Imran Khan’s peace offensive

Opening up of Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims is turning out to be a major peace offensive of Imran Khan against India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually been caught in a corner with little option to ignore. Though presently the Indian government has rejected all the peace moves initiated by Imran Khan but these are motivated by political exigencies staring at Narendra Modi’s face. The Indian Prime Minister is facing general election within a few months. Any move to make peace with Pakistan will not go well for him in the elections. Not that Indian people do not want peace with Pakistan but for the fact that Modi and his party has, of late, cultivated a support constituency squarely on Pakistan hysteria. Any climb down would mean the loss of this constituency.

As things stand, Modi and his men have little to showcase in the elections as ‘achievements’ to win favor of voters in the elections. The tall promises made by Modi in the last elections have come to haunt him as he has not been able to keep even one of them. Creation of five crore jobs, depositing Rs.15 lakh in each citizen bank account, bringing back black money and teaching Pakistan a lesson—none of them was kept. As against this, Modi government took some giant steps like demonetization, increase in petrol prices and GST which common people viewed as anti-people. If the reports emanating in national press are any guidance, the overall economy of the country has taken a downslide with prices of essential commodities sky rocketing. The even more horrifying is the condition of farmers. Thousands of farmers have committed suicide in the past four and a half year rule of Modi due unbearable burden of loans and other things. Over the past some time, farmers all across the country have been protesting against government’s anti farmer policies.

Recently thousands of farmers from all the country had gathered in Delhi to agitated their problems. At the elections, these are not good indicators for the sitting government. In this backdrop Modi and his party BJP are heavily depending on some emotional card to win back the voters. Pakistan and Muslims (in India) are the only two issues on which the BJP can get together the Hindu voter. The rejection of Imran Khan’s peace moves and frenzy created in the name of building Ram temple are the only issues that can whip up religious emotions. On Tuesday, India did not invite Pakistan to the Custom meeting of the 21-nation Asia Pacific to devise common strategy to counter organized crimes such narco-terrorism, money laundering and smuggling. Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier rejected Pakistan invitation to the inaugural function of Kartarpur corridor. Then, in response to Imran’s statement that Pakistan and India could make peace if traditional enemies like France and Germany can now be so friendly, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that there can be no peace until Pakistan becomes a secular state.

But much to the chagrin of the BJP and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Imran Khan, through his peace overtures, has created a constituency among Indian masses who favor good relations over acrimony between the two countries. A variety of media concerns, through editorial comments, have appreciated Imran Khan’s dialogue offers and are terming Imran Khan as the best bet India could ever have while dealing with Pakistan. What goes to the advantage of Imran Khan is that he has the army’s support. It would be in the best interests of the people in south Asia that Narendra Modi and his party rise above elections politics, and grab the opportunity to make peace a reality in the region.