India Can't Rise Warring with Pakistan

Pakistan is no longer characterised by anti-India fanatics and, despite the widespread problem of terrorism (which is also becoming a major threat for Pakistanis themselves) and the history of enmity between our two countries, there is a growing constituency in Pakistan which wants to live in peace with India. It is also important to remember that if India has to emerge as a major power in the 21st century, we cannot remain a country living in tension with any of its neighbours.

Some facts related to Pakistan should be of value in determining India's attitude to that country. Firstly, there is clear evidence that the ideology of jihad apparently does not hold as much appeal for the average Pakistani as it did, say, five years ago. This, of course, does not minimise the threat that the Taliban or al-Qaeda and several other organisations opposed to peace and security in that country pose to India. But it would not be an exaggeration to say that perhaps the widespread appeal that these organisations had and the success they had achieved in recruiting volunteers for their distorted cause have clearly declined.