Don't Make Ranting Talks about War: Commentary

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Don't Make Ranting Talks about War: Commentary

The recent tense situation between India and Pakistan has aroused extensive attention from the international community. The renewal of sabers rattling between India and Pakistan not only endangers the peace development between the two countries, but also poses war threats to the security and stability in the South Asian region.

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The recent tense situation between India and Pakistan has aroused extensive attention from the international community. India charged Pakistan with conniving at the religious extremists in Kashmir, consequentially inflicting on India one terrorist attack after another. The Indian side recently indicated that it would wage a "decisive battle" with the religious extremists and terrorists in the Kashmir region; while Pakistan rejected the above-mentioned charge and expressed its willingness to continue dialogs with India, but it also indicated that it would defend the country at all cost.

The renewal of sabers rattling between India and Pakistan not only endangers the peace development between the two countries, but also poses war threats to the security and stability in the South Asian region.

Although the present India-Pakistan conflict enshrines the presentation of attacks on religious extremists and terrorists, the long-standing unresolved Kashmir issue, however, remains the root cause of the conflict.

The Kashmir question is the most sensitive link in the chain of Indian-Pakistani contradiction and is the core of disputes between the two countries. India and Pakistan had gone to wars many times over this issue and there had been frequent skirmishes. Since the Kashmir issue involves complicated matters concerning territory, religion and history, the attempt by any side to settle the question by force is contrary to what one wishes.

It goes without saying that peace is in the fundamental interests of India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan, two big countries in the South Asian region and both belonging to developing nations, are faced with the urgent tasks of developing their own economies and improving the lives of their people.

Ranting about war can only aggravate hostility, and is unhelpful to a peaceful solution of the question. The people's misery and suffering and economic recession brought about by war are hardly bearable by any belligerent party. Furthermore, both India and Pakistan have nuclear arsenals. Even local "limited war" can possibly entail inestimable disastrous consequence to the South Asian region. In view of this, only persistence in dialogs and peace is it in keeping with the long-term interests of the people of India and Pakistan and of the region.

At present, the anti-terrorist struggle in the South Asian region has provided a new opportunity for India and Pakistan to expand cooperation. Terrorist activities are the scourge of humanity, as well as an obstacle to the development of India-Pakistan relationship. The terrorist activities carried out by extremist forces in the region not only cause enormous harm, but also contain complex, evil political intention.

In light of the current characteristics of internationalization of terrorism, it is advisable for India and Pakistan, on the anti-terrorism issue, to forget their past grievances, and engage in consultation and cooperation, thereby making this facilitate the improvement of their bilateral relations and relaxation in the regional situation. Contrarily, intensifying contradictions can only give terrorists and extremist forces more opportunities to exploit.

Due to the influence of various internal and external factors, India and Pakistan need to exert greater efforts for the solution of the Kashmir issue. So long as both sides respect each other, enhance trust and persist in consultations, it will be possible for them to live together in peace.

Currently, the hundreds of millions of South Asian people are longing that India and Pakistan can respond to the appeal of the international community, give up the threat of force, choose the road of peace talks, so that the war-torn South Asian region can shake off the shadow of war.

By People's Daily Online

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