India Pakistan Call for People to People Contacts:Perspectives

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Perspectives on the entire gamut of India Pakistan engagement from people to people, Track Two to official dialogue and crisis management.

One year after Operation Sindoor and the ghastly Pahalgam terrorist attack, there is a call for opening people to people contact between India and Pakistan.

This comes even as in multiple reviews a year after Sindoor there is a common view in strategic circles that Pakistan is unlikely to give up terrorism as a state policy.

The case for people to people contacts has been made by some influential voices in the country. The debate was opened by top RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale on May 12 stating that people-to-people contact could break the current deadlock in India Pakistan freeze. "That should be tried more and more now," he said in an interview to PTI Videos. "This is the one hope I think, because I believe strongly that ultimately the civil society relations (will work). Because we have a cultural relation and we have been one nation," he said. 

"The security and self-respect of a country have to be protected and the government of the day should take care of it. But at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them in a dialogue," he said. Trade and commerce, issuance of visas should not stop, because "there should be a window (open) always for a dialogue", he added indicating that diplomatic relations continue for that very reason.

A day after former army chief Gen Manoj Naravane supported RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale's suggestion of people to people talks.

"Even our people should know that those staying across the border are not sworn enemies," the former army chief said. 

“Disputes should be resolved through discussion, but this does not mean we cannot use military force. India is a country that speaks the language of peace but we will not hesitate to use force if needed," Naravane added. 

Ironically during the same period a former Western army commander Lt Gen Manoj Katiyar who was in the chair during Operation Sindoor said Pakistan’s military establishment continues to view proxy warfare as a low-cost strategic tool against India and is unlikely to abandon terrorism as an instrument of state policy despite repeated setbacks. He was speaking at an event “Op Sindoor 2.0: Lessons, Strategy and Prognosis”, organised by Lucknow-based strategic think tank STRIVE India with the support of HQ Central Command

Indeed Mr Hosabale and General Naravane have called for is people to people engagement and not official talks between the two countries.

The calls for people to people contacts comes even as the spectacle of Indian and Pakistan cricket teams refusing the traditional handshake after a recent series of cricket matches received much traction.

That was some time back, public memory seems to be short despite the gory images of Pahalgam.

A word of caution may be in order as despite the socio cultural and human rationale of people to people contacts, exploitation of these by the Pakistan Deep State to induct Trojan Horses in Indian civil society is a live concern.

This may lead to a degree of caution in issuing visas and lead to a long process which may seem self-defeating. The case of Afghanistan is clear. While India has established an active relationship with the Taliban regime in Kabul despite past legacy of antipathy, issuance of visas remains a trickle with apprehensions in the security quarters. For Pakistan it is anticipated that there could be even more restrictions.

On the larger issue of holding talks between the two governments, the case only rests on crisis management communications beyond the current DGMOs telephone contacts made every Tuesday.

There are reports of former Army generals and retired diplomats from the two sides meeting twice in the last three months in Qatar and possibly Bangkok as indicated by the Indian Express.

While such communication cannot be frowned at, there should be realistic expectations of outcomes from what some commentators termed as ‘junkets’.

The control of the Deep State in Pakistan on views expressed by its interlocutors makes the outcome of Track 2.0 dialogue sub optimal in the larger context of an exercise in exchanging ‘free and frank’ views to rebuild ties.

As for formal India Pakistan dialogue, there is a long way to go with the regime in Rawalpindi in a mood of triumphalism post the Trump dividend and is unlikely to be in a frame of engagement officially with India and so will New Delhi be with the current policy of not mixing terror and talks.