Get rid of the Pak fixation

When the mind is crowded with petty thoughts, Ghalib said, step out of the house and travel so that the narrow vision ‘‘opens up with the abundance of the spectacle’’. In my dream sequence this would have been the principle guiding the prime minister and his entourage as they prepare to embark on a journey to the UN General Assembly.

But one can already see colleagues running from official to official seeking enlightenment only on Musharraf, Kashmir and where the Americans stand on the equation. One cannot deny the saliency of the Indo-Pak track, but one may be forgiven for a slight sense of fatigue that sets in focusing on that solitary theme as if a country of a billion people cannot have other interests.

One cannot think of a place more interesting than the UN, particularly during the General Assembly sessions, to acquaint oneself on all these issues and exchange ideas. One remembers UNGAs, NAM and CHOGM summits where the Indian delegation was approached by others for advice because India played a leadership role for developing countries.

I can never forget the non-aligned foreign ministers’ conference in Angola in the late 80s, a sensitive period for Southern Africa. Leading the Indian official delegation was N. Krishnan. I remember watching with awe and admiration how every country almost without exception sought out Krishnan and his team for advice. That was the kind of leadership position India enjoyed at most such gatherings. Those were the occasions when India chose not to be pinned down by our neighbour to the excruciating tedium of that solitary theme.

It would, of course, be wonderful if a miraculous harmony can be established on the Indo-Pak track. That one happening will transform the region beyond recognition. We all know how the economy would flourish if religious conflict is minimised. Just imagine we would actually be able to drive past Wagah towards countless destinations.

Time was when the Himalayas were our great protectors. But invaders found the passes which enabled their cavalry to access all of India. And now when our turn came to look outwards, to travel westwards (or east, for that matter), we have been bottled up, suffocating on limited issues bestowed on us by neighbours, restricting our vision — sometimes to that solitary theme.

For a brief moment it seemed the ‘sunshine’ policy of Kim Dae Jung on the Korean peninsula was in danger. There is optimism again. The North Korean leader, on the other hand, is toasting new world leaders. The British have imaginatively established diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. Kim Il Sung’s son has also undertaken some rather spectacular journeys, one by train to Moscow. A railway network is on the anvil carrying goods (and people) from the Koreas to China, Russia, Europe. The Chinese are weaving a series of railway links with countries around them.

Transport yourselves for a moment to the year 2008. Important public spaces in India will be dominated by giant TV screens, larger than anything we have seen yet. In the homes families will be seated around their TV sets. Yes, they will be riveted on the Olympic games. And where will these games take place? In Beijing. Every few minutes the Chinese flag will go up — gold, silver and bronze medals. Other nations will have their triumphs too. And we?

Is there some way that we can escape the drubbing our national self esteem will receive — and not only because of our failure at the Olympics. The discord that attends the build-up to the Afro-Asian games does not fill one with optimism. Will external affairs past 2008 still be dominated by Pakistan?

As a matter of fact, there is a considerable amount of activity in the foreign office, certainly, in addition to the other ministries and bodies like the CII, FICCI on various other tracks. But the problem is none of it is amplified in the media. The government and the media are both at fault. Ministers and officials are off with interesting agenda to countless destinations without engaging the media on these initiatives. The media on its part does not exert itself to find out. The result is that in the popular perception we remain a nation pre-occupied with Pakistan and engaged in repairing the American track. The perception, in other words, is worse than the reality.

What can be done about this state of affairs? Well, an enhanced role for the electronic media in the coverage of world affairs. A few clips bought or borrowed from agencies will not suffice. Indian journalists will have to travel to the newspots and generate debate on issues other than that debilitating single track with Pakistan or at best a triangle which includes Washington.

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