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Introduction: former High commissioner
to Pakistan G Parthasarathy says we must get more youngsters from across
the border to visit India
An Indo-Pak Test match? Cricket
buffs would love it, but former High Commissioner to Pakistan G Parthasarathy,
a cricket buff himself, believes the match will have to wait. “We can't
ignore the political dimension of playing cricket with Pakistan. Right
now, there's tension and we have troops deployed on the border. How do
you explain to a Jawan there who's unable to meet his family for six months
that we are playing cricket with Pakistan? It doesn't make sense.”
The Delhi-based Parthasarathy was in Mumbai over the weekend to take in the India-West Indies Test. “Cricket's a passion,” says the ex-diplomat, who's played college and league cricket in Chennai.
Talking about Pakistanis' zest for cricket, he says, “For us, it's a game, win or lose. We get over it the next morning. But, in many sections of Pakistan, cricket is treated as a national endeavour.” He adds, “A Pakistani commentator once told me that Imran Khan regarded every match against India as a jehad. Cricket is not just a sport it touches on their national sentiment. The fact is, Pakistanis will play sports against India only in areas where they feel they can beat us,” avers Parthasarathy, who retired from the Indian Foreign Service in May 2000 after a distinguished career where he served as India's ambassador and high commissioner to Burma, Australia and Pakistan.
Parthasarathy feels we need to make a conscious effort to correct whatever misconceptions Pakistanis may have of us. “The anti-India propaganda over the last 10 years, particularly on PTV, has been so strong that it has poisoned people's minds against India, particularly in Punjab province, a stronghold of the Pakistani army It's not the case in Sind or Baluchistan. Strangely enough, ever since satellite TV came in, everybody started seeing Indian channels, which had a positive effect. Everybody was watching Zee News in Pakistan.”
At a popular level, Parthasarathy suggests, “We need to be more open about Pakistanis visiting India. We should be inviting youths and tourist groups to visit India so that the perception they have is corrected. “But, he admits, there is no quick-fix solution to “complex” Indo. Pak problems. “You can work towards reducing the tension and, with time, have dialogue and talks with Pakistan.”
Shifting focus to the Jammu &
Kashmir elections, Parthasarathy says, they've proved to the world the
strength and honesty of Indian democracy. “Now, the centre and state government
will have to find some agreement by which they can harmonise their policies.”
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