Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a thoughtful person, as is reflected in his recently unfolded perception of the momentous "times in the lives of people that make history". Addressing the convocation of Jammu University the other day he expressed his belief that time had come to build peace in the region.
"For sixty years we have lived with tension and periods of violence, both internally and in our relations with Pakistan. You know, better than anyone else, the tragic consequences of war, terrorism, conflict and displacement. It is time to make a genuine effort to make peace and create conditions for a historic reconciliation of hearts and minds in our region". Carefully skirting around the fundamentals of the Kashmir problem, Singh repeated his position that borders cannot be changed, though they can be made irrelevant.
"There can be no question of divisions or partitions, but the Line of Control can become a line of peace with a freer flow of ideas, goods, services and people". Skirting once again around the contentious issue of dams India is building in Occupied Kashmir he hinted at joint use of "land and water resources" for the common good of the people of Kashmir on both sides of the LoC. Manmohan Singh's vision is in fact a poetic version of President Musharraf's series of ideas and proposals some of which have been concretised as confidence building measures.
Set in motion in 2004, the CBMs have resulted in putting in place a number of channels for increased contact not only between the divided people of Kashmir but also between Pakistan and India. Though the incidence of local militancy in Occupied Kashmir remains but by and large the bellicosity that had dogged the relations between Pakistan and India for half a century has almost disappeared.
Forces have been moved away from the LoC by Pakistan and for quite some time shots have not been fired across the ceasefire line. Parallel to the reduction of tension along the LoC, a number of diplomatic channels have been activated, including a few at informal level, to find mutually acceptable solutions to the disputes that afflict the relationship between these two nuclear rivals.
Obviously, Pakistan interpreted Manmohan Singh's vision of line of peace as an "acknowledgement" of the fact that the two countries are addressing themselves to the Kashmir problem. While any out-of-the-box solution is to be welcomed, the Foreign Office spokesperson said, the dialogue process "must focus on making progress on issues that have caused tension and conflict between Pakistan and India".
However, to some discerning readers of Pakistan-India relationship the vision propounded by the Indian prime minister soon after our government overpowered the militants holed-up in the Lal Masjid is a 'well-done' message to the Musharraf government. New Delhi could not be expected to openly rejoice over this operation as Washington and some western capitals did, but it does convey that it shared Islamabad's concerns over religion-based militancy. Then, there is the growing impression that Talibanisation is spreading eastward in the direction of Kashmir.
Nonetheless, Manmohan Singh's desire to convert the Line of Control into one of peace is refreshing in approach. Worked in tandem with meaningful progress in other areas through the composite dialogue process it would hopefully help overcome the obstacles that still stand in the way of finding a solution of the Kashmir problem to the satisfaction of all the concerned parties, including the people of Kashmir.