'Friendship Train' blast firms Indo-Pakistani peace effort

The recent demented attack on the Indo-Pakistan 'Friendship Train' in Northern India has had the unexpected effect of strengthening Indo-Pakistani friendship ties rather than strain them.

In a remarkable show of solidarity and goodwill in the context of terror attacks on either soil, the regional giants who are usually seen as feuding by many, gave ample indication that the peace process between them would be perpetuated, notwithstanding the brutal train blast which claimed more than 60 Indian and Pakistani lives.

This is proof that the policy and decision-makers on both sides of the Indo-Pakistani border are putting the longer-term interests of both countries and indirectly those of the South Asian region, before short-term political gain, which has been more the norm in the past on security and law and order issues. Besides scathing pronouncements by both, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, condemning the train bombing but refraining from pointing an accusing finger over their respective borders at each other, the clearest indication the region had that the Indo-Pakistani peace process was the foremost need for both countries was Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri's decision to go ahead with his trip to India for talks on collaboration in technical fields between the countries. "I will be leaving tomorrow for Delhi to further the peace process. In fact, if at all, we should hasten the peace process", Kasuri was quoted saying.

Such policy positions would not only have the effect of strengthening Indo-Pakistani relations but prove a major boon to the South Asian region as a whole, on account of the pivotal role enjoyed by the Indo-Pakistani equation in the development of SAARC solidarity and well-being. After all, "cross border terrorism" has always proved a spoiling factor in Indo-Pakistani relations. This time round, however, the South Asian giants are refraining from engaging in mutual recriminations but are resolute on forging ahead with their peace process. In fact, the Pakistani Foreign Minister had not only arrived in India and visited the injured from the bomb blast in hospital, but finalized a nuclear accord with his Indian counterparts, among other matters. The accord has to do with the reduction of nuclear armed accidents by the neighbouring nuclear powers. Reports also said that bilateral talks centred on reducing the states' troop presence on the Siachen glazier on their disputed border.

The "Friendship Train" blast roughly coincides with the first year commemoration of the Mumbai train bombings which claimed a huge number of mainly Indian lives. The Mumbai carnage had the discouraging impact of slowing-down the Indo-Pakistani peace process which was launched at the beginning of 2004. This development fell into the familiar pattern of improving Indo-Pakistani bilateral ties suffering a setback each time major terror attacks occurred on the soil of either of the states. The tendency right along on both sides of the border has been to look suspiciously at each others state agencies in terror attacks within their countries. Consequently, inter-state relations suffered considerably.

This time round, however, it is the "Friendship Train", a symbol of bilateral peace, which has been savaged. Perhaps, the sheer horrendousness, inhumanity and above all mindlessness of terror is being recognised by both sides very decidedly. An attempt has been made to destroy something that is intrinsically good and ennobling: that is, friendship and goodwill between two states. Only those seized with mindless hatred would want to destroy something of this kind.

It is apparently on these considerations that India and Pakistan are closing ranks as never before against terror and are resolving to soldier on with the peace process. It is a moment of truth for both sides, which the US-led 'War on terror' has not been able to engender. The manic destructiveness of fundamentalist terror is being recognized by South Asia's foremost states and they are saying an emphatic 'no' to it.

This development could have the effect of quickening the Indo-Pakistani peace effort on account of the recognition that a continuation of strained relations between the states could open more and more opportunities for those obsessively intent on perpetrating fundamentalist terror in the South Asian region.

A coming together of India and Pakistan to fight terror in a more concerted fashion, could compel terror groups in the region to look at political means of resolving their disputes.