The striking situational irony apart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on Pakistan Day ( March 23) heralds a good omen for Jammu and Kashmir, though skeptics would be having their own doubts over it.
Even if Modi’s message was a traditional diplomatic exercise- that is to greet the heads of the government on the national days of their countries , the point should not be missed that it happened when the two countries were not far away from the ominous probability of a full scale war a little over a month ago , attributable to the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing that left more than 40 CRPF men dead and the subsequent aerial clashes.
Pakistan Prime Minister Khan tweeted the message that he hadreceived from Modi, and the spotlight was to “work together for a democratic,peaceful and progressive and progressive region.” What more could have asked inthese times of high tensions? The whole text of the message makes theintentions clearer from Modi’s side.
“I extend my greetings and best wishes to the people ofPakistan on the National Day of Pakistan. It is time that people ofSub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive &prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.”
Read the message in totality. The Prime minister extended the greetings and best wishes to the people of Pakistan on the national day of Pakistan. Two facts emerge out of this: India has all the best wishes for the people of Pakistan with whom our country shares history, heritage, culture and traditions. Once they were part of India, and now they are part of a separate geographical entity and having their own political sovereignty that India respects as a neighbour.
It also is an unequivocal acknowledgement that the current dispensation in the country recognises “Qarardad-e-Pakistan” passed in Minto Park, now Iqbal Park in Lahore. There stands a structure famously known as ” Minar-e-Pakistan”, the same structure where from our illustrious poet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had recited the famous poem,” Jang na hone denge.’
Today that spirit of “no war” is more important than ever before. Mr. Modi has also spoken quite loud and clear that war is no solution, but a peaceful atmosphere is must for working together for the shared goals.
Terrorism is a menace and it should be kept out of anything that the countries can discuss across the table , and at the same time , if it is read between the lines, there is a messaging that what two neighbours can resolve with the understanding of each other, no one else can.
Translate this, and it means that Delhi and Islamabad would have to sort out outstanding issues on their own; sometimes “rock-solid and all-weather friends” have their own axe to grind. They, for example, China need strategic location and resources to pursue its geo-political goals as wrapped in Belt and Road Initiative. India needs peace and an atmosphere free of fear and terror.
Indian PrimeMinister’s greetings to Pakistan, which many have read as a contradiction tothe hard policy being pursued by his government vis-à-vis Pakistan , dispels the notion that India is against Pakistan .India’s fight is against terrorism that has ruined the life of ordinarycitizens, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. And if he has taken this step,then skeptics should also read that his talk against terrorism in no way wasagainst the people of Pakistan.
Modi’s stress on “working together for a democratic …. in an atmosphere free of terror and violence” in his message to Mr. Khan holds key to solution to all the problems with which the two countries appear on the global radar as nuclear powers that can use the weapons of mass destruction any time on a minor or major trigger of miscalculation.
Luckily, Pakistan Prime Minister who is besieged by so many problems at home, many of that India is also afflicted with- poverty, backwardness and illiteracy and growing threat of the changing behavior of climate –understands the importance of clasped hands with Delhi to rid the entire subcontinent of the heavy weighing problems on the soft belly of both the neighbouring countries.
That is obvious. Khan’s response to Modi’s message echoesthe spirit of bonhomie. It is reflected in his acknowledgment of Indian Prime Minister’smessage and its universal spirit of peace and prosperity.