India plans 'talks about talks'

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, DEC. 21. India and Pakistan are inching towards a dialogue, but peace talks are unlikely to begin until the two sides find a way to bridge their differences over the shape of the table, say highly-placed sources in the Government.

Pakistan's insistence on ``tripartite'' talks on Kashmir - involving India, Pakistan and the Hurriyat leadership - is said to be the biggest remaining obstacle to the resumption of a full- scale dialogue in the near future.

The ``exploratory steps'' India plans to initiate with Pakistan are aimed at resolving the differences on how to structure the dialogue. In that sense, the ``exploratory steps'' are being described by diplomatic observers here as ``talks about talks''.

The Government is yet to make up its mind on the nature and form of the impending pre-negotiations. There are many channels - both formal and informal - through which ``talks about talks'' can be conducted.

The simplest one, of course, would be through the diplomatic missions. The High Commissioner in either country is a senior diplomat and fully capable of negotiating with the other Government on key issues.

The form of the conversation, however, may be less important than the substantive differences over the question of ``tripartite'' talks. Pakistan claims that an appearance at least of a ``three- way'' process on Jammu and Kashmir is an important face saver domestically for its future engagement with India.

New Delhi has already rejected the concept of ``tripartite'' talks. India can in no way countenance its own citizens sitting at a negotiating table with another nation. Further, New Delhi cannot accept the proposition that the Hurriyat is the sole representative of the popular opinion in Jammu and Kashmir.

India, however, is ready to begin parallel talks on Kashmir - one with Pakistan and the other with the various groups in Kashmir, including the Hurriyat. But New Delhi, sources here insist, will never accept a table for three.

According to diplomatic observers here, the way out may lie in the possibility of opening a third track of talks between Pakistan and the Hurriyat. The Government has already hinted that it may let those Kashmiri leaders who want to engage Pakistan travel there. The Hurriyat could always hold talks with India separately.

Beyond the differences over the shape of the table, there is the residual question of cross-border terrorism. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, acknowledged in Parliament yesterday a discernible reduction in some aspects of cross-border terrorism during the last few weeks of ceasefire.

But he also pointed to the current unacceptable levels of infiltration and violence and made a specific reference to the continuing terrorist activity by the jehadi groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

India cannot begin and conduct a serious dialogue with Pakistan in an atmosphere in which Islamabad is free to foment violence in Kashmir through the jehadi groups. Pakistan's claim that it has no control over these groups enjoys little credibility here. India would want Pakistan to rein in the jehadi groups before the talks begin.

No one in the Government is willing to specify a timeframe for concluding the proposed ``talks about talks''. But analysts here say it will be at least a month or two before the two sides complete the exploratory phase, which could then lead to a resumption of the dialogue.

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