The Hindu Business Line : Manmohan-Musharraf meeting — Refreshing pragmatism, rare confidence

Though marked by the usual rhetoric, bilateral relations between India and Pakistan did thaw out further in the warmth of the personal dynamics between Dr Manmohan Singh and Gen Pervez Musharraf. Given the several vexatious issues to be sorted out — not the least of which is the Kashmir problem — this new resolve is indeed heartening, says Rasheeda Bhagat.

THE Prime Minster, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, had a cordial meeting in New York last week. Though little progress was made — and this was only expected — on substantive issues concerning Indo-Pak ties, the flamboyant General and the gentle, soft-spoken economist did indeed seem to hit it off well.

While Dr Singh floored the General with some Urdu poetry — the finer points of which were unfortunately missed by most Indian journalists accompanying the Prime Minister — Gen Musharraf too scored some brownie points.

Significantly, Dr Singh did exactly what people in Pakistan keep telling you all the time — "you are the bigger country, so you be a little more generous." He called on the Pakistan strongman at the Roosevelt Hotel, and when the joint statement was ready, allowed Gen Musharraf to read it out.

The Pakistan President, on his part, was at his most gracious, presenting the Indian Premier with a painting of the village school where the latter studied. He also gave the Indian leader a photocopy of his report card, saying in a lighter vein that though Dr Singh had scored better than him in most subjects, in mathematics he (the general) had beaten him!

Dr Singh later quoted a couple of verses from his favourite Urdu poems — something he had done even when Gen Musharraf had called him to congratulate him on his becoming Prime Minister.

All this, of course, happened during the one-hour meeting between the two leaders, originally scheduled for a mere 10 minutes.

The best of the pick was the couplet that went thus: Kuch aisey bhi manzar hain tariq ki nazron mein/ Lamhon ne khata ki, sadiyon ne saza payee. (History is witness to incidents where mistakes were made during split seconds for which entire generations had to pay a price.) Quite a bit of the beautiful turn of phrase is, however, lost in the English translation.

One has not heard much about the General's understanding or appreciation of poetry, but even to an army man the import of the Prime Minister's desire to make peace with Pakistan would not have been lost. What was implied was clear: Why make generations of people suffer for the foibles of successive leaderships. The meeting ended with much bonhomie, each leader inviting the other to visit his country.

Even the separate press conferences scheduled for each leader merged into one, where Gen Musharraf read out the joint statement.

The statement contained nothing new from what was discussed between the former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the Pakistani leadership. It contained the usual bit about promoting CBMs (confidence-building measures), co-operation between the two countries, and attempts to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir tangle.

But, more than the words, the relaxed atmosphere, the smiles and a determined effort not to say anything harsh that might jeopardise the meeting marked the event. Dr Singh aptly described the meeting as a successful "essay in mutual comprehension" and added, "I sincerely believe today is a historic day. We have made a new beginning. I feel confident that despite the difficulties on the way, I and President Musharraf will together work and succeed in writing a new chapter in the history of our two countries."

Gen Musharraf added briefly: "I hope this augurs well for the future of Indo-Pakistan relations."

Of course, paintings and report cards, Urdu poetry and smiles apart, the reality is that this "feel-good" factor can be easily punctured with one wrong word from either side. Such is the delicate stage at which Indo-Pak relations are posed at the moment.

Cracking the Kashmir issue will require much more than the resolve and generosity displayed in New York last week. But, fortunately, the UPA government has opted to continue with the decision taken by the former NDA regime that despite the elections in Pakistan putting a democratically elected government in place at Islamabad, the Pakistan President continues to call the shots and nothing can be achieved in dithering over talking to him.

We need a solution to the vexatious problem of Kashmir, which is bleeding and traumatising us much more than our neighbour. So, who we talk to is hardly important; in fact, it makes sense to talk to the person who can deliver on a promise without having to get it endorsed by another back home.

To keen observers of the blow-hot-blow-cold Indo-Pak relations, more significant than the economist and the general getting on well at their first meeting, was the decision taken by India to open up Indian Kashmir to Pakistani journalists.

This step really reflects the confidence of a nation and its leadership, and its conviction in its stated position that Kashmir is an integral part of India and there is nothing going on there that India wants or needs to hide from anybody. And, make no mistake, this has been a long time coming.

The External Affairs Minister, Mr Natwar Singh, had promised visas to Kashmir to Pakistani journalists when Mr Imtiaz Ahmed of SAFMA (South Asia Free Media Association) had raised this issue at the joint press conference between Mr Natwar Singh and his Pakistan counterpart, Mr Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, a few weeks ago.

A delegation of 18 SAFMA journalists from top Pakistani publications has got visas for Srinagar, Jammu, Gulmarg and Anantnag, and they will be visiting from October 3 onwards.

Of course, it is but a sign of the sheer pettiness of the bilateral relations that Pakistani journalists require visas to go from Srinagar to Gulmarg or Anantnag, hardly a couple of hours drive away. But, then, that is the way it always has been in our stormy relationship, right from the Partition days.

It is no secret that the High Commissions on either side of the border actually count heads when it comes to granting visas, the argument being that as India gives visas only to a certain number of people at a time, Pakistan will follow suit.

But the Congress-led UPA government has shown remarkable confidence in allowing these journalists to travel around Jammu and Kashmir and assess for themselves the prevalent conditions there.

This is also a strategic move because, while there is a lot of media coverage, including in the international media, on Indian Kashmir where leaders of separatists groups — the Hurriyat and others who do not accept that Kashmir's ascension to India is complete — voice their opinion freely, very little is written or known about what happens in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

On rare occasions Indian scribes have been given access to PoK. Now that the Home Ministry has taken this decision, the Interior Ministry in Pakistan will have to reciprocate, and it is reported that Indian journalists will be given visas to visit PoK; though under the SAFMA umbrella.

The new note of confidence in New Delhi when it comes to all things Pakistani is heartening. Senior officials have stated that this is the first time Pakistani journalists will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir since 1948, and one of them told The Hindu: "If somebody wants to write critical stuff, they are probably doing it sitting in Pakistan anyway. Besides, all the information that is out there — on human rights, for instance — is what the Indian media itself is putting out."

That is indeed a refreshing bit of pragmatism coming out of New Delhi, and shows a rare confidence, as well as a resolve to march forward on the road to finding a peaceful solution to Kashmir.

(Response may be sent to rasheeda@thehindu.co.in)

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