Talking and Its Merits

The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan have met, they have exchanged dossiers, and allegations against each other’s governments have been made once again. This is not surprising. But we must be grateful that the governments of the two countries have at least spoken to each other and have committed themselves to be in touch and keep the channels open.

No sooner was the announcement made of the 25 February talks in New Delhi, then another terror incident – in Pune on 13 February for which investigations are still on and where the needle of suspicion must point as much towards extreme rightwing Hindu groups as at any internal or external Islamic fundamentalist networks – threatened to derail the meeting, as indeed must have been the aim of the perpetrators. The government of India must be given some credit for wanting the dialogue process to resume despite much political opposition over the perceived insufficient action by the civilian government in Pakistan on terror outfits operating in that country.