We are so flexible

After India allowed the bus service between Srinagar and Muzafarabad, where terrorists can show some information scribbled on a napkin as travel documents, the General is not happy. He wants India to show more flexibility. The General has uttered the word, flexibility, atleast a dozen times now. If he utters it a few more times, we might even give up Kashmir entirely. But that can create more problems.
So the next best option would be to invite him to India and make him the Chief Guest at one of the cricket matches. It was only recently that he put the words arch enemy, while refering to India. He is also the architect of the Kargil war against India. But then if the dictator demands, flexibility, you got to give it to him, lest he sneak in more jihadis. There will be photo ops, with all the democratic leaders of India competing to shake his hands. The media will be reporting on what he ate for breakfast and supper.
“Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament he hoped the president and his family would enjoy their visit”, according to the BBC. If Musharraf decides to visit Kochi for the one dayer, Malayalaees are only too happy about it. “It would be a great honour for Kerala to host him. I personally would do my best to ensure the general visits Kochi,” Chief Minister Oomen Chandy told reporters. Heard of something called self-esteem ?
We have to deal with the leaders of every country, especially our neighbors. But that should be done based on what we stand for. A democratic India had dealt with dictators and mass murderers like Saddam Hussein and Nicolae Ceausescu. But that does not mean giving them an opportunity to hog the limelight. The best way to treat Musharraf is how Bill Clinton did on his visit to Pakistan after visiting India. There was no photo op, no public handshake, and instead Pakistanis got a lecture on democracy which was televised live. A good reference for the Indian administration is The Acorn’s cheat sheet for leaders of the democratic world.
Now during his visit, if Musharraf asks as a joke that he be allowed to raise the Pakistani flag at Red Fort, we might even allow it – that’s how flexible we are.
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