High Hopes for Pak-India Rapprochement
Posted on May 27th, 2014
By Afshain Afzal
India is on the world focus. This time the elections results of the world biggest democracy has surprised the western players and proved to be a setback to Washington’s long term strategy in Asia, which aimed at to steal eastern culture, traditions and values through local westernized puppets. The May 2014 elections witnessed the victory of Baharat by electing Mr. Narendra Modi; someone who wants to bury the past and take everyone on board in nation building process.
Washington has been forced by the popular verdict of Indian masses to give due respect to someone West has had been dubbing as extremist, Hindu fundamentalist and promoter of genocide of Muslim community of India. Ironically, despite Western propaganda against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), especially Mr. Modi, a great majority of Indian Muslims voted for Mr. Modi.
Nevertheless, the western players have accelerated their campaign to prove Mr. Modi as ill-tolerant and enemy of minority communities in India. In the same regard, the US Cyber Command and its replica linkage in India has started inflicting dents on BJP’s reputation by levelling strange allegations including BJP’s coercive methods to put tab on freedom to media.
The current scenario is quite interesting as organizations like India Human Rights Watch, in its report for the year 2002 and later issue, directly implicated state officials including Mr. Modi in violence against Muslims. The United States Department of State also decided to put a ban on Mr. Modi’s entry into the United States in 2005 and this ban has been in place even today.
The United States Department of State revoked Mr. Modi’s tourist/diplomatic/business visa, citing section 212 (a) (2) (g) in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) as a result of violation of International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). In this regard, David C. Mulford, United States’ Ambassador to India declined permission to Mr. Modi to travel to the United States to attend conference sponsored by the Asian American Hotel Owner’s Association. Washington is much perturbed and is likely to issue a waiver, violating Act of 1998 on the pretext of hidden US interest. One thing is quite evident that unless Washington bow to her knees, New Delhi is not likely to consider further orders of “Made in USA”.
In the latest but much expected development, Mr. Modi has extended a hand of friendship towards Pakistan by inviting Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Main Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at swearing in ceremony at New Delhi. Islamabad while appreciating Indian positive gesture has welcomed Indian hospitality, which is likely to result in long term friendly relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect of each other territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Although there are many critics in Pakistan and India who see the subject visit with apprehensions and question marks but Pakistani ruling leadership is quite clear that this time the visit would not be allowed to be sabotaged by vested interest groups. It is only the time, which will determine, if both the Pakistani and Indian leaderships would be able to reach to a bilateral breakthrough or as usual fifth columnist and enemy agents in these countries would be able to sabotage the peace efforts. Those who are critical to the meeting should bear in mind that neither India nor Pakistan are going to interfere in each others’ internal affair or impose their ideologies on one other.
Islamabad has a lot of expectations from New Delhi, especially from Mr. Modi and Mr. L. K. Advani to make the two neighbours friends as evasive by Mr. M. K. Ghandhi, the Mathama and Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-e-Azam after partition on 15 August 1947. One wonders when at the end of the day, the two nations have to resort to dialogue and talks, why these are discontinued on mere activities of miscreants. It is a high time that leadership of Pakistan and India should stop exploiting their nationals by chanting provocative sentimental slogans against each other for self interests and political recognition.
The bottom line in Pak-India relations needs to be set that while ignoring all disruption and criticism by certain interest groups in each country, olive branches by Mr. Modi and Mr. Nawaz Sharif should not be let loose. Although, this visit is just a reminder of determination from both the nations to express their desire to come near and dear to each other but it is also a ray of hope for future resolutions of all the irritants including right of self determination of people of Jammu and Kashmir state as well as issue of terrorism in both the countries.
It is hoped that ultimately, in the long term, Pakistan and India would reach a defence agreement leading to joint defence of Indian Ocean as also proposed by Quaid-e-Azam to Indian leadership in 1947. afshain@hotmail.com
May 27th, 2014 at 8:10 am
The overwhelming victory of the Bharata Janata Party and its leader Narendra Modi is but a list of dramatic changes that have taken place in the Asian/European region that has completely changed the nature of world geopolitics.
Xiping is a pragmatic new leader of China who has a vision of a 21st century China rising to be the world’s most powerful nation both economically and military. Under Xiping China plans to reorganize her military to match the best in the world. Her 1.2 million standing army still needs rapid development to equal the Western powers. Under Xiping China plans to interconnect Asia with Europe by building transcontinental railways. This “hard wiring” once done is stronger than any alliance. It will expedite China’s global presence in ways yet to be understood. One railway will go from China through Russia, Iran into Europe and end in Venice.That is but one of four intercontinental railways and sea routes China is developing. China also signed one of the world’s largest oil deals with Russia at the tune of 400 Billion in current US dollars. This includes the infrastructure of pipelines to bring a steady flow of energy to China.
Vladimir Putin was first elected with the aim to be a puppet to the Oligarchy of Moscow. He turned out to be anything but that. He revived the KGG, and has risen to power to the extent he is now considered one of the world’s most significant leaders. Unlike his predecessors Vladimir Putin emphasized Russia’s strength lies in her vast untapped natural resources. He made Gazprom the world’s largest producer of oil and gas a state company which technically he is the CEO. Under him he built pipelines into Europe and sealed a deal with China. For the first time in modern history Russia is now an active power both in the Western world and in Asia. Gazprom eventually will build gas lines that interconnect Russia with Europe on one side, China and the far east on the other and a third into India. Under Putin Crimea and all the mineral wealth of the oceans around her are now part of an emerging nation from the Soviet Union. On the east Russia took over the sea of Okhotsk (611 thousand square miles) using the LOS convention to validate Russia’s claim. Moscow removed all international presence in that sea which is rich in minerals and oil/gas. Under Putin Russia’s ultimate aim is to lay claim to the Arctic (Asia Times). The significance of Vladimir Putin cannot be underestimated.
Mahinda Rajapakse has been a game changer. He not only ended the longest Asian war but united Sri Lanka in a manner not seen since independence. Though the major media of the world have not pointed to the significant geopolitical change that has resulted under his administration it is however one of the most significant issues of world politics. The strategic agreements signed between Sri Lanka and China including the development of 3 deep water ports just miles from the busiest sea lanes in the world is but one of many aspects of a dramatically evolving strategic nation. Under Rajapakse Sri Lanka has sustained a growth rate of 7% and above by deft decisions made by the bank of Ceylon (Asia Times)
The rise to power of Narendra Modi and the nationalist Bharata Janata Party has already brought significant change in India’s relationship with her neighbors. Shocking the politicians of both Tamil Nadu and Pakistan Modi invited all the heads of state of the sub continent thereby ripping to shreds the politics of regional and provincial powers. India’s future under his leadership along with that of Russia, China and Sri Lanka has cemented the belief that the shift of power from the Western world to the Asia Pacific region is a reality.
May 27th, 2014 at 9:29 pm
Bernard Wijeyasingha says:
The rise to power of Narendra Modi and the nationalist Bharata Janata Party has already brought significant change in India’s relationship with her neighbors. Shocking the politicians of both Tamil Nadu and Pakistan Modi invited all the heads of state of the sub continent thereby ripping to shreds the politics of regional and provincial powers. India’s future under his leadership along with that of Russia, China and Sri Lanka has cemented the belief that the shift of power from the Western world to the Asia Pacific region is a reality.
B.W. you are like Billy the Kid who shot first and faced the realities afterwards
” Indian elections only changed the pillow, NOT THE HEAD. ”
Adaderana reports:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to deliver on his promises to devolve wide powers to the country’s Tamil-majority regions
“Early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment and going beyond would contribute to this process,” Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh quoted Mr. Modi as telling the Sri Lankan President.
Inviting Mahinda to his inauguration was nothing more than a:
“cme into my parlour said the spider to the fly”
It was a pretentious Emperor summoning a vassal chief and telling him what to do.
as the song says:
“When will we ever learn…when will we E……VER learn”
The higher one jumps with false expectations, the greater the bone cracking THUD when landing on their bottoms.
The drugged kevum of 13A that was poked down the throats of the Sinhala modayas has turned into poison inside the system with no possibility of extracting it, vomiting it or purging it, India has stuffed both end. Now we cannot blow it out or fart it out. We can now only cope with the REEKING STENCH of our ‘body constitution’.
Itis time we stop reveling in our own stench.
Oh for a saviour…MR is NOT the one. I cannot see anyone on the horizons either.
IF there is any hope it is in a military take over. They shed their blood to liberate our country. Only they would know the price of that blood.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
May 28th, 2014 at 8:43 am
To Mario Perera:
“The past makes man wise and the future makes man ignorant. It is easy to judge the past because we have the luxury of history and the concept of retrospection. It is impossible to judge the future with clarity for due to the constant nature of change in the present” (by Bernard Wijeyasingha 5/28/14)
I just read the article in the Lankaweb and addressed it. the first act done by Modi with Sri Lanka is to dredge up the now dead issue of the 13th amendment. Beside it being domestic issue it failed in its intended mission when it was implemented in 1987 and that is to end the war. It did not. The Sri Lankan military did. That amendment cannot be used after the war has ended and due to the nature of devolving such powers from Colombo. Read my saying, the present constantly changes. It is impossible to the future with clarity.
I do not agree with you, for you are the one who is jumping to conclusions based on the first few days of the BJP. I base my conclusions that the people of India overwhelmingly supported the BJP. this landslide victory has not past comparisons except the election of Nehru. the platform which the BJP runs on cannot be manipulated since his party is not a coalition party as was the nature of Indian politics.
Unlike the past the BJP has immense leverage without the hindrance of provincial parties dictating the terms. I would give India a chance as long as New Delhi truly understands that due to India’s full support of the Tamil Tigers the intensity and the duration of that war was India’s doing and not Sri Lanka. On this issue India needs to take massive steps to amend the wounds she inflicted upon Sri Lanka during the war and after it.
May 28th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Thank you Bernard
Mario
May 28th, 2014 at 11:43 am
Seriously Bernard i don’t know where you get your information from when you say… (it’s not the first time!)
[I base my conclusions that the people of India overwhelmingly supported the BJP. this landslide victory has not past comparisons except the election of Nehru.]
In 1967 the Congress party—then led by Indira Gandhi, daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru—won an outright Lok Sabha majority, its seat total was 283, just one more than the B.J.P.’s this month. But Indira and Congress needed forty-one per cent of the electorate to get there. Whilst Modi (BJP) won an outright Lok Sabha majority with 31% of the electorate vote- Nearly 70% of the Indian electorate did not vote for the BJP.
Further in 1984, the Congress party won 484 seats in the Lok Sabha with 49% of the electorate vote.
Regret to say you were wrong to assume/state that Nehru was the last with a landslide victory.
However i would agree with you that unlike a coalition the platform cannot be easily manipulated.