FICCI's strange report

Taking serious notice of a report that has appeared under the auspices of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Task Force on National Security and Terrorism, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has decided to stop all trade delegations from going to India till the resumption of the Composite Dialogue process.
The decision makes sense considering that the recommendations of the report, as quoted by FCCI, include surgical strikes against Pakistan, use of water as a tool to destroy Pakistan's agriculture, ban on all imports, and restrictions on travel between the two countries. Generally speaking, business people tend to be more compromising than confrontational where trade and commerce opportunities are involved.
It is hard to believe, therefore, that the Indian business community would adopt such an offensive stance towards Pakistan at a time it is itching to gain greater access to this country's market and through it to the resource-rich Central Asian Republics.
Considering that only a few days ago, ie, on November 11, the Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal visited Lahore to hold a meeting with some leading businessmen and promised to use his position to improve trade facilities at the two countries' border, it is hard to believe the FICCI report said what it did. Notably, though, the Task Force to which FICCI lent its name included many men who have been in the business of war rather than trade and commerce.
Among them is a former chief of the Indian Air Force, a retired general, and an ex-director of the Intelligence Bureau. Conditioned as such people are to think within a narrow spectrum, it is unsurprising if they still perceive Pakistan as an enemy against whom their country needs to use all available pressure tools and tactics.
Things have to move on. Trade and commerce is the new currency nations use to compete with one another to acquire strength internally and political influence externally. Which is why, despite the suspension of the former dialogue process in the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attack on Mumbai a year ago, New Delhi has been quietly pursuing the opening of the Wahgah-Torkhum trade route.
Indeed, during his recent state visit to the US, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept portraying Pakistan as a troublesome, and troubled neighbour. That he seems to have done more by way of trying to reclaim his country's position as a major strategic partner that, it apprehends, might be weakening, while the Obama administration is focused on Pakistan for resolving the Afghan situation and on China, due to its rapidly growing economic clout.
But sooner or later, his side has to return to the negotiation table to resolve outstanding disputes with Pakistan. Tired of asking for the resumption of the composite peace process, Pakistan too has adopted a firmer position, saying it is interested in a meaningful dialogue, rather than a photo-op. Given the background, LCCI's response to the FICCI task force report is correct. If it is a case of misrepresentation, the other side should say so.