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Journalism of Courage
Both India and Pakistan had good reasons to claim victory from the binding verdict of a neutral expert on the Baglihar dam. Raymond Lafitte of Switzerland, appointed by the World Bank, has held that the basic design of the dam is in conformity with the 1960 Indo-Pak Indus Waters Treaty India wins but called on New Delhi to bring its height down by 1.5 metres Pakistan scores a point: a win-win solution to a dispute that had acquired plenty of emotional intensity across the border barely two years ago. Having politicised what were essentially technical questions, both sides have now seen sense to abide by a third party judgment.
In fact, India was the more suspicious negotiator. It was Pakistan which had suggested arbitration, an option written into the Indus Waters Treaty. There8217;s a lesson here for India, not vis-a-vis Kashmir 8212; terrorism complicates all negotiations about the Valley 8212; but the country as a whole. We must learn to value independent, technically sound rulings on contentious issues. This will require mature politics and relatedly will emphasise a principle politicians wrangling over domestic issues forget all too often: India is one country and one market. Which is to say if India and Pakistan can learn to give and take on Indus, why in heaven8217;s name can8217;t Tamil Nadu and Karnataka do the same over Cauvery? Or Tamil Nadu and Kerala over Mulyaperiyar? Or Punjab and Haryana/Rajasthan over Sutlej, Ravi and Beas?
