TERRORIST attacks at a police station and an army camp in Jammu have taken a heavy toll recently. They are intended to throw a spanner in the works for a dialogue between India and Pakistan. At the UN General Assembly meet, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had reiterated that talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were on course. The BJP insists that such talks should be deferred until a conducive environment is created. The Congress is also divided on the issue. As for the latest attack, Singh has said that it had been carried out by enemies of peace and should not be allowed to derail bilateral talks. He has been pushing this line since his overture at Sharm-el-Sheikh. He also emphasized the need for talks at Thimphu and later at Male. He gives overriding importance to economic integration and trade ties despite Pakistan’s refusal to grant MFN status to India, sport and cultural exchanges and a continuing dialogue with the civilian government in Islamabad which is more approachable than the Pakistan army and the ISI.
The Prime Minister’s moves have been scuttled by jingoistic voices in India. The Opposition and the media have been on the offensive. In August, there was an ambush on Indian soldiers on the LoC killing five jawans. The government’s response was equivocal. January witnessed another border incident. Manmohan Singh himself said that ‘business as usual’ was not possible after this unfortunate incident. Pakistani sports teams and business delegations were sent back. The UPA held a state funeral for Sarbajit Singh after his custodial death in Pakistan despite the fact that Pakistan had convicted him for spying and terrorism. The UN General Assembly meeting however should prove a turning point. Manmohan Singh should stick to bilateralism as the keynote of India’s foreign policy.