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Chidanand Rajghatta
NEW YORK, SEPT 21: Amid the wailing of sirens and the flurry of VIP traffic that heralds yet another silly season for hardy New Yorkers, India and Pakistan brought their aggravated neighbourhood spat to the 54th General Assembly of the United Nations that began here today. Some 175 foreign ministers and a few heads of government have forgathered here for the annual diplomatic jamboree, but it's a cinch no one is as busy as the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan canvassing support for an issue that has begun to attract increasing attention across the world.
The Indians believe that issue is terrorism, a scourge that has its origins in the nexus between extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan and which has scorched peace and tranquility in Kashmir and is now spreading across the region.
The Pakistanis believe the problem is Kashmir, the resolution of which has been so delayed that it has led to unforeseen consequences.
Carrying their respective gospel, the two foreign ministers have chalked outsomewhat of a Brownian movement across midtown Manhattan as they have rushed to meet their counterparts from various other key countries to present their case.
Jaswant Singh, external affairs minister of a caretaker government that is all but assured of a fresh term in office, met foreign ministers from Britain, South Africa, Egypt, Cuba, Bahrain and Cyprus on Monday and the foreign ministers of Japan, Brazil, Guyana, and Russia on Tuesday, in a feat that could qualify him for the New York marathon. Pakistan's Sartaz Aziz was no less busy amid meetings lined up with the foreign ministers of China, Japan, Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Malaysia. But in an indication of how frosty the ties between the two neighbouring countries have become, the two are not seeing each other, despite attempts by the United States to bring about such a meeting (the two are separately meeting US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright later in the week).
A whole new vocabulary is now being established in thelanguage of rejection between the two countries. The Indian side says it will `examine any request from Pakistan for a meeting if it is received.' Pakistan is not about to publicly seek a meeting, but has made known its desire for talks if it puts Kashmir on the table. Indian officials ask what's the point in meeting, even if Kashmir is discussed, when Pakistan is so brazenly unapologetic about Kargil and will in any case make a song and dance about Kashmir at the General Assembly.
At each of his meetings with his counterparts, Jaswant Singh has been focusing on the issue of terrorism, a subject that has acquired a sudden resonance at this session following the targeting of Russia, a permanent security council member, by Islamic fundamentalists.
Indian officials claim that there is now an appreciation of New Delhi's stand and long suffering on this matter. Aziz is, as Pakistan does annually, focussing on Kashmir.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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