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Guest Column
Touchstones |
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ground zero
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A good chance to begin all over again There was much bonhomie between the two PMs. Both lamented the time lost. Sharif read Bulleh Shah’s couplets on humanity while Modi talked of the need for Muslims to hold a Quran in one hand and a computer in the other. Nasim Zehra 
THE Nawaz-Modi meeting at the Hyderabad House in Delhi seems to have produced a positive outcome for the relationship that is marked at best by turbulence and at worst by antagonism. Wars and complete deadlocks between the two are issues of the past, but bilateral dialogue slipping into partial deep-freeze, is not. The latest partial freeze saw no dialogue between foreign secretaries, but talks sprinted ahead on the trade agreement. The May 27 Nawaz-Modi meeting seems to have broken the ice. After an almost two-year hiatus, the foreign secretaries of both countries are now scheduled to meet. Dates and details have yet to be decided, but when the two Prime Ministers raised the problem areas, it was the Indian Prime Minister who suggested that the foreign secretaries engage on these issues. There was much bonhomie between the Prime Ministers. Both lamented the time lost, the 65 years lost in war, and in distrust. Nawaz Sharif read Bulleh Shah’s couplets on humanity and trust, while his Indian counterpart (tainted by the Gujarat massacre of Muslims) now talked of the need for Muslims to hold a Quran in one hand and a computer in the other. Modi talked of exporting surplus electricity to India from Gujarat and of tea that Pakistan could buy from India instead of the expensive tea it purchases from elsewhere. Modi was clear. The pre-requisite to improved relations was end to violence and “what was happening at the LoC”.
In the one-on-one meeting, Sharif inevitably raised the Kashmir issue. Back-channel dialogue, he suggested, was important to work on a solution acceptable to all three — the Kashmiris, Pakistanis and Indians. Like in 1999, Sharif in 2014 was convincing Modi that strong mandates for the PML-N and BJP can help them work on a viable solution to Kashmir. Beyond the meetings, to what extent was Modi’s invite a genuinely pragmatic move or a mere publicity-seeking move, and how the meeting will actually impact the ties, will be determined by three factors. One, how soon will the foreign secretaries talks begin. Will the Modi government seek to link the talks to the conviction of the seven undertrial men indicted by the government of Pakistan for the Mumbai attack, or will Delhi appreciate Islamabad’s move to press ahead with the trial? Two, how soon will the Modi government reactivate the back channel on which discussions on Kashmir began in March 1999 during the Nawaz Sharif government (between Sartaj-Jaswant) and have since continued under former Gen Pervez Musharraf, the PPP and now Sharif-III government. Questions of joint control and demilitarisation remain thorny issues, but the dialogue has continued. The Modi government’s manifesto promises to end special status of Jammu & Kashmir, and one of the first announcements by his Minister of State in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, to fulfil the promise soon, raises serious questions about Modi’s Kashmir policy, for both the Kashmiris and Pakistan. Jitender Singh was elected on a BJP ticket from Udhampur-Doda. Sharif told Modi that the only viable solution to Kashmir would be one acceptable to the Kashmiris, Pakistanis and Indians. Political posturing aside, any serious move to repeal Article 370 of the Indian Constitution will sabotage a genuine dialogue on Kashmir. For Sharif, any move by the Modi government to repeal Article 370 will mean a hugely depleted political capital at home. Such a move by Delhi would multiply the flak Sharif will receive for his decision to neither mention Kashmir in his brief public statement after his meeting in Hyderabad House, nor to meet any Kashmiri leader during his Delhi visit. Sharif’s virtual public silence on Kashmir has been interpreted by his critics and some analysts as his diplomatic team’s naiveté, if not lack of commitment. At home, a troubled Sharif — faced with emerging political alliances seeking his ouster before his term — can ill afford to be seen as naïve on India, especially on Kashmir. The third indicator of how the talks will impact the relations will depend on how soon the two countries re-engage on the key issue of an agreement on Non Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA) in place of Most Favoured Nation status. In a one-on-one meeting with me, Sharif spoke of some “outstanding issues” between the two countries on the NDMA. He planned to instruct his minister of commerce to resolve the issue at the earliest. On the NDMA, Indian too is likely to move on an accelerated pace. In fact, a near-agreement with the Manmohan Singh government was aborted at the last minute before the Indian elections because Islamabad received an indirect message from the BJP leadership that such an important pact so close to the polls would be seen as Pakistan handing down a political advantage to India. While these three issues are stand-alone issues and can be moved at different times, any health report on the ties will only read “good” if the movement on all three begins simultaneously. The ball is in Modi’s court. His two key aides — Minister Sushma Swaraj and NSA Ajit Doval — have a track record of being heavily engaged with Pakistan, and at crucial moments like Agra, IC 814 hijacking, Lahore Summit and the 2002 standoff. The key question is will Modi use these experienced aides to break new ground on Pakistan-India relations?
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Touchstones
I
have just come back from paradise, feeling restored in body and soul. I had long dreamt of going to Bhutan but since it is an expensive tourist destination (to keep the messy backpackers away, I guess) this remained an unfulfilled wish. Then, I was sent an invitation by the organisers of ‘Mountain Echoes’, a literary festival held in Bhutan each year, to participate in this year’s event. Naturally, I quickly sent in my acceptance. As we flew over the magnificent Himalayas, their full majesty and range glittered before our eyes. I got my first darshan of the Everest and Kanchenjunga and soon we were preparing for the difficult landing at Paro, Bhutan’s charming international airport. For a moment, as the plane dipped left and sharp right, guided expertly by the pilot into the narrow valley, my heart stopped beating. We alighted at the tiniest airport building, a traditional wooden structure, painted ochre and studded with brightly painted wooden frames. An hour’s drive to the capital Thimphu along the pristine Paro valley, with its eponymous river and aquamarine waters, thick virgin forests and sharp mountain air were an intoxicating experience. Not a single piece of plastic litter, garbage or dirt anywhere on the way – can this be real, I asked myself. Throughout the festival, where one met and heard several Indian writers and celebrities (such as the charming Waheeda Rehman), I was struck by the natural poise and dignity of the Bhutanese people. Whether I was addressing students at the Royal Thimphu College or participating in a discussion on my own work, I noticed that all Bhutanese people wear their national dress. I did not spot a single pair of jeans or shorts. I also discovered that chewing gum and smoking are not allowed and that smokers have to bring their own cigarettes as they are not sold in Bhutan! As in all mountain communities, alcohol is freely imbibed but no ugly drunken louts were visible. Modern life is slowly entering this Shangri-la via television and the internet but by now the people have matured into their own way of life and its customs. Above all, it is the innate gentleness and civility of speech and social behaviour that impressed me. I trace this to the example set by their monarchy, their faith (Buddhism) and the magical mountains they are bounded by. The present ruler became King at an absurdly young age because his wise father decided to abdicate the throne to his son when he was most impressionable. Perhaps Queen Elizabeth should heed this. Bhutan is also slowly turning into a democratic republic and held its first elections recently. Today, it has a Prime Minister who is just 48 years old, drives his own car, shuns security and attends literary sessions! He was visible on our TV screens at the swearing-in ceremony of our new PM. In fact, we all flew back together from Thimphu the day before and he walked down the aisle to greet all of us, warmly inviting us to come again. Can you imagine any PM being so informal and modest? Even our snooty bureaucrats would not consider mixing with fellow passengers on a commercial flight. Then there is Buddhism: the compassion for fellow beings and the quality of mindfulness towards all living things are surely qualities that this faith has bestowed on the Bhutanese people. Respect for others is visible in every gesture: from the silent and disciplined traffic on the roads, with not a single car horn to be heard, to the extremely polite behaviour at hotels and shops. Compassion for all living things extends to a respect for the environment, no litter and defaced walls to be seen. Finally, it is the hallmark of the mountain people the world over to be proud of their heritage and natural surroundings. We all bow to the wisdom of the towering peaks and live in the knowledge that man is merely a small fragment of a mighty universe. This tiny kingdom, renowned for measuring its development index against Gross National Happiness, has much to teach the world. I came away from Bhutan aware that a nation’s size does not matter, nor does its GDP, unless its people are happy and content. So, as I watched a new government being sworn in on May 26, the day after my return from Bhutan, I silently sent a prayer to the gods above to lead my country into the heaven that Tagore’s beautiful poem invokes and whose opening lines are: ‘Where the mind is without fear…’.
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The next morning, I was scheduled to interview the Queen Mother, chief patron of the festival. This was a last-minute change of plan as Navtej Sarna, a distinguished Indian diplomat and author, had to cancel his trip due to developments in India. Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, to give the Queen Mother her full Bhutanese title, is herself an author and an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and culture of her country. I felt like Gulliver in front of a Lilliputian when I confronted this dainty, poised and intelligent speaker. A day later, I interviewed her for the local television and Doordarshan at her palace. We decided to hold the conversation in the palace grounds, the most beautiful landscaped garden you can imagine. Framed by a blazing bush of azaleas, the Queen Mother was like an exotic bloom herself.