Journalism of Courage
Dredging up PoK could disrupt gains in the bilateral engagement,constrict space for Pak leadership
Of all the ways in which the UPA undercuts its own foreign policy,this one is special. A proposal being seriously considered by the home ministry as reported in this paper envisions reserving seats in Parliament for legislators from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This would take an amendment to Article 81 of the Constitution. It would follow the principle already being observed in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly,where 24 out of 111 seats are meant for PoK members,and are kept empty apparently as a symbolic claim to the territory occupied by Pakistan. It is also a wrongheaded idea,one that dredges up bilateral issues that remain unresolved but which have receded in urgency,opening up spaces for bilateral engagement. In the present context,it could damage any progress that two successive Indian prime ministers have sought to make with Pakistan.
This comes at a moment when the prime ministers of India and Pakistan have taken great risks to bolster the bilateral engagement. A peaceful equilibrium with Pakistan has been one of Manmohan Singhs points of emphasis,from his first term. He outmanoeuvred his own party to reach out to Pakistan in Sharm el-Sheikh,keeping up the momentum later in Thimphu and Male,despite strong domestic opposition to his policy. The conversation has moved to concerns like terrorism. The PM has stressed on economic integration,for sports and cultural exchanges,and a more robust engagement between the two governments,one that carries on despite other sources of friction. The home ministrys proposal directly contradicts this calibrated and nuanced policy.
