The
four speeches that the Narendra Modi government has delivered from the podium
of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) clearly tell where it began on
Pakistan and where it stands now.
The
first one, in September 2014, was addressed to the UNGA by Narendra Modi while External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj delivered the other three, including the latest
one on September 23, 2017.
And
when we go through them for the Pakistan specific portions, we can clearly see
a trend - that how India first gave its rogue neighbour a chance to mend its
ways and stop sponsoring terror into India - and then how it was compelled to
take a tough, non-compromising position after seeing that Pakistan was beyond
redemption.
After
his government's inaugural in May 2014 where Narendra Modi had invited
Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif along with other SAARC leaders, he did
try and gave Pakistan several chances until January 2016 when terrorists who
had come Pakistan attacked Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab.
Though
India had cancelled secretary level talks in August 2014 over Pakistan's
stubborn attitude to include Kashmiri separatists in bilateral talks, India
really never closed the doors until Pathankot happened.
Modi
and Sharif met in November 2014 in Kathmandu during the SAARC Summit, then on
the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Ufa in July 2015, in Paris in November 2015
on the sidelines of the Climate Change Conference and in December 2015 when, in
an unprecedented friendly gesture, Narendra Modi took a detour while en route
to Delhi from Kabul and landed in Lahore to meet and greet Nawaz Sharif on his
birthday on December 25.
And
the language of Modi's UNGA speech on September 27, 2014 reflects that. The
speech that mentioned Pakistan four times and terror 18 times said that "Modi
was prepared to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a
peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism, to promote friendship and
cooperation" adding that, "however, Pakistan must also take its
responsibility seriously to create an appropriate atmosphere for bilateral
dialogue."
India's
2015 speech at the UNGA though put Pakistan directly in the dock for sheltering
terrorists and spoke forcefully of Pakistan's illegal occupation of Kashmir, it
didn't mention Pakistan more than three times in hopes that sense could still
prevail in the mindset of the Pakistani ruling elite. Addressed by Sushma
Swaraj on October 1, 2015, the speech
said that "India remained open to dialogue but talks and terror could not
go together."
She
added in speech where she mentioned terror 19 times, "Let us hold talks at
the level of NSAs on all issues connected to terrorism and an early meeting of
our Directors General of Military Operations to address the situation on the
border. If the response is serious and credible, India is prepared to address
all outstanding issues through a bilateral dialogue."
But
Pakistan had other evil intentions. So, in spite of Narendra Modi's courageous
step to heal India Pakistan ties, it backstabbed India just after a week, when
terrorists, suspected to be from the United Jihad Council and Jaish-e-Mohammed,
Pakistan based terror groups, attacked Pathankot Air Force base on January 2,
2016.
It
has been a downward curve in India Pakistan ties since then with relations
coming to a freeze. Pakistan's nefarious designs did the same with the
Pathankot attack probe like it has done with 2008 Mumbai terror attacks probe -
absolutely nothing. Instead, it instigated a new wave of unrest in Kashmir by
declaring the terrorist Burhan Wani a martyr and financially and military supporting
separatists and terrorists.
The
2016 UNGA speech by Sushma Swaraj on September 26, 2016 that mentioned Pakistan
six times bore the signs of frustration and the subsequent realization. The
speech summed up India's efforts to reach out to Pakistan, like Modi's
gestures, and how Pakistan backstabbed - "And what did we get in return?
Pathankot, Bahadur Ali, and Uri."
The
speech that also mentioned terror 18 times then warned Pakistan in no unclear
terms, "My firm advice to Pakistan is: abandon this dream. Let me state
unequivocally that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will
always remain so."
And
2017 only builds on that realization. Sushma's address to the UNGA on September
23 in New York mentioned Pakistan 16 times and terror 20 times and said that
"Pakistan seemed only engaged in fighting India." Sushma speech that
spent 655 words on explaining Pakistan's double-dealings and treachery held Pakistan
responsible for the aborting the peace process between the two countries.
Clearly
making a distinction between the two countries and showing Pakistan its real
place Sushma said Pakistan had become a hopeless case and it had nothing to
offer to the world and indeed to its own people apart from terrorism.
©SantoshChaubey