Delhi 10/11 blast .... has all ingredients to revive "debate" on Indo-Pak ties ::: .... proof of the pudding is in the eating :::: Kashmir in Pak's unfinished agenda ... India's agenda should "end Pak-sponsored Terror"

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. 

On June 3, 2015, Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistan army chief, said: "Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition. Kashmir and Pakistan are inseparable". 

In early 2025 -- that is 10 years later - Pakistan's incumbent army chief Asim Munir spoke at length about the basic differences between Hindus and Muslims. His remarks came a few days before terror strike at Pahalgam and Hindu tourists were 'asked their names' and then shot dead.

In terms of India-Pakistan ties, a lot -- we may say - depends on the delivery level. 

Either Imran Khan or Shehbaaz Sharif may be Pakistan's Prime Minister but the diplomatic engine room regarding India or strategic matters and military engagements are always in the hands of army generals.

New too has a 'legacy' or hangover from domestic politics. It believes no Pakistani general should be considered a moderate. And it is not without good reasons.

India's Tri-Colour : A reality in Srinagar post 2019 

Take a pause. Military and Diplomacy do not matter much. Religious sentiments remain politically important in this part of the world.  There are other features. For example India-bashing sells in Pakistan politically and for Pakistan military -- trouble with India ... gives it an escape route for internal chaos, other challenges and even charges of corruption or abuse of power.

When it comes to 'kafir-land' India -- in Pakistan -- then the Fauz - the army is sacred.  For Indian Prime Ministers; the going often becomes tough while dealing with Pakistan.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP undertook a bus journey to Lahore in 1999 and Pak army responded by intrusion Kargil and in the process sabotaged peace initiatives of Vajpayee and his Pak counterpart Nawaz Sharif. 

Manmohan Singh blundered with a joint statement about Baluchistan and Narendra Modi tried evolve a wholesome package for Peace and Talks. But all that backfired.

Modi - given his macho image - needs to take a tough stance against Pakistan. And it could be stated that in 2019 general elections; perceived bravado against Pakistan had helped BJP and its pricipal vote catcher Modi garner "Hindu nationalist votes".  

The Lotus party could achieve the unthinkable goal -- crossed 300 mark in Lok Sabha. No talks is happening between two countries since 2016. Even normal diplomatic nicety disappeared more than once.

Indian cricketers lately did not shake hands with the counterparts from across the border and after winning the world championship; the team declined to take the cup from the Pakistan cricket board chief.   

Casually people say and it's not far from the fact -- till India's national elections are over 'permanently' -- now it would be unrealistic to even think of any peace talks.  

Since 1947, when India and Pakistan were born out of British India, Kashmir has been a contentious issue. 

It had Muslim population, but its then Hindu king joined the Indian union. 

The countries have had four wars (or mega military conflicts) over Kashmir and terrorism.

Pakistan terror groups and army encourage militancy in Kashmir and there are nefarious attempts to free the region from India to join Pakistan or make it a free Islamic state.   

In 2025; the clash between May 7th and 9th left many questions answered but but issues and almost new Pandora's Box was opened.  

India -- irrespective of whichever party in power - has long resisted third-party mediation on Kashmir or Pakistan-related conflicts. Trumpism has undone all that good efforts.  This not only calls for quick introspection. This called for a right message in the same coin. 

Even towering national heroes have their 'weak moments'. The social media posting from Trump exposed the 'weak' links in New Delhi-Washington ties.

  

First the Pahalgam terror act. Then India retaliates on May 6-7 post-mid night. Pakistan retaliates this time followed by heavy exchange of fire from both sides and then the sudden ceasefire. Making it most dramatic was Donald Trump’s posting on the social media. All these have come full circle. Did Trump spoil the ‘ceasefire fun’ for Team Modi and the BJP? Between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and the US President Trump – we almost had TV-anchor type competition for ‘Breaking News’.

The cycle got extended further into a new geometrical dimension. Pakistan violated Ceasefire forcing foreign secretary Misri to jump out of his bed and again address the media (the sleepless lot) saying instructions have been given to the forces to remain vigilant.  

Another question too was asked - what are the gains and loses of Operation Sindoor. 

Did Narendra Modi commit any mistake by accepting J D Vance’s request for a ceasefire? Some of the answers may remain in the womb of time but the debate will continue. However, it goes without stating that President Trump has added “problems” for his friend Narendra Modi. 

The Congress party has already suggested that Modi has been ‘tolerating’ Trump too much. It even coined a slogan "Narender ... Surrender". The slogan did not make much impact politically except Congress party's internal score keepers in Chamchagiri. But Indo-Pak tension is a reality of life.

As some one has said -- everything that occurs now has some reference to the past, prejudice and politics.  

Religion is actually more than the opium of the people. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh emerged largely because of considerations of religion. 

First, Muslims decided to part ways from Hindus to form Pakistan by carving out areas where Muslims dominated. This was 1947.

Islam as a unifying factor collapsed and East Pakistan ceded and emerged as Bangladesh with the support of India. Selfishly, today's rulers in Dhaka do not remember all that. And the one who remembers Sheikh Hasina is staying in Delhi -- running away from a country arguably created by her father. 

You may call it ingratitude, irony or even Muslim way of a betrayal saga.

But the major issue still is the Hinduism and Islam continue to play vital roles in guiding the emotions of the masses.

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Another religion - the Sikhism gained prominence in relations between India and Pakistan around 2018-19. The Hartarpur Cooridor was opened up on Nov 9, 2019.  

It's a four-kilometer corridor connecting Indian Sikhs with their holy place Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur village, where Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak ji died in 1539. But no improvement in India-Pakistan relationship was in sight.  

Now on a different plane -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his pro-Hindu party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are viewed warily in Pakistan because of their hard-line Hindu nationalist position. 

We have mentioned above how Pakistan's military was not keen on previous efforts by civilian leaders like Nawaz Sharif to improve ties with India.

Importantly; India's charge that Pakistan supports terrorism in India should not be seen as the BJP's pro-Hindu hyperbole. 

In fact, that has been the diplomatic stand for decades irrespective of governments and India has produced documented evidence to prove its version.

Even in 2017; Amarinder Singh, the Congress chief minister of Sikh-majority Punjab state and a former Indian army official, declined Pakistan's invitation to attend the Kartarpur function citing terrorism as a reason. 

"I will not go there for their ground-breaking ceremony unless Pakistan ends violence against India," he said.

ends