to engage the Pakistan Army through a creative backchannel . Khan was right in echoing a long-held view that a Rightwing BJP-led Hindu nationalist Government in India was ‘ better ’ for peace talks . Now that the BJP has replaced the Congress as India ’ s natural ruling party , that scenario may have come to stay for the foreseeable future . But that is only one side of the story . In Pakistan , you will need a military-led Government or at the very least , a military Government with a civilian face like the present Khan-led dispensation . When these two conditions meet , the two can tango .
It was a tad disingenuous to keep Khan out of the Modi swearing-in by saying it was inviting only BIMSTEC leaders
Last month , India ’ s Ambassador to the US , Harsh V Shringla , said in Washington after Modi was re-elected Prime Minister that India will not hold talks with Pakistan until it gives up its state policy of supporting terrorism .
and leaders of Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan , the latter holding the chair of SCO , which Modi will be attending next week and where he is likely to meet Khan . The snub for Pakistan is a snub for SAARC , which is the South Asian regional organisation ; whereas Bimstec is the Bay of Bengal sub-regional grouping comprising five SAARC countries — India , Nepal , Bhutan , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh and two members of Asean — Myanmar and Thailand .
BIMSTEC is no alternative to SAARC — it can never be . It excludes Muslim-majority countries Pakistan , Afghanistan and Maldives which are part of SAARC . It is described as complementing Neighbourhood First with Act East policies . While India is the dominant country , China ’ s shadow is over both . In SAARC , China has an observer status and its string of pearls connects every Saarc country except India and Bhutan . BRI does the same . Similarly , China ’ s primacy is writ large over Myanmar and Thailand . Both BIMSTEC and SAARC cannot escape China ’ s outreach .
Last month , India ’ s Ambassador to the US , Harsh V Shringla , said in Washington after Modi was re-elected Prime Minister that India will not hold talks with Pakistan until it gives up its state policy of supporting terrorism . Even though Modi has raised the bar for talks , he must seize the opportunity to pull aside Khan at Bishkek to break the ice . You cannot ignore Pakistan .
( The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff , currently the revamped Integrated Defence Staff )
www . legacyindia . in June 2019 | Legacy India 39