NOVANEWS
By Sajjad Shaukat
By using the pretext that Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit held meetings with the
Hurriyat leaders of Kashmir, Indian new government led by the fundamentalist party BJP’s
leader and Prime Minister Narindra Modi called off peace talks, scheduled to be held in
Islamabad on August 25, 2014 between foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan.
Although India’s suspension of negotiations has come as a surprise not only for both the
countries and the peace-loving nations of the region, yet it has exposed real intentions of
the BJP rulers who have been breaking all the pervious records. While cancellation of peace
dialogue with Islamabad has put a question mark. But its reply is quite obvious, if we see various
developments in this respect.
It is notable that the extremist party BJP led by the Indian Prime Minister Modi is implementing
anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda. In this context, BJP leader Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, a
staunch promoter of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) stated on July 12, this year that India needed
only two years to defeat Pakistan militarily, and the only solution of Kashmir was war, as “there
is no peaceful, democratic solution.
Hence, the decision to terminate the secretary level parleys came as a political maneuvering
by Narindra Modi’s regime, showing signs of Indian arrogance and intransigence, driven by
emotional reaction, on which BJP top leadership capitalized to win the elections 2014. Besides,
India recently intensified unprovoked firing at the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir including
Working Boundary in Sialkot and other sectors to terrorize Pakistan, without caring the fact that
the latter is also a nuclear power.
India has never been sincere in engaging in meaningful peace process with Pakistan. Every
Indian government due to international pressure found it easy to make false pledges that it
was willing to engage in peace process to resolve all issues including Kashmir dispute with
Islamabad. But, New Delhi earnestly endeavored to find excuses and pretexts to cancel peace
talks, while shifting the blame to Pakistan. For example, in 2002, under the pretension of terrorist
attack on the Indian parliament, India postponed the dialogue process. Again, in 2008, India
cancelled the ‘composite dialogue’ on the pretext of Mumbai terror attacks.
It is mentionable that on winning elections, Narindra Modi’s invitation to leaders of South Asian
nations including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to his oath-taking ceremony in May
2014, came as a pleasant surprise for political observers, media analysts and general public in
South Asia and world over. The hopes became high and expectations appeared reassuring that
relations between India and Pakistan will get normalized and a way forward will be found to
resolve all outstanding disputes between both the neighboring countries.
But, on May 27, Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with Prime Minister Sharif who went to New
Delhi to participate in the oath-taking ceremony proved faultless, because Modi raised baseless
issues of terrorism as pre-conditions to advance the Pak-Indian dialogue to resolve various
issues including the core dispute of Kashmir. He said that slow pace of trial against the terrorists
regarding the Mumbai 26/11 terror case, being held in Pakistan—Islamabad should take action
against the culprits, and should stop cross-border terrorism in India.
While showing unrealistic approach, and talking in the terms of Hindu religious extremism,
Indian new prime minister ignored the fact that on July 19, 2013 the Indian former home
ministry and ex-investigating officer Satish Verma disclosed that terror-attacks in Mumbai in
November 26, 2008 and assault on Indian Parliament in January 12, 2001 were carried out by the
Indian government to strengthen anti-terrorism laws.
Similarly, Modi also neglected the statement of Indian ex-Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde
who revealed on January 20, 2013 that organized training camps run by the fundamentalist
parties, RSS and BJP were promoting Hindu Terrorism. He also explained that these extremist
parties were behind the Samjhauta Express, Meccca Masjid and Malegaon blasts.
Earlier, New Delhi has been accusing Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) of
these terror attacks, while Indian new prime minister is again blaming Pakistan for the Mumbai
As regards cross-border terrorism, former Indian Army Chief Gen. VK Singh openly confessed
in September 2013 that special intelligence unit like Technical Services Division were raised
by him to operate inside Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan and Azad Kashmir to conduct
terrorism and to bribe the politicians in the Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Notably, The Times of India had reported that Congress Party’s heir, Rahul Gandhi feels that
“the bigger threat to India may be the growth of radicalized Hindu groups which create religious
tension and political confrontation with the Muslim community.”
Nevertheless, Indian hegemonic designs and imperialistic motives coupled with Hindutva radical
dream of “AKHAND BHARAT” must be uncovered through foreign and Pakistani media’s
investigative projections, arguing that India as a usurper and occupying state is not sincere to
engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve outstanding disputes including Kashmir with Pakistan.
In order to show to the western world, and under international pressure, New Delhi resorts
to make false pledges and commitments to hold peace negotiations at various levels with
Islamabad, displaying that it is keen and eager to resolve all issues through peaceful dialogue. Its
real intentions get exposed only when every time, India makes a rash decision to cancel peace
talks on one pretext or the other.
It is also a set practice of India to engage with Kashmiri leadership prior to any high level
meeting with Pakistan. Kashmiri leaders are the central representatives about whom New Delhi
and Islamabad will proceed to decide their fate through peace parleys. Therefore, they cannot be
ignored as vital stakeholders. In this regard, Indian interpretations of stakeholders in the light of
Simla Agreement (By ignoring the Kashmiri leaders) are absolutely mischievous.
It is of particular attention that in the past, every Indian government led by Indian Congress and
BJP had been facilitating meetings of Pakistani officials with the Kashmiri Hurriyat leadership.
But, Modi government’s decision to put off Pak-Indian secretary level talks also seems
politically-motivated. Besides, soon after assuming power, Modi government, hurriedly decided
to forcibly annex and integrate disputed territory of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K),
uncovering its intentions to wrap up the article 370 of the Indian constitution which ensures a
special status to J&K. The aim behind is to fortify measures and continue its illegal occupation
in the J&K. Therefore, United Nations Military Observer Group India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
in New Delhi was asked to vacate official accommodation, claiming that its role had become
irrelevant, and indicating its intention to violate UN Security Council’s resolutions on Kashmir
dispute, and to further commit human rights violations in the India-held Kashmir.
So, Indian extremist rulers’ efforts to abrogate article 370 in the Indian occupied Kashmir
indicates that BJP led Modi government is proceeding with a plan to promote Hindutva
philosophy and annex Kashmir as part of Indian union.
In this connection, external media analysts including those of Pakistan must also point out that
India has also disregarded US suggestions to make concerted efforts to engage in dialogue
process with Islamabad. While exposing Indian delaying tactics coupled with baseless
allegations that cross-border infiltration from Pakistan is on the increase, and Islamabad is not
taking any action against the alleged terrorists of Mumbai attacks. Similarly, Indian Army’s
surge and LoC violations indicate that India is finding excuses to spoil relations with Pakistan.
Moreover, Indian propaganda that Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorism in Afghanistan also
reveals the real face of Indian leadership who spare no time in maligning Pakistan even from
Afghan soil where India has itself established secret network, and from where, with the support
of anti-Pakistan secret agencies, it has been sending heavily-armed militants who from time to
time, target check posts of Pak Army including other civil and military installations.
Nonetheless, BJP government has revealed the true face of Hindu leadership—their anti-Muslim
and anti-Pakistan psyche by canceling secretary-level talks with Pakistan on the unjustified plea
that Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit held meetings with the Hurriyat leaders, prior
to holding of the scheduled dialogue. New Delhi’s sudden decision to call off talks has come as
a serious blow to peace process between the two countries, sabotaging all signs of optimism that
peace will be brought in South Asia under new leadership of Modi–Nawaz affinity. Instead of
showing courage to face the issues and take steps to address them, confronting the two nuclear
nations, India’s move to cancel the secretary level talks have further uncovered Indian real
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
