How best India, Pakistan and Nepal could play a mutually beneficial role in future in the context of the recent positive developments in Pakistan and Nepal was the topic of discussion at Gandhi Bhawan Bhopal on Sunday last in a brain-storming session organized by the Swami Pranavananda Trust for Journalism.
LS Hardenia, senior journalist, the Chief Executive of the Trust introduced the subject after formally welcoming the Key-note Speaker a very senior IPS Officer and former Director General of Police KS Dhillon and other guests. The other prominent speakers included a few Nepali citizens and a small group of intellectuals of the civil society like Justice RD Shukla of MP Human Rights Commission, retired senior IAS Officer and former Collector RK Dube, Professor Zamiruddin and a couple of other who recently visited Nepal and Pakistan.
In his key-note speech KS Dhillon who recently visited Pakistan for over a week to attend an international conference there narrated his experiences on the fledgling democracy in Pakistan and the prospects of more harmonious Indo-Pak relations provided the bitterness and disagreement between PPP leader Zardari and PML leader Nawaz Sharief over the contentious issue of reinstatement of dismissed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhary and others is dissolved.
PPP's Zardari is allegedly not prepared for reinstatement of the whole lot of judiciary as proposed by Nawaz Sharief dismissed during President Parwez Musharraf's regime before elections in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharief is also reportedly not prepared for any compromise on this issue with Zardari since it is a matter of prestige for him and an important promise made in PML(N)'s election manifesto. Zardari has his own compulsions. He is very much obliged to Parvez Musharraf on many counts and he cannot therefore be blunt towards him. KS Dhillon is afraid that this tension may weaken the PPP-PML(N) coalition threatening its survival and if that ever happens, then PML(Q) (Musharraf's supporter) and MQM lurking for an opportunity may join PPP as its coalition partners in the government thus further weakening the PML(N)'. A happy outcome this time in Pakistan elections is that fundamentalist forces have been rejected by the people of Pakistan and very few of them got elected. In any case Parvez Musharraf is safe since the democratic forces in Pakistan do not enjoy 2/3rd majority in parliament to pass any amendment to the constitution facilitating removal of Musharraf. USA is also on his side and indirectly supporting PPP's Zardari too.
Dhillon further observed that people of Pakistan are as warm and hospitable as the Indians are and they also feel proud about their roots in India and their cultural and linquistic identities. The bureaucracy and political executive concede to the supremacy of India in every field -specially its strong and stable democracy- with the usual reservations on the Kashmir issue. They are also not prepared to compromise with their military might with India. They are not averse to free trading, cultural exchanges and relaxation in passport and visa facilities and frequent people to people contacts with India. Such contacts have already been there through marriages, music conferences, films, laughter shows etc. Pakistanis are anxious also to develop and stabilize long standing harmonious relations between both the countries and say good bye to intermittent war cries. The Pakistani Army for once does not seem to be overzealous in interfering with Pakistan's political executive, though incompatible among themselves, and grabbing power but are maintaining a discreet posture of wait and watch. While interacting with a cross section of Pakistani society Dhillon observed that people of Pakistan are certainly fed up of the belligerent postures of both the countries and wholeheartedly wish permanent peace, harmony and friendship with India
On Nepal's emergence as one of the youngest democracies and the impending change of power from monarchy to democracy through ballot by a majority party of Nepali Maoists who were hitherto indulging in violence against the kingdom in the name of revolution, Nepali Maoist movement's representatives reiterated their party's compulsions for ingulgence in violence since last over a decade against the kingdom and claimed that violence was the need of the hour in Nepal. The very fact that Nepalis gave a massive mandate to the Maoists justifies this was their view. They are now heading towards formation of a democratic government in Nepal and a constitution that paves the way for bloodless transfer of power from the king facilitating a federal structure in Nepal. In the debate on the role of India in this emerging democracy some felt that if India did not conduct itself diplomatically well in assuring Nepal that India is interested in its economic, industrial and infrastructural growth as well as political stability to sustain the stabilize democracy, Nepal may go China's way KS Dhillon and LS Hardenia were however of the view that since Nepal has a traditionally age-old close historical links and religious and cultural bondages, there is not even the remotest possibility of it going the China way though Nepal may still look to China for ideological guidance. Justice RD Shukla observed that India should not delay in launching some confidence building measures and also offer to contribute economically, infrastructurally and deploying skilled human resource energy in Nepal's alround development. India should play a similar role in Pakistan too on a larger and wider spectrum though the areas may be different, Shukla added.
Consensus emerged at the end that India could play a leading role in furthering its own interests not only in these two emerging democracies but also in all the Saarc Nations not as a dominant big brother but as a wise and experienced patriarch who wishes nothing but the well being of these Nations. Such interactions among the civil society can narrow down the misunderstandings about the nascent democracies, their ideologies, their relationshiops with the neighbouring democracies and bring them closer to each other for their mutual benefit.
Krishna Chander Mouli
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