Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 30, 2001
Mr Jaswant Singh's reiteration on
Monday of the Government's stand that Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) was
an integral part of India is good in so far as it goes. The Minister for
External Affairs' remark, however, will not remove the misgivings created
in the public mind by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's invitation
to General Pervez Musharraf to visit India for talks.
The first of these relates to Pakistan's
response to the invitation which, in turn, seems to have been influenced
by its belief that he has been forced to do it by the pressure of international
opinion and India's inability to sustain the fight against Islamabad's
proxy war. This is entirely understandable given the fact that the Prime
Minister's move marks a total reversal of the country's earlier stand of
not having talks with Pakistan until the latter ended its proxy war. Since
there has been no end to the latter-indeed, the Government's decision not
to further extend its unilateral ceasefire in J&K points to an increase
in its level-Islamabad can hardly be blamed for interpreting Mr Vajpayee's
move the way it has. This in turn clearly explains the tough statements
it has been making-such as that Kashmir is a disputed territory and Pakistan
stood by its people's right to self-determination. Hence also the threat
that India's refusal to let the leaders of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference
(APHC) meet the Pakistani delegation when it visits Delhi would have a
negative impact "on efforts to solve the Kashmir issue."
Such threats, and particularly the
approach they reflect, only tends to confirm the second misgiving: The
talks are doomed to failure and that inviting Pakistan's Chief Executive
has been an exercise in optimism. Generally, such exercises tend to be
harmless. In the present case, however, the consequences can be disastrous.
General Musharraf, the mastermind behind the Pakistani Army's intrusion
into Kargil in 1999 and the author of the coup on October 12 that year
which established his military dictatorship in that country, is by all
accounts a ruthless man. He will not shrink from any step, however dangerous,
to protect himself and his interests. Like all military dictators who have
come to power by ousting civilian governments, he has his enemies. The
failure of the talks in Delhi will expose him on his return to sharp attacks
not only from them but also the fundamentalist Islamic militias like the
Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizbul Mujaheedin who have sharply criticised his
decision to accept Mr Vajpayee's invitation. In fact, not only his incumbency
of the office of the Chief Executive to which he has appointed himself
but also his own life may be in danger from fundamentalist Islamic elements
who are waiting to establish a Taliban-type rule there. One should not
be surprised if General Musharraf then goes for another military adventure
against India to take the wind out of their sail. Since defeat would mean
the end of the road for him, he may choose to use all weapons in his arsenal.
The result will be catastrophic for both countries. Those in the External
Affairs Ministry who feel that Mr Vajpayee's invitation has put Pakistan
in a trap, will do well to remember that a trapped person can be a dangerous
proposition.
