The renewed war of attrition between Islamabad and New Delhi after having initiated many Confidence Building Measures (CBM) and made some headway towards resolving outstanding issues between them, is worrying. The two countries seem to be on a confrontational path.  In this bizarre  situation  fraught with dangers for peace in the region it bodes well that the civil society in the two countries has once again initiated moves for resumption of paused dialogue between the two countries for amicably resolving all issues including that of the Jammu and Kashmir. The civil society in the two countries fully well understand that sixty two years confrontation between the two countries has been most disadvantageous to the teeming millions living a poor and subhuman life. It has only benefited the big powers to further their interest in the region. For about forty years the two countries remained captive of the cold war and suffered for aligning with the rival super-powers and worst victim of the estrangement between the two nations have been the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have been pushed from uncertainty to uncertainty. Some hopes for ending the uncertainties had rekindled after the two countries had agreed upon to resolve all issues including the Kashmir problem. It is good that not only peace activists but the two big groups of newspapers have initiated steps to campaign for peace between the two countries. This initiative has been named as Aman Ki Asha (Hope for Peace). The move aimed at advocating   benefits of peace, removing mistrust between the two and having agreed to articulate forcefully and honestly issues such as Kashmir and water dispute in true sense will bring a paradigm shift in the relations between the two countries. There is need for such initiatives from Kashmir civil society as well. It is good that peaceniks from India and Pakistan who are in session in New Delhi since Sunday have underscored the urgency   to evolve a system for sustaining the dialogue process between the two countries to address all their contentious issues. India and Pakistan leaders have been meeting for the past sixty years at almost every level – there have been talks between the first two prime ministers of the two countries, marathon sessions between India’s Foreign Minister, Sardar Swaran Singh and Pakistan Foreign Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, scores of meetings at the secretaries level, there have been bilateral agreements and agreements with the help of mediators but   so far all these talks and agreements have failed to enable the two countries to permanently resolves their disputes. The suggestion for setting up a system that would keep the dialogue process uninterrupted and uninterruptable need be considered by the governments in the two countries. The conference that is being attended by some former diplomats, lawyers, intellectuals, academics, human rights activists and social workers can be seen as an oasis in the desert of disappointment that has virtually overwhelmed the two countries. Mani Shankar Aiyer, the former diplomat and minister was right in stating  that it was not possible to seek peace through people to people contacts only and peace can be achieved when the two governments are serious in normalization of relations. He was right in saying that the ‘diplomatic dances between the two countries have turned a dance of death’. It in fact has been the bureaucratic mindset and lack of confidence in the political leadership that have defeated the resolution of the problems between the two countries. What has been tragic that the diplomats in the two countries have failed in prioritization of relations during the cold war. They pushed their countries into it and now by allowing greater role to Israel and US they are increasing the vulnerability of region for cold war like situation. India and Pakistan diplomats need to fix their priorities- it should be stabilizing relations between India and Pakistan first. As very aptly said by Speaker of Pakistan National Assembly Fahmida Mirza during her visit to New Delhi
“The dream of world peace cannot be materialized without restoration of peace in South Asia.” 

Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST