Cricket Diplomacy and Ceasefires

Cricket Diplomacy and Ceasefires
Lalit Koul

"Don't just win the games. Win the hearts of the people as well." That was the advice Prime Minister Vajpayee gave to Indian Cricket team members before they headed off to Pakistan.

Games they definitely won. Shorter version of the series is already in the bag. Longer one might follow as well. But what about the hearts of the people? Last I checked, after winning the fifth one-day decider game and thus the limited-over series, Indian players did not go for the victory lap around the stadium. Any guesses for the reason? After losing the game Pakistanis quickly left the stadium and didn't wait for Indian team's victory lap. So much for winning the hearts of the people!

Like US President Bush, Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee will do anything and offer anything to win the general elections. There was a time, when he announced that India is going for the decisive fight against the Pakistani backed Islamic terrorists and declared "Aaar-Paar Ki Ladai". And now he recently declared that there would never be any war with Pakistan anymore. Someone please ask WHY? What has changed that makes Vajpayee so sure? Just because actors Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty danced on Pakistani stages does not mean that innocents are not getting killed anymore in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. Just because singer Shaan was able to sing some songs for Pakistani audiences does not mean that Lashkar-e-Toiba and ISI has given up the plans to blow up critical installations in India. Just because Indian cricket team beat Pakistan in the game of cricket does not mean that Jaish-e-Mohammed has folded its training camps. Who is trying to fool whom?

Vajpayee wants to win the election and no one should fault him for that. He and his party have every right to run for political offices and hope to win the elections and form the government. But they have no right to mislead the masses and propagate the blatant lies of love and peace between the two neighboring countries. Indian cricket team's wins in Pakistan do not bring peace of mind to thousands of Indian parents who continue to lose their loved ones to the Pakistani sponsored terrorism. Vajpayee's message of peace does not bring peace to more than 400,000 Kashmiri Hindus who were uprooted from their homes in Kashmir and have been living without a HOME since 1990. Vajpayee cannot go around claiming India is "Shining" while our jawans are getting killed on a regular basis.

Vajpayee's unilateral declaration of truce with Pakistan is pre-mature and unfortunate. Unilateral truces never work and we have ample history to prove that. On one hand, Vajpayee keeps giving in and on another hand Musharraf keeps raising the ante about Kashmir.

Just yesterday, in an interactive meeting with a select group of journalists, Musharraf said he would "not be a party" to the present Indo-Pak peace process if there was no forward movement especially on Kashmir by July-August this year. "If peace process does not move forward, then I will not be a party to it. If we do not move forward, I am not in the process. They know that. I told everyone absolutely unambiguously that if you think that I am here to sell Kashmir, you are talking to the wrong man," Musharraf said.

Musharraf has the audacity to put conditions on the talks while Vajpayee continues to go ahead with his offer of unconditional talks and one-sided concessions.

Just today, there are press reports that Vajpayee is going to declare another unilateral cease-fire in Kashmir. Now, he is going to make the Indian jawans in Kashmir as sitting ducks, waiting to get killed. Mahatma Gandhi used to say that if someone slaps you, you should offer your other cheek. Vajpayee has gone many steps ahead of Gandhi. He believes that if someone kills your one citizen, you should offer your another citizen as well.

What happened to Vajpayee's stand that India will not talk unless Pakistan stops supporting cross-border terrorism? Were there any external forces that forced Vajpayee's hand? Were there any back-room dealings and promises that convinced Vajpayee to relax his conditions? Is Musharraf setting a July-August deadline because he has been told by Bush and Powell to deliver Mullah Omar, Ayman Zwahari and Usama bin Laden by August, just in time for US Presidential elections?

Indian public has a right to know what is going on behind the scenes. It is their life that is in the line of fire and they need to be told what is going on.

Tom Friedman of New York Times recently wrote that it was not General Powell who convinced Vajpayee to retreat its armed forces back to peace-time positions. It was rather General Electric whose call-center operations are run by Indian companies in Bangalore. Tom Friedman was discussing how important a role the global economy plays in today's politics. That might be a good column for Americans sitting in US. But Indians know better. There is always a time in every country's history where it needs to draw a line in the sand and take tougher measures even if that means taking a big economic risk. What good is growing economy and purchasing power if one does not survive to use that purchasing power? Tom Friedman is fine with US spending billions of dollars to make the life secure for his children in US. But he is not okay with India taking harsh measures to stop Pakistan from fomenting terror in India.

India cannot afford to keep singing the peace tunes while Pakistan keeps getting billions of dollars of aid, both in kind as well as cash, from the United States. We Indians know it better that most of the foreign aid to Pakistan ends up with jehadi elements that continue to foster trouble in India. So why should Vajpayee keep releasing peace-loving doves at the cost of Indian security interests? To fool Indian electorate and win elections? I hope Indian electorate is much smarter and sees through this gimmick. It is time for Indian electorate to show its strength and demand answers from candidates from all the parties in the election fray. Each candidate should be asked hard questions about his/her plan to make India secure and stronger. Empty promises and unilateral peace-loving gestures should not work this time. Let us make this election an election about India's security and self-interests.

And lastly, please don't get me wrong. I love cricket and I loved how our cricket team beat Pakistan in Pakistan. I just wish our political leadership in North Block had the same strong spine to beat Pakistan at its own game in its own backyard. Wishful thinking?