Editorial

A Peaceful Resolution to All Disputes is the Only Way Forward

This month the people of Kashmir have taken a huge step forward towards lasting peace in the valley. For the first time since Independence the borders between Srinagar and Muzzaffarabad were opened. Foreign Minister Natwar Singh's visit to Pakistan earlier had already cleared the decks for this move. The presence of the Prime Minister and Smt. Gandhi at the site shows the importance India attaches to this move. More importantly, the people of Kashmir have shown their utter contempt for terrorist threats and violence. A lasting peace in Kashmir can only come about if the people of Kashmir decide that they want change. The warm and spontaneous feelings of friendship and celebration that erupted on both sides of the border over the bus shows that the common man in the valley only wants to live in harmony. The short ride across the border was more than a gesture of peace. It was an acknowledgement of the close and fraternal ties that exist amongst the people of the valley, separated by the politics and distrust that has dominated the Indo-Pakistan relationship. Soft borders in Kashmir is certainly the right step in the right direction. India has always advocated this stand and it is time that Pakistan also started accepting ground realities. Terrorism has lost its value as a tool for regime change.

Today it is in the interests of both countries that we celebrate this natural grass root affinity that our people feel for each other. Cricket bonhomie is but symptomatic of our common and composite heritage. Enemies with far less in common, and with a longer duration of mutual problems, have signed treaties together and have put behind them their pasts. The European continent is a perfect example of this. Countries in East Asia like Japan, China and others have also managed to solve their problems and move forward by concentrating on trade and cultural linkages. Pakistan and India too need to let go off old mind sets and move forward to strengthen those areas of bilateral ties where tangible progress can be made.

The considerable improvement in Sino-Indian relations have already shown how trade between the two countries, standing at 14 billion U.S. Dollar today, can provide an excellent basis for promoting better bilateral ties. The visit of the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao this month further show-cases the importance of building trust and friendship in other areas before going on to tackle the more vexed and difficult border problem. The end of the cold war, accelerated globalisation and India's own growing global and economic power demand that we re-look at alliances not through an ideological prism but through a pragmatic prism. One where we ask ourselves whether this furthers our national interest by improving our international stature, strengthening our economy and deepening our democracy.

This month we have also seen the BJP and the two Communist Party hold their party conferences. The BJP, of course, had nothing new to say. No vision for the country except rebuilding the Ram Temple, no change of guard and the same tired out phrases. All one sees is dissension, Uma Bharati's absence, allegations of corruption against Pramod Mahajan, a tired, muzzled Vajpayee and Advani trying to run with the hare (NDA alliance) and hunt with the hounds (the RSS). K.S. Sudharshan's statement asking the old guard to retire altogether has added further confusion to the proceedings.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, U.P, Bihar are crucial for us. The Congress needs a clear strategy and vision to revive its fortunes in this region. We must stress on commitment to the principles of secularism and economic justice. This can be done only by better policy planning and better resource allocations not by turning our face away from the world economy and mouthing tired old ideology either of the left or the right. The Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi has shown the way in strengthening the party politically in the Hindi heartland