EDITORIAL

Last chance for Saarc

Arriving in Moscow on a three-day visit to Russia, on Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is reported to have said that India would continue with the step-by-step process of normalisation of diplomatic and other links with Pakistan, saying it was incorrect that India rejected talks with Pakistan. For, as he asserted, India remains committed to discussing all outstanding issues with Pakistan peacefully and through bilateral dialogue, in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, claiming that both happen to be bilateral agreed documents. However, he is reported to have pointed out that for any meaningful political dialogue, cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir from across the borders had to stop. This, along with the positive thrust of the inaugural speech he delivered at the Saarc Information Secretary's Third Conference in New Delhi, will give the impression of a welcome change in India's stance on harmonising relations with arch rival Pakistan. On that occasion, he had forcefully advocated the need of revitalising the 17-year-old South Asian grouping, which has virtually proved a non-starter this far. And this has remained largely attributed by almost all the other members of the organisation, including Pakistan, to India's uncompromising attitude toward its neighbours, particularly on the political front.
This has reference, among other developments, to the long strained relations, the two largest and more advanced countries among them having gone to war twice in the past. And this has been the biggest stumbling block in the way of progress of South Asia, the grimness of the situation adequately reflected in the far from satisfactory performance of Saarc. It is, however, just another matter that Pakistan and India have remained engaged in efforts to normalise mutual relations, with a keen eye on peaceful co-existence between them. A number of confidence-building measures, following withdrawal of combat ready troops from the border, have maintained a snail-paced progress in the way of settlement of long outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Kashmir. However, although India has included Kashmir among the problems identified for peaceful settlement through bilateral talks. The only condition she has laid for a dialogue on Kashmir is her insistence on Pakistan stopping infiltration of armed Jihadis into the Indian occupied part of the former princely state, claiming it to be an integral part of India. As against this, while denying any hand in the alleged cross-border infiltration, maintains that it has been doing all it can to satisfy India on this count. Again, while India has admitted of a decline in such infiltration, it continues harping that tune. So much so that while calling upon all the Saarc members immediately to proceed with revitalising the group, lest it succumbs to negative economic pressures developing from fears of globalisation of world economies, Vajpayees repeated that demand in so far as normalisation of relations with Pakistan is concerned.

It will also be noted that in his clarion call to Saarc members to intensify efforts for increased trade and economic cooperation, quoting a number of examples in which groupings in Asia, Europe and Africa have managed to do it, notwithstanding animosity among some of their member countries. Certainly the examples set by them are worth following, but the lead has to be provided by the governments concerned. In so far as the people in the two countries are concerned, they have already demonstrated their urges and aspirations for friendship and meaningful cooperation during exchange of visits by delegations of trade and industry, writers and thinkers, authors and journalists and performing artists. In so far as trades and industrialists their delegations from either side have displayed unprecedented warmth. However, to translate their ideas into reality would require enabling measures from the two governments. And that would, essentially, call for really strong political will. The time for exercising that will is now, for it certainly looks like the last chance for the survival of Saarc.