E-Paper
Kashmir in 2004
The 2004 was a year of immense achievements in the Kashmir peace process.
The year 2004 should be considered as a year of immense achievements in the Kashmir peace process called game of snake and ladder. It has sustained through a unique period of peace unlike the previous year when there was eyeball to eyeball confrontation between the two nuclear states. No doubt roller coaster is the appropriate term to describe the bilateral talks that have been inching on—though with no sight of a breakthrough yet on the core issue—and have kept the candle of hope flickering. Once sticking to obdurate reluctance, the two sides now have at least maintained a reasonable modicum of interest in getting across the table periodically—willing to discuss all issues including a mutually agreed management to keep their nuclear weapons within safe parameters.
It goes to the credit of both India and Pakistan that they exploited the tragedy of 9/11 to their best advantage. Delhi, under the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, played its diplomatic cards extremely well to isolate Pakistan under General Pervez Musharraf in the eyes of international community as the sponsor of what it calls cross-border terrorism. Islamabad used both terrorism and diplomacy to get Kashmir recognised as a nuclear flashpoint that demanded—if not open—at least covert involvement of the United States in getting India to a talking table from a position when it was threatening to exercise its right of hot pursuit with Washington’s war on Afghanistan and Iraq as a precedence.
However, while India inadvertently acceded to third party involvement by seeking American support to pressurise Musharraf to stop cross-border terrorism, Islamabad allowed Washington to do it since it broadened the scope on Kashmir negotiations beyond bilateralism. It, however, failed to comprehend that the Americans by assuming that role had their own axe to grind. Washington wants Kashmir solution at the earliest to seek folding up Pakistan’s nuclear programme. According to neo-cons, it is more of a threat to Israel and American geo-strategic interests in Middle East rather than to India. To prove their point, it is being said that Dr AQ Khan with the support of his generals almost did it by successfully running a nuclear supermarket. Washington’s preference is for LoC to become permanent Line of Peace.
The flurry of shuttle diplomacy that took US Secretary of State Collin Powell, his deputy Richard Armitage and several other top functionaries to Delhi and Islamabad several times since the yearlong standoff, has definitely brightened chances of sustainable peace from that of a situation that had been threatening nuclear boom to doom with each passing day.
Year 2004 being the year of ceasefire--has seen several rounds of bilateral talks beginning with Vajpayee-Musharraf summit in January last on the sidelines of SAARC Summit. Both Indian and Pakistani prime ministers have had their tête-à-tête with each other. General Musharraf has also had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. A meeting of Indian and Pakistani officials is also scheduled for December 27 in Islamabad.
