India is set on growth trajectory despite scandals and corruption, whilst we are going full speed astern, although we have the same mindset, culture, agriculture, corruption and close proximity with a common spoken language as lingua franca, which is the binding factor and strong force of communication.
Pakistanis are fascinated by Indian movies so are the Indians with our TV serials. During my last visit recently I gathered the impression whilst meeting with government officials and literary circles that there exists a strong desire for co-operation, travel, communication, exchange of views and comprehension of improving the relations, barring radicals on both ends of divide.
There has been a real effort made as a second track diplomacy. Unfortunate, however, Bombay incident distanced us. However, I recall that all Pakistanis vehemently condemned the barbaric act and I in person called my friend secretary Transport, Chairman SCI and others with whom I interacted at IMO London meetings to enquire about their welfare. We were equally disturbed, thus I wrote a column in Indian papers not only condemning the attack but sympathising with grieved families.
However now WikiLeaks reflects different home-grown perspectives, which Indians may realise as the verity. The debated sell-out of Raymond Davis is not too different from defection of Major Rajbender Singh of RAW via Khatmandu to USA and a lady of national security in 2006 as reported. The problem of sell-out is equally ingrained on both sides, if we peep into the history and culture of Sub-continent. Let us give a chance to cricket diplomacy, once again and avail this God-sent opportunity to reduce tension.
There are many issues that need to be resolved, be they the Indus Basin Water, rights of lower riparian, trade volume in favour of India and the long outstanding issue of Kashmir. I remain committed that all problems, if not resolved, can be eased to some extent by people-to-people contact instead of being left to hawks or doves on both ends of the divide.
I am sure that reason can wrestle with terrors and overthrow them. The conflicts, which attract more attention in the news tend either to be political and military in nature, or they involve the struggle between people and the natural environment when, in floods, drought and plague, it turns hostile. But behind these, and detached from them because it is a struggle whose proportions are those of history itself, is another struggle, a profound and consequential one because it shapes long-term human destinies.
This is the struggle of ideas, expressing itself in terms of ideologies, politics and the consequential framework, which determines belief and moralities. Our understanding of the human situation, and the choices we make in managing the unruly and difficult complexities of social existence, are founded on ideas - usually, ideas systematised into theories.
Ultimately it is ideas that drive nations and people to peace or war, which shapes systems under which they live and which determines how the world's scarce resources are shared among them. Ideas matter, so does the question of reason, by which ideas live and die.
Indian and Pakistani governments must comprehend that reason is the armament of ideas, the weapon employed in conflicts between viewpoints. Reason is an absolute which rightly used, can settle disputes and guide us to truth instead of post modernist views that authorities are more powerful than reason, such as race, tradition, nature or supernatural entities.
The muddle is in the thinking of policy makers on both ends of the divide, they offer a list of virtues, emotion and faith. I feel that all but the last, if un-governed by reason, are exactly the stuff which fuels fanaticism on both sides and ends up in holy/territorial wars. The Europeans at last, after many feuds, have learned to co-exist, why can't we see the light of reason to stay as good neighbours respecting mutual sovereignty.
The world is changing the arch-enemies, Russians and Americans are talking about 'no visa regime' and EU and Russia are on the same page to avoid stereotypes of confrontation that will be dispelled by human-to-human contact, for a better understanding to shun the political propaganda. A visa regime is, fundamentally, a political statement by the government of two countries. It is their way of indicating the relationship they wish to maintain.
It is not security concern which governs the practice of rigid visa controls together with the barbaric requirement of Police reporting. It is their political resolve to keep the peoples apart and retain a tight grip of information. I had travelled in India honourably exempted from police reporting.
However, in March, on an invitation from the Chairman of Shipping Corporation of India, I was promptly issued a police reporting visa, thus the only option I had was to decline to travel due to the indignity reporting to police as I am a respectable citizen, not a criminal.
The High Commissioner of India is a polite diplomat in true sense of the word, who tries to improve relations, by interacting with bureaucrats more loyal than the king, who score points by inserting police reporting/delaying to humiliate and deter people-to-people contacts. The attitude may not be different at Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, but our High Commissioner is equally competent, as I know.
After partition there was no visa regime for travel between India and Pakistan, but on July 18, 1948, India unilaterally announced the imposition of permit system, confined to western border. Inter-dominion conference was held at Lahore on 22-23 July 1948 and India explained that the requirement of permit was to regulate a two-way traffic as opposed to one way traffic. Pakistan's cabinet decided on September 4, 1948 to impose permit system, on eastern as well western borders retaliating to the Indian move.
The proponent of permit system as per history is Vallabhai Patel who feared that some of the Muslims were returning to India and asking Sharnarthees to vacate their occupied houses. This is said to have caused Nehru's dismay. In 1952 came the India-Pakistan Passport, replaced in 1965 by International Passport. It is time for both governments to take an overview of these curbs, in light of the realities of 2011. The public opinion in both countries asserts itself jointly and in organised manner to end the partition of hearts and minds.
I was the proponent of Pakistan-India Shipping Protocol and the same was signed in 2006 after three years of negotiations, which yielded positive results to mutual advantage. In fact, our PNSC benefited more than the Indians. I also presented a feasibility study to Indian minister in Delhi for starting Karachi-Mumbai ferry service, but since I relinquished my charge in 2007, no progress has been made.
The ferry service is an economically viable operation and I presented the same to the managers of Aman Ki Asha to follow up. The direct route will boost trade instead of trading through Colombo and Dubai, and freight will be economical. India must also remove the non-tariff barriers to offset the balance of trade in favour of India.
The cement exporters are keen to export cement to India due to their massive growth and having surplus capacity. There are ample opportunities to cooperate, like Indian merchant ships are short of qualified officers and have allowed Indian ship-owners to recruit from 16 countries; Pakistan has a surplus, of such qualified cadres and Indian appetite can be met.
We have to give a kick-start, so that a new day dawns on the sub-continent with common people freely visiting Saarc countries and not only the privileged, politicians and business community who pay 2000 to 3000 dollars to get a two-year Saarc visa, a discrimination. We must dispel suspicion and allow free travel and no visa regime as that proposed by Russia and EU. We need the will to make it happen, as I feel that it is the desire of masses on both ends of the divide, due to cultural ties and gastronomic habits, relishing the same recipe of sumptuous foods. Let us join hands to pull down the obscene barriers and contend to remove the occlusive seal.
