The US engagement

We now seem to be reaching a defining point in our war against terrorism and the next few weeks will decide the prospects of peace in the re...

We now seem to be reaching a defining point in our war against terrorism and the next few weeks will decide the prospects of peace in the region. The US has finally come around to accept what Indians have been saying for five months: General Musharraf8217;s promises have not been translated into action.

We in India have been used to Pakistan reneging from its commitments. What is significant is Secretary of State Colin Powell8217;s statement that the US hopes that the new instructions from Islamabad will lead to end of infiltration across the borders, but 8220;when and if it does stop, it must also stop permanently.8221; Powell says that the US has been assured by Islamabad that it will be stopped permanently. Judgement on that must wait for results over the coming months. There is no doubt that General Musharraf who holds all powers has the authority to do so.

The US, however, is wrong to believe that any use of military force by India would affect the US war against terrorism in the region. Washington must realise that the goals of the war against terrorism by the US, the international community and India is the same. The US is hunting down Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, now mostly inside Pakistan. We may not be doing the same thing, but change of policy in Islamabad is essential to any success in this war.

What New Delhi is seeking is that change and not war per se. But the US is wrong if its goal is merely to get back to the situation before December 13 in terms of dialogue between India and Pakistan. The benchmark will have to be the Lahore Declaration and the principles agreed upon at Simla.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has held out the promise of suitable response if results on the ground indicate a change of heart in Islamabad. George Fernandes told an international audience in Singapore, 8220;If the US is successful in pressurising Pakistan, then a cooling of tensions is possible.8221; Meanwhile, our counter-terrorism policy is showing positive result in the shape of significantly higher terrorist casualty rate. Surrender of the Hizbul-Mujahideen militants indicates the tide is turning in India8217;s favour.

This has been one of the quantifiable results of the military deployment. Assuming that infiltration does stop in the coming weeks, we can be confident of an election more free and fair than would have been possible otherwise. Going by the results of the recent independent opinion poll, people in J038;K can hope for peace and for the democratic process to pick up strength again so that their rights can be restored.