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| PM Modi kneels, overrules Sushma Swaraj | | J&K future at stake--- | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 11: Only on May 31, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj declared in New Delhi that the government's policy towards Pakistan was clear and guided by three principles, including talks without any third party intervention. She rejected the policy's characterization as "on-off" or "confused" and said: "Our policy's outlining guiding principles are - First, all issues can be resolved amicably through talks. Second, talks will only be held between the two nations without any third party intervention. Third, all this can only happen in a conducive atmosphere that includes action against perpetrators of terror".
On the change in the government's attitude after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Hurriyat leaders ahead of the foreign secretary-level talks last year, Swaraj further said: "Unlike past when separatists sought meetings, this time the Pakistani Ambassador invited them four days before the talks were scheduled. This suggests that Islamabad wants to make them (separatists) party to the dialogue, which is unacceptable to New Delhi". Swaraj made these bold statements while addressing a press conference on India's relations with the world in the past one year that saw 162 diplomatic engagements with 101 countries between the Prime Minister, herself and her Deputy, the Minister of State for External Affairs.
What Swaraj said 41 days ago had inspired the nation because it was fed up with the weak-kneed Indian foreign policy vis-a-vis Pakistan and the reign of terror and senseless brutalities which Pakistan unleashed more than 28 years ago to bleed India with a thousand-cut and annexe its Jammu & Kashmir to Pakistan. Indeed, she gave the nation to understand that India under Modi would pursue pro-active policy towards Pakistan and refuse to consider J&K one of the outstanding issues between India and Pakistan.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 10 overruled Sushma Swaraj and took personal initiative to have a meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharief, who has no authority and who has been rendered powerless by the terrorists, ISI and Army. He held talks with him at Ufa, a Russian city, for more than 60 minutes. He was also the first to shake hands with Sharif during whose earlier regime the Pakistani Army invaded Kargil (1999). His body language suggested that it was a great occasions for PM Modi.
After the bilateral talks, the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries S. Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry issued a joint statement. The statement, among other things, equated India with Pakistan as far as the scourge of terrorism was concerned and said that India and Pakistan would discuss and resolve all the outstanding issues between the two countries, including the issue of Kashmir. PM Modi, like his predecessor Manmohan Singh, also considered Pakistan a victim of terror and rejected Sushma Swaraj's stand that terror and talks could not go hand-in-hand. The fact is that PM Modi knelt under pressure from USA, UK and other countries and made India a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community.
What PM Modi did at Ufa has angered the entire opposition in India, leave aside the marginal outfits like the National Conference. The Congress, the Shiv Sena, the Indian Left, the Samajwadi Party, to mention only a few, have denounced, taunted and ridiculed PM Modi and criticized his foreign policy vis-à-vis Pakistan. All of them have said there was no need for PM Modi to engage with his Pakistani counterpart, as he had not done anything to stop cross-border terrorism.
"Pakistani Army violated ceasefire almost 800 times and killed about 50 soldiers and civilians after Modi took over as Prime Minister. Only on July 8, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Pakistan was ready to use nuclear weapons against India. Pakistan killed Ramesh Kumar of 62 Rashtriya Rifle in Sopore district and constable Krishan Kumar Dubey of BSF 119 battalion at Karam picket in Nowgam sector of Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara. Instead of taking action against Pakistan, PM Modi knelt and talked to Sharif," they said, adding that PM Modi must review his Pakistan policy taking into consideration the fact that Pakistan had never honoured any of its commitments.
One thing is manifestly clear: PM Modi and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj are not on the same page as far as their approach towards Pakistan is concerned. It's no wonder that PM Modi is touring foreign countries and signing bilateral agreements without taking Swaraj on board. She has hardly accompanied PM Modi during his foreign tours. And remember, PM Modi has visited almost 25 countries in a short span of 13 months. There is something fundamentally wrong with the BJP and the joint statement that was issued at Ufa has not inspired the nation. In fact, it has disappointed the nation and put the future of J&K at stake in the sense that PM Modi has agreed to discuss even the settled issue of J&K with Pakistan. |
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