People's Democracy

THROUGH these columns, we have, in the past, welcomed the summit level talks with Pakistan. We, however, criticised the Vajpayee government's procrastination in both consulting the opposition in the country and defining the scope and agenda of these talks. The country was told to wait till the prime minister recovered from his second knee operation.

Facing the press immediately on his discharge on Tuesday, June 19, the prime minister condescended to consult the opposition on the issue and announced that the dates of the summit would be made known in a "couple of days." However, the country was shocked and the people were aghast to hear the White House spokesman announce, even while the prime minister was making his statement, that the "US supports the July 14 meeting between India and Pakistan." Then the Indian ministry of external affairs hastily, late night on Tuesday, announced the same dates for the summit!

This only lends credence to the largely held view in India that the Vajpayee government is holding these talks under US pressure. The Vajpayee government had all along told those who had advocated talks with Pakistan as a measure to reduce tensions, that such talks would take place only when Pakistan stops cross-border terrorism and when democracy is restored in that country. Given this, the announcement of the talks, though welcome, came as a surprise.

Surprising it no longer appears to be. Confirming the US role in the Indo-Pak region, former US president Bill Clinton, delivering the BBC World lecture at the Hay Festival in Great Britain earlier this month, categorically stated that the then Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif had withdrawn his forces towards their side of the Line of Control at Mr Clinton's insistence. There was not a word of protest or anything said to the contrary by the Vajpayee government. So much for their reaping political benefit by whipping up patriotic jingoism in the 1999 elections at the expense of the valour and courage of our armed forces in the Kargil conflict. Mr Clinton went on to suggest that Mr Nawaz Sharif perhaps paid the price (by losing his job as the PM) for accepting his advice!

There is a sense of disquiet in all these developments. This is particularly so when seen in the context of significant pro-US shift in India's foreign policy. Under Mr Vajpayee, India seems to be competing with Pakistan to be the US surrogate in South Asia. This is the reality. India has been reduced to echo US interests in the region under the façade of a "proud and resurgent" India. Swadeshi and swabhiman during elections and videshi and surrender while in office is the character of the RSS-BJP-led government. The summit talks with Pakistan must be our agenda and not a US-dictated agenda. And this agenda must be transparent to the Indian people.

At the expense of repetition, it needs to be reiterated that a solution to the Kashmir problem is not to be found only through talks with Pakistan. An important component for a lasting solution to the Kashmir conflict rests in regaining the confidence of the Kashmiri people and integrating them with the national mainstream. This requires a serious discussion with them on issues of autonomy and article 370. The fact that the BJP proclaims from the rooftops that it is opposed to both these issues only pushes the solution of the conflict in Jammu & Kashmir farther away.

The people of India, including the people of Jammu & Kashmir, are seeking peace and normalcy. If this has to be achieved, the BJP-led government must seriously address these two important issues by rescinding its obdurate position. Unless this is done, the aspirations of the people cannot be met. If the Vajpayee government is sincere in restoring peace and normalcy in this troubled state, it must adopt a course of talking to Pakistan on the one hand and to the people of Kashmir on the other, on the two crucial issues mentioned above.

The people of India will never tolerate India becoming an appendage of US interests in the region. If the Vajpayee government chooses to do so, then the people will force it to demit office.