Looking at Lahore

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not have chosen a better venue than Amritsar and a more appropriate occasion than the launch of a bus service to Nankana Sahib to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan. Speaking at the very faultline of the subcontinent8217;s partition, Singh was putting across the proposition that bridging the divide between the two Punjabs and the two Kashmirs might hold the key to an enduring peace in the region. That Singh himself was a victim of Partition lends a personal touch to his bold attempt to transform not merely state-to-state relations between India and Pakistan, but also those between the two regions that have been among the worst affected by the great 1947 separation. That an Indian prime minister is ready to pronounce on the interconnection between regional and national reconciliation reflects the new levels of political confidence in New Delhi amidst India8217;s improving relations with the major powers, especially the US and its increasing comfort levels with economic globalisation.

Greater cooperation between the two Punjabs that the PM hopes for would not only restore the status of Lahore and Amritsar as great global centres of commerce, but would also remove some of the major sources of animus across the border towards the normalisation of Indo-Pak relations. New Delhi has taken its time in recognising that a resolution of the Kashmir question is important from India8217;s own interest; not merely because Pakistan wants it. The PM8217;s three-fold package on Kashmir should allay recent Pakistani concerns that India is not serious about talks. The PM8217;s emphasis on good governance, open borders and consultative mechanisms between the two Kashmirs provides a realistic basis for further talks between all the key players: New Delhi, Srinagar, Islamabad and Muzaffarabad.

The PM8217;s call for a treaty of peace, security and friendship revives an idea that has been around for a long time. Such a treaty, however, makes sense only amidst a rapid normalisation of bilateral relations. Singh suggested political will to settle such problems as Siachen and Sir Creek are at hand. Once purposeful negotiations start on Kashmir, troop reductions begin to take effect on both sides of the border, and trade gathers momentum, a peace treaty would be a perfect keystone. A positive response from Pakistan to the new ideas articulated at Amritsar should see the PM travelling to Pakistan at an early date and converting some of the nice thoughts into credible action.