A bonus would be that such a picture will make it hard for Mushahid Hussain, Pakistan's Information Minister, to mislead the Pakistani people into believing Indian military action in Kargil is an election stunt. The maturity of Indian politicians is being tested as never before. Kargil has flared up just as parties were preparing for the polls. At present reckoning the military and election campaigns look like running in tandem for weeks and perhaps months. Political leaders, therefore, will be expected to speak with one voice on Kargil even though they are fallingout with each, as always, on everything else.

It is a tough act but unavoidable, so the sooner the government and Opposition work out how to maintain a political consensus on Kargil the better. Information about the military and diplomatic fronts will have to be promptly available and consultations take place regularly. Differences cannot be exploited in public but must be sorted out in camera on the understanding that when all is said and done the government has the final word and will be fully supported in carrying out its responsibilities.

The Opposition should have no cause to feel it is being left in the dark as has been the complaint on other national security issues. Nor should the Opposition be obstructive for obstruction's sake. All this is obvious. The question is how and where consensus will be thrashed out. A national Kargil council of 40 or so party leaders does not sound so good. Perhaps one pared-down version and one expanded council. Whatever the forum, it should take shape well beforeelection fever rises.

Realism demands that some tough scenarios be taken into account, along with the better ones, right at the start. One, this may not be a short, swift military campaign desirable though that is. Second, as military commanders have already suggested, Indian ground troops may have to be sent in to retrieve posts on heights still held by heavily armed infiltrators. Third, major foreign capitals recognise that India has a just cause but it is well to remember world opinion can be fickle.

Four, Pakistan's decision-making process can be unpredictable. Five, Indian political leaders need to be sensitive to popular reaction to events on the border, casualty figures, POWs taken, numbers missing in action, hostile propaganda and so on. But they will find it difficult to arrive at sound judgments if they allow themselves to be driven by public sentiment.

Everything taken together calls for rigorous efforts by the government and Opposition to achieve a high and stable level of politicalconsensus on Kargil. It is good that rhetoric has been kept in check so far and that a businesslike process of broad consultations has begun. Keep to it.