(Nothing has changed in a decade. We are facing the same challenges)
One of the most familiar ‘clichés’ and ‘jargons’ is what we term as Indo-Pak talks. No more convincing exercise in futility is known to history-watchers. Not till India, either voluntarily or under some pressure, acknowledges the gravity of the Kashmir issue—also its true nature in the light of historical facts, can any such exercise be taken seriously.
History is the saboteur when it comes to relationship between these two countries.
To explain this statement I would like to go back to the 13th day of the 12th month of the year 1971.
On that day, precisely at 3pm I was tuned to All-Indio Radio, attentively listening to a speech that India’s Prime Minister Indra Gandhi was delivering to a huge gathering at Feroze Shah Kotila Ground New Dehli. In the course of this highly charged speech she happened to say in a loud and impassioned tone of voice: “It should make India proud and happy—specially its women-folk—-that an Indian ‘naari’ (woman) has avenged the ignominious history of a thousand years”.
These words of hers seemed to freeze in my mind. They have remained stored there for nearly 38 years now.
Ironically it was on the same day that Bhutto Shaheed had delivered his famously angry speech at the U.N, and walked out.
Indra Gandhi was obviously referring to the impending fall of Dacca three days later. The loss of honour that Indian Hindus had suffered for several centuries at the hands of their Muslim rulers was adequately avenged with the Fall of Dacca when about ninety thousand humiliated Pak soldiers laid down their arms to Jagjit Singh Arora.
Indra Gandhi had spoken a historical truth—a truth that has been lurking behind the Kashmir issue too— an agenda to avenge—and a passion to humiliate and disgrace Pakistan.
History is against India-Pakistan talks. The only way India can be made to take such talks seriously is to create an environment in which Indian leaders begin to feel that ‘not to talk meaningfully’ will be a great folly. Quite unfortunately our leaders in the recent years have shown no respect for history’s undeniable truths.
