Havana breakthrough

Manmohan Singh has effected a fundamental shift in India's Pakistan policy. From consistently viewing the entire Pakistani state as the perpetrator of terrorism, New Delhi has explicitly recognised that Islamabad is a victim of terrorism as well, and could in fact evolve as a partner in dealing with the problem. The policy change has infused life into a comatose peace process. It also holds the promise of transforming the conflictive discourse and blame game that has marked relations between the two establishments.

Meeting on the sidelines of the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) summit in Havana, Prime Minister Singh and Pervez Musharraf decided to be imaginative, and not let the radical outfits dictate the agenda. The framework was already present in previous joint statements: Pakistan had repeatedly promised it would not allow its soil to be used for terrorist activities against India, while India agreed to discuss all issues in the Composite Dialogue, including Kashmir. However, this agreement was in danger of falling apart. Both countries were increasingly feeling that the other was not living up to its end of the bargain. This was particularly true in the case of India, where the recent spate of attacks, from Benaras temples to Delhi marketplaces and Bombay trains, had led to abundant scepticism about Pakistan's political will to curb extremist militancy.