The political and economic unrest in Pakistan has drawn focus away from Kashmir. India, on the other hand, continues to act hostilely toward Pakistan and never misses an opportunity to disparage it, while Pakistan is expressing a wish to dialogue with its archrival. Pakistan should be willing to participate in a discourse in these circumstances, it should maintain its commitment to its values.
Pakistan’s political instability and growing economic woes have been the focus of all attention, with every day unfolding something new. This has meant that policy towards India and the issue of Kashmir has taken a back seat. But under the current setup, growing interest in changing gears with India and the principled stance on Kashmir raises questions.
We are seeing a new desire for peace with India and renewed hopes to move forward with the arch-rivals. Showing a desire for peace is not a sign of weakness. War brings nothing but death and destruction, and there are no real winners. No matter how ugly things get between countries, the door for diplomacy and negation is often left open.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also held out an olive branch towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke of resolving all issues, including the longstanding issue of Kashmir. But in order for peace to be achieved, the desire for peace has to be felt on both sides. India has shown no interest whatsoever in engaging in dialogue with Pakistan. Instead, India has made it very clear that dialogue will only resume on India’s terms and when India chooses to do so.
India under Narendra Modi continues to show hostility and misses no opportunity to discredit and malign Pakistan on every international forum. There has been a lot of talk surrounding “taking back Indian occupied Kashmir” and a lot of bravado for domestic consumption coming from the likes of Home Minister Amit Shah. No speech is complete without a mention of Pakistan.
And the same goes for India’s media. Majority of its content revolves around Pakistan and as expected, none of it is positive. Its media channels have been keeping a close watch on Pakistan’s political turbulence and having a field day over the many gaffes coming from Pakistan’s Prime Minister, the recent being his interview to Al – Arabiya.
If the current setup is so keen to extend a hand of friendship, it needs a reminder that the feeling is not mutual at the other end. India is more than happy to see Pakistan self – destruct and gladly watch at the side-lines. India’s objective under Modi has mostly involved the isolation of Pakistan and a petty attitude towards Pakistanis in general.
India has continued with its ban on Pakistani performers, although its industry is quite comfortable with copying music, without acknowledgement. It also continues to carry on with its policy to snub Pakistani cricketers at the IPL (Indian Premier League).
Although Pakistan successfully launched its own league (Pakistan Super League) this deliberate snub reflects the petty nature of Modi’s government. The mixture of sports and politics does not end there. The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) refuses to play Pakistan in a bilateral series. The Indian Board is taking dictation from its government and the international cricket council (ICC) has turned a blind eye to this blatant interference simply because of money talks.
India’s entertainment industry has also used its films as a propaganda tool. Kashmir Files is a classic example of how facts are distorted, and history re-written to promote your own narrative. The film was even heavily promoted by the government. Netflix’s latest release Mission Majnu is another recent example of such propaganda. The story of an Indian spy on a mission to expose a covert nuclear programme in Pakistan that could destroy the free world.
Outrageous but very typical of Bollywood. It is, however, disappointing to see such a film trending in Netflix Pakistan. It clearly shows that the Pakistani audience still has an appetite for Bollywood content, no matter how terrible or offensive it may be.
It should be highlighted that Bollywood has maintained a deafening silence on issues such as the growing hostility towards Indian Muslims or the brutality faced in Kashmir. Its superstars have chosen to look the other way and at times, even cheerleading for Narendra Modi.
But its Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir which is foggy and unclear. For the Kashmiri diaspora, the ambiguity surrounding the current Kashmir policy is a cause for concern. There are fears that an abandonment of Pakistan’s position is on the cards, if not in place already.
Any backtracking would be a betrayal of Kashmiris that have long suffered and struggled hard for their right to self-determination. The Indian government, on the other hand, claims that there is now peace and prosperity in Kashmir, with job opportunities for the youth and growing tourism. But this is far from the truth.
After revoking Article 370, politicians and activists were placed under house arrest and the internet shut down. Modi’s designs for Kashmir are not creating a prosperous environment for the people of Kashmir. The world has forgotten the plight of the Kashmiri people. It will be a great shame if Pakistan does, too.
Voices calling out for changing positions on Kashmir are getting louder, with the argument that it will benefit Pakistan economically and ease the burden on the country. In a recent article for the Express Tribune, defense analyst Shahzad Chaudhry advocated the need for Pakistan to recalibrate its policy towards India.
This defeatist attitude is dangerous and will achieve nothing for Pakistan. India’s dominance in the region and its influence on the global stage is a reality which cannot be denied. India surpassed Pakistan a very long time ago, whether we like to acknowledge it or not. But this does not mean Pakistan should abandon all principled positions and its moral obligation towards advocating for Kashmir’s right to self -determination.
And why would India want Pakistan to walk freely from the crutches of economic turmoil? Those pushing for a revised policy towards India are living in fool’s paradise with an incredibly naïve view. No doubt, other countries are busy wooing India for trade and business because it is a huge market to tap into.
This is why Twitter complied with India after it asked the social media platform, along with YouTube to remove a two part BBC documentary called India: the Modi question. The documentary looks at the role of Modi during the 2002 Gujarat riots where more than 1,000 people were killed, most of them Muslims. The documentary has been labeled a “propaganda piece” by India’s Foreign Ministry.
Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, has shown a keen interest towards investing in India, and it appears as though Musk complied with India for the sake of potential business. This is just another example of how influential India has become globally. It now finds itself in a position where it can successfully twist the arms of big social media platforms. It may be far from how the “world’s largest democracy” should behave, but it is happening.
Pakistan can find a way out of its rut without having to be India’s doormat. It can maintain its positions and keep its self-respect intact. But if India carries on with its hostile behavior, it does not mean that Pakistan should do the same. It does not have to create a toxic atmosphere or promote hate. Showing restraint is a sign of strength, not weakness. But giving up your principles for benefits that may not even bear fruit to begin with, is truly pitiful.
