Here’s my agreement with Shekhar Gupta (“A new Project Pakistan”; Indian Express; August 8): I would not just want a green card or H-1B to migrate. I would like all of Pakistan, population and territory, to up and leave. Why take territory along? Because it’s great land, but in a lousy district.

In a decent neighbourhood, perhaps somewhere in Europe, Pakistan would be a Big country. Next to India? Canada to the US, or worse, Mexico to the US — now, Egypt to Israel, forget the irony of size in that case.

Here’s the good news. India does want to live in peace with its neighbours, not just Pakistan. The bad news is it wants peace only on its own terms.

But let’s be more specific about India’s case: Pakistan is trouble; a rogue state with a rogue army that wouldn’t let India “leverage its many newfound strengths”. There is “longing” in India over how to solve this Pakistan problem; how to leave it behind or aside “or, in a more perfect world, even [take] it along as a partner, not adversary”. Not possible, perhaps because Pakistan is configured in the wrong way.

Corollary: Pakistan is congenitally bad. Dilemma: that, if accepted, would also mean India can do zip, zilch and zero to make Pakistan right. In the real world does such reasoning make policy? No.

Notice the emphasis. Pakistan must do this, that etc. The onus of change is on Pakistan. India and the world have to find some way of getting Pakistan to behave, realise the folly of its actions, maybe throw it some crumbs, toys for its uniformed boys, development money and so on.

... contd.