The hot topic in India now is LK Advani’s resignation as the president of BJP. Known as a hardline Hindutva nationalist, his trip to Pakistan and his comments venerating Jinnah, the force behind the division of British India into India and Pakistan caused quite a controversy in many circles.
News article 1
News article 2
News article 3
News article 4
I have an opinion on this. For me, it is obvious, the catalyst for this is the USA. US wants democratic India to play a larger role in the region, for their own self interest to balance China and to aid in the fight against terrorism. The biggest obstacle for this and a possible permanent UN Security Council seat for India is the Kashmir issue. By resolving the Kashmir issue, Pakistan will also be more stable and can eliminate the support locals give to terrorists. So it is in the interest of US to achieve peace in Kashmir.
Currently, Indo-Pak relations and the Confidence Building Measures are at their best in several years. Who else to legitimize these measures and to assure the Pakistanis a future BJP government will not derail any progress that is made now. I bet US Secretary of State Condi Rice when she visited India, pushed for BJP heir-apparent Advani to go to Pakistan and to do what he did. I do not think Advani gains anything politically by doing this. His chances of becoming the Prime Minister does not improve from this. I think he did this for purely pragmatic reasons, to help resolve the Kashmir issue and to move India forward to a place where she belongs.
Email
me
