The India-Pakistan relationship is not just a challenge for Indian foreign policy. It is intricately linked to the domestic politics of both countries. Diplomats can do little for the relationship if politicians are not ready to mend it. So, one need not get too excited about bilateral meetings between the foreign secretaries, or even foreign ministers, of the two countries. These are mainly photo-ops, and are meant to clear the way for any substantial engagement that the heads of government wish to undertake. The proposed meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan is not important in itself, unless it paves the way for a resumption of the stalled bilateral dialogue between the two prime ministers. While the Bharatiya Janata Party may take the view that it will not support a resumption of dialogue at this point, and there may be many in India who may feel Pakistan should do more to atone for its role in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, the government would be well advised to resume the dialogue. India should speak to all its neighbours all the time.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh enunciated a new principle of bilateral relations with India’s neighbours when he said in Parliament in March 2005, extending an invitation to President Pervez Musharraf to visit India: “It is my earnest desire that people in our neighbouring countries and their leaders should feel free to visit us whenever they wish to do so. Be it to watch a cricket match; be it to do some shopping; or be it to meet friends and families — India is proud to be an open society and an open economy.” This is an important principle of people-to-people engagement. What this also means is that governments should also be prepared to talk to each other even when there are serious and sharp differences. The immature foreign minister of Pakistan resorted to avoidable bravado when he said that India had blinked and yielded to Pakistan in resuming official-level talks. This kind of one-upmanship is not a sign of maturity. Rather, the view that whatever our differences and whatever the provocative acts that vitiate the bilateral relationship, the two governments must talk to each other whenever and wherever necessary, is the principle that must define the India-Pakistan engagement. Dr Singh and his Pakistani counterpart may not be able to find a lasting solution to enduring problems, especially the issue of Kashmir, but they must meet and they must talk. More importantly, India must engage Pakistan civil society, its opinion-shaping classes and its business class. Even if there are more terror attacks, and there may well be another attack staged by those who do not want the two neighbours to reconcile their differences, the two governments must remain in constant touch and keep talking. As that great victor in a great war, Winston Churchill said so wisely, jaw-jaw is better than war-war.