Weaving Entangled Webs

SEPTEMBER 2004 - Common people like me with average understanding of what passes for high strategy are truly baffled at the now-hot, now-cold signals that rise out of Islamabad where relations with India are concerned. Six months ago, this country was awash in pro-Indian emotion. There was a widespread and dare one say, sweeping wave of euphoria as cobwebs of suspicion and animosity began to disappear. Details of that period of high expectation need no repetition since we are not all brain dead – well not yet at any rate, even after a heavy weight cabinet of 32 has swooshed the wind out of our sails. But whereas, we the commoners of this subcontinent can be forgiven for having begun to believe that after all peace was a possibility after half a century of hate, our officialdom that holds a choke collar around our necks, now thinks otherwise.

Issues like Siachen Glacier, Wuller Barrage and Sir Creek are exactly as they were before. They all seem to have fallen victim to the rising air of distrust that seems to be the only air that governments on both sides are gulping. Although most people understand that the United Progressive Alliance in India led by the Congress party does not have the same clout as the BJP did and is therefore treading warily on these tricky slopes, their counterpart colleagues across the divide are under no such compulsion. The present set up in Islamabad, with or without Messrs Jamali, Shujaat or Shaukat Aziz, is under no pressure from the democratic forces that require prudent and well-considered, electorate-supported decision-making. We all know, understand and accept that the President calls the shots. What he wants is by and large, what happens. The BJP was of course swinging through on the peace with Pakistan strategy. Maybe it’s the blighted luck of the millions who have not much say in these matters but who suffer the consequences the most, that just when things were looking up, the BJP lost the elections. Even though the new leadership within 24 hours proclaimed that the peace process wouldn’t be derailed, it has. While India blames Pakistan for suspending the drive forward, making Kashmir central to every thing, the Pakistanis are responding in the same idiom. It’s back to word games. The dialogue initiated between the two sides in the BJP led coalition was eagerly fed to the media as it was here so the process was actually visible to us commoners. Now, there is a clamp down and media is hardly privy to what is going on. Not much it seems. We are back at twisting and turning language to suit shadowy notions. A key word like ‘time’ is getting twice the spin that is usually associated with ace spinner Murlitharan. Mr. Natwar Singh in July disclosed that President Musharraf had made it clear that Kashmir needed to be resolved within ‘a reasonable time frame.’ So, India piped up and said it won’t accept an ‘artificial time frame.’ Where is Spock when we need him most? On flexibility, India informed Pakistan that flexibility on Kashmir also meant flexibility on time. We might as well add to that list and place things like trust, goodwill and peace in the dreaded flexibility test tube. When Babus and leaders on both sides play mind games, nothing good will come. Just posturing and the good old status quo. We’ve been on this road before. We are like phantom and shadowy figures, fencing and lunging in the shadows – the current low level of mutual trust has fallen just like the water level in our dams. Where in the wide world will we ever find a happy and obliging glacier to fill up that low level, only the bright lights on both sides - theirs, and ours can tell. And of course, they are not talking or talking only at cross-purposes. Words like ‘cross border terrorism’ and ‘infiltration’, which were slowly making an exit, are back on the front pages.

The debacle of the peace process has had a profound effect on the cultural exchanges that had begun between both sides – more from their side than ours. That is actually easily explainable. India simply have more stars and exportable high-class acts, whereas we have just about a few. Mercifully some of what we have is better than theirs and compares favourably, but while visits of stars and performers began earnestly, there are only zero sum games now. This is sad. The people of Pakistan who had a chance to play hosts to the Indian cricket team in spring this year, sent a message of such intense love, affection and goodwill that all of India was bowled over. Even within Pakistan, the high note we had struck reverberated right across the land. Sure the fundos were not exactly dancing with delight but nobody cared two hoots about that, secure in the belief we all have held that this lot has never represented us and never will, MMA or no MMA. And now, just a few months later, it is back to the same scenario that has jaded lives for more time than any two nations can afford. The official policy is no policy at the moment. Those attempting to plan and stage any event involving people from India ensnare themselves in so much cloak and dagger stuff that in a while, they don’t know if they are coming or going or neither, which last stage is usually the case.

Imran Khan’s cancer charity – ironically not really Imran Khan’s any more because it is run by a body of professional men and women, where policy decisions are made by a Board of Governors and other equally globally accepted practices are firmly in place, is suffering. There undoubtedly are many others like it. The charity, which raises funds 365 days of the year to spend over 70% of them on treatment of poor cancer patients, depends heavily on fund-raising events to raise money. No one is prepared to part with money for nothing and the better the show, the more funding can be generated. This is not the theory of relativity that might be hard to comprehend. However, ambitions and dreams aside, whatever else follows is enough to drive a stake of despair in the stoutest heart. Even organizing such an event with stars from India require back slapping, close relationship with all the high and mighty of the land – and that we all know is one mighty long list. Everyone from the highest level to the lowest – the peon outside the section officer’s door, must give consent before the first steps can be taken. This means weeks and weeks of what we now call in Pakistan, ‘running around.’ Since rolling stones gather no moss, in Pakistan, they gather nothing, including permissions. A film premiere that was shifted from one venue to lesser visible venues, in spite of contacts at the highest level, simply caved in. Stars like Ravena Tandon who were prepared to be here free of cost for the charity, are cooling their heels. The verdict in Islamabad is ‘nothing doing.’ Is it animosity to Imran who is outspoken in his criticism? Yes and no. More relevant, it is and watch and wait and keep the options open, like not laying off the ‘jihadi’ mad caps. The Indian films melodrama has gone on for weeks and has now petered out. The Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus has had a flat tyre. Apparently there is high level squabbling over passports and implications thereof. As has been the case here, the people are far ahead of the government, but then even in another ‘democracy’ that is sweeping across our lives, what choices do the people really have? Cynics say the army cannot afford peace since it will make them irrelevant. Whatever it is, the outcome is sad and pointless. Junoon have made an impassioned appeal through a moving and eloquent tribute to peace between both countries but it’s a voice in the wilderness. Peace remains hard and elusive. Rhetoric reigns supreme.