Of all the embassies and high commissions I have wined and dined in, nothing matches the warm welcome one receives at the New Delhi residence of the Pakistan high commissioner. (I stress ‘residence’ because official entertaining, alas, is ‘dry’.) The food is outstanding, the mood cordial, the conversation candid, the alcohol world-class. Similarly, Pakistanis who are guests at the Indian high commission in Islamabad, however anti-India their politics, only sing their host’s praises. It has now become a commonplace for an Indian visitor to recount the red carpet rolled out for him by the Pakistani aam admi and officialdom. Surely, such over-the-top hospitality on either side of the LoC must mean something?
As a much-ridiculed Wagah candle-lighter, it pains me to see four years of growing friendship reduced to ruins, thanks to the Mumbai outrage. Some Pakistanis ask, why suspend the peace process, now is the time to pursue it even more vigorously. These well-meaning folk forget that any institutional effort at reconciliation must have the backing of domestic public opinion. If 10 LeT criminals saunter in by sea to deliver death and destruction on our premier city, public opinion will naturally be enraged. A pause in the peace process is essential to calm the national mood. It should be welcomed in Islamabad.
Will things ever be the same again? Unlikely, if we allow imperious and ignorant British ministers like David Miliband (first he eats our dal, subzi and roti and then spits on the thali!) to lecture us on terrorism, or hope that Uncle Sam will suddenly turn honest broker. Those in India who have high hopes from the Obama presidency should prepare themselves for shocks. The script on Kashmir and non-proliferation might throw up some nasty surprises.
For over 60 years, India and Pakistan have outsourced their conflict resolution to western nations. The results have been zero. When will we learn that our hatreds, enmities and historical disputes are strictly bilateral?
Filed under: Indo Pak Relations, Religion Tagged: | Alcohol & Islam, Pakistan High Commissioner in Delhi
Saturday morning I got up early, dressed quietly, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, slipped quietly into the garage to hook the boat up to the truck,and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph. I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad throughout the day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. There I cuddled up to my wife’s back, now with a different anticipation,and whispered, ‘The weather out there is terrible.’ My loving wife of 20 years replied, ‘Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that mess?’
I still don’t know to this day if she was just joking, but I have quit fishing.
uhm, because the issues CANNOT BE BILATERALLY SOLVED – India is a hegemon, it has no reason to “resolve” something it can continue forever without feeling more than a pinch.
Pakistan NEEDS resolution because Kashmir holds its economy, social development, and progress hostage – their military and intelligence continues to get funds because of the existential threat posed by India – linked again primarily to Kashmir.
If you could stop being such a nationalist in disguise and start thinking that maybe our beloved India isn’t really interested in “fair” play and depends more on jingoism than common sense – maybe you will understand – but based on your choice of vocabulary and biased prose, I hardly doubt it.
The key buzzwords here “alcohol in Pakistan is world-class” (you are insulting Pakistan’s laws for alcohol, suggesting it is a farce, you could have simply pointed out the great hospitality but no you want to bring up the alcohol specifically in an attempt to ridicule or offend some Pakistanis – typical of us stupid Indians to offend people for no reason – we do the same to EVERYONE for NO REASON than to toot our own horn) – “bilateral” (you are simply parroting official Indian fundamentalist hardliner philosophy) – and “a slowdown in peace talks is understandable and should be welcome” (that’s right, welcome so India can delay it even more even after Pakistan conceded so much for the past 8 years after 9/11 while we sat around and scratched our asses because we were simply laughing these people were trying to resolve something for which we are interested in no resolution)
We Indians frankly don’t want peace with Pakistan. We know we are stronger, bigger, better, and are on the path to becoming a global hegemon one day.
This is precisely why we need a trilateral or multi-party dialogue to encourage discussion, because otherwise we have no reason to do anything at all – the loss of life in Kashmir, the anger, it’s just enough to keep us funding the military and to sit back and keep our neighbors fighting – since this is what we relish in and enjoy.
My suggestion for you Vinod – stop jerking off to Maa Bhaarat – think with your brain don’t repeat the lines of the Indian media stooges.