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Satya_anveshi wrote:Pakis requests for talks; Puki sponsors keep lecturing India about talks;
India gets defensive and says talks and terror cannot go on;
After predictable terror incidents, there is always pressure on India to stop talks and pressure on Puki civvies to keep the talks going;
Then there are expectations for talks to be uninterrupted / uninterrupt-able;
All this makes one wonder, what are talks really about?
The perception this definitely leaves is there is something India to lose/give and Pakis (at least a section of pukis) to gain from talks?
If that is so, what are the reasons behind such an expected outcome? How does talks lead to India giving/losing and Pukis gaining?
- Is it the J&K settlement?
- Is it some financial aid that must go thru India?
- Is it pukistan's international isolation (which is definitely not strong)?
- Is it release of military pressure that is too much for Pak to bear?
- or something else?
Now, only fools expect India to engage in one sided giving and not expecting in return - not even a total messed up resident non-indian will think along this line.
Nor India/Indians will shy away from talks for the talks sake - this is one area even worst critic of Indians will have to hand the championship trophy to Indians hands down.
So, what is to be given by Pukis in return that India wants?
- Is it CRE of Puki Nuclear Infra?
- Is it total elimination of non-state infra?
- Is it drastic reduction of Paki military industrial complex?
- Is it access to afghanistan and neutralization of the so called strategic depth?
- Is it MFN which has not much real value for Indian companies?
The stark reality is, if Pakistan isn't able to contain terror at its home, how will it guarantee the same to India and even more so how good is expecting any of the major items listed above in the give/take in talks?
With this background, what good are talks about and why even play that game?
However, we have to get out of the perception battle that talks are unfavorable to India and hence we object to it. We have nothing to lose or gain because Pakistan lacks credibility and even capability to honor the negotiated settlement.
We must open talks at all levels and say we are ready for it provided pukistan pays for all the expense at our designated place in our capital, follow our strict restrictions for people involved in it as with any international engagement, and continue this repeatedly week after week. While at it, increase the covert ops until the time pukistan starts feeling the pain and starts saying it does not want talks with India anymore.
So, what do we really gain out of this approach?
This approach will leave our H&D intact but at an elevated level of offensive engagements and may invite higher rate of reaction. In my view this will eventually lead to war and therefore settlement on our terms.
Question is whether we are ready to bear the increased costs and even be able to handle the settlement that will come with its own problems.
IMO, we can deal with the outcomes and they open up new possibilities.
If I were PM, I will take this new path and issue a "khabardaar"/"saawadhaan" to pukistan.
From experience, talking to a bad guy when you are in the right empowers the bad guy. You will end up giving something valuable.
Wastern powers want India to talk for that legitimizes the terrorist actions of Pakistan. In other words the thief is given equality with the victim.
They do this for their own reasons.
Normally the victim will ensure the thief wont succeed.
But for various reasons India, the victim, always leaves the door open for the thief to rob and kill Indians.
Example if the Police(Gill etc) or Military(Sunderji) take stern action to lock the door and cut off the thief's arms, the next government elected by peaceful folks will demonize them.
Worse they will turn on attack jackals like Coupta to demonize the military.
And come up with scams to prevent re-armament(AK Anthony).
So I suggest India should clean up inside first and then think of external action. Or else they will fight on multiple fronts with termites second guessing and undermining armed forces morale.