Saturday, October 31, 2009

Prime Minister's Peace Message

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's message of peace from Kashmir, which is weary of the terrorist game, to Pakistan rocked by terrorist explosions may seem to be nothing more than political jugglery. Burning with the fire set by terrorists, Pakistan has yet to react to this gesture. Nevertheless, double-faced parties in the valley like separatists and the People's Democratic Party were quick with their adverse comments.

Their frustration is, of course, not unexpected. They have been deceiving the common man by their negative approach and scaring them to save their faces. The Prime Minister had gone to Kashmir to present the state with a precious gift like train travel. But these parties had paralyzed normal life by organizing a strike in the valley.

Changing Face of People's Life
The Indian Prime Minister had invited all groups for talks without any conditions, and, thereby showed how generous the country is. In this way, he had rectified the mistake made in Sharm-el Sheikh in Egypt, which had later become a controversial issue.

The most attractive aspect of the Prime Minister's invitation was the reference to the opportunity for people on either side to interact and resume their relationship. The Line of Control (LoC) is the political wall dividing society of Kashmir valley into two compartments. This is the ideal formula for increasing mutual trust and translating this into goodwill. India and Pakistan had experimented such a step earlier in this century by running the Samjhauta Express.

Trade Cooperation
The people of both sides began to communicate with each other. The trade was started between the countries, especially in the divided valley. Since mutual goodwill was harming the ambition of terrorists in Pakistan and separatists in the valley, they started conspiring against India with new vigor. They began attacking India directly since it had become impossible to operate in Kashmir in a big way.

It is a pity that Pakistan understands the move of terrorists, and is paying a heavy price for nurturing them. Despite this distasteful situation, it refuses to accept the truth. As far as the Kashmir valley is concerned, the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi had addressed the public without any bulletproof shield in front of them. This has sent a very positive message.

Moreover, the government must also include the remaining two-third parts of the state, i.e. Jammu and Laddakh, as important participants in this dialogue. Giving importance only to the Kashmir valley will help in drawing conclusion that those who issue threats should receive prominence.

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