Fifteen years ago, the then head of the BJP-led coalition government, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, came riding across Wagah on the inaugural run of the Delhi-Lahore bus. He was received in Lahore amidst great fanfare by a beaming Nawaz Sharif. The February 1999 Vajpayee visit which led to the Lahore Declaration was the result of actual political will on both sides, especially India, which had begun really pushing for a diplomatic peace process in the winter of 1998 following its nuclear tests in May of the same year. When he came to Pakistan, Vajpayee was unashamed to talk about the things that needed talking about. Vajpayee wanted to talk of Kashmir, Vajpayee wanted to talk of a denuclearised South Asia, Vajpayee wanted an increased trade relationship. At the time, there was hope that bilateral relations would exponentially and permanently improve through diplomacy.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Delhi for Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony is different, though the hype in the media is similar in lauding the great beginnings of a diplomatic peace process. But that is not what the PM has gone to Delhi to do. His trip to Delhi is one thing only. It is a smart political move. Image is everything; goodwill must be seen to exist. Its the modern, progressive thing to do. There is no political agenda we are following. Everything is a presupposition thriving on the symbolism of two Prime Ministers shaking hands for a photo op. Let us remember that in February 1999, there was intent, political will and result-based thinking. Despite this, just three months later the momentum was dramatically shattered when the Kargil war broke out. Today, there are far more problematics at play; far more suspicion and mistrust on both sides. With serious accusations being hurled against RAW and ISI, with the Pak army undergoing its subtle crisis of rebellion against the government, with the NATO troop withdrawal in Afghanistan, the heated water-issue and illegal construction of dams on the Indus, a shaky democracy in Pakistan with greater, more potent militancy, and with Kashmir ever-lingering in the background, optimism is far too premature. If any real progress is to be made, it must move beyond symbolism. Cleverly, Modi has legitimised a very controversial election by having SAARC leaders, especially the Pakistani PM, in attendance at his swearing-in. Now, the way Pakistan understands diplomatic theatrics must change. We must focus on formulating policy that can withstand the echoes and shockwaves of history and the routine glitches of our complex, and mutual, political state.