured that the festering issues between them have remained unresolved. Talks have invariably been followed by the violence and the consequent break-up in the engagement. This has meant that no process of dialogue has been taken to its logical conclusion. This dismal state of affairs has been repeated so often that the people in both countries have grown cynical of any prospect of progress in the relations of the two countries. The current bilateral state of affairs is far from promising, with no direct flights, hardly any visas issued, and no bus or train services between the two countries.
But it is also true that Pakistan wants to only discuss Kashmir and also seeks a reversal of the withdrawal of Article 370 which is not going to happen. The positions of the two countries have thus become too irreconcilable to make it easy for them to re-engage. But it is still possible that the prime minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif will engage and break ice. In the interest of regional peace, the two neighbours need to transcend their differences and talk to each other. This alone will change the situation in the region for the better. But for that to happen, Pakistan has to also observe some ground rules. A true dialogue can only take place in an environment where there is no risk of it being upstaged by violence as has happened in the past.
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