Sudheendra Kulkarni says when it comes to Kulbushan Jadhav silence is not golden

Sudheendra Kukarni at the Observer Research Foundation ORF office in South Mumbai PicAtul KambleMumbais Sudheendra Kulkarni chairman Observer Research Foundation ORF was aide to Indias former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the PMO between 1998 and 2004 Kulkarni was the target of a Shiv Sena attack in 2015 where his face was smeared with black ink for organising the book launch of former Pak foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri As the IndoPak climate is currently fraught with Kulbushan Jadhavs case putting it on boiling point Kulkarni says silence is not golden in fact it is in silence that war drums beat the loudestAn interviewOn the controversy surrounding the visit of Kulbushan Jadhavs mother and wife to PakistanKulkarni The manner in which Kulbushan Jadhavs mother and his wife were treated in Islamabad has understandably angered the people in India If Pakistan wanted to show this visit as a humanitarian gesture it did not achieve its purpose Through insensitivity or ignorance about Hindu culture it has hurt the feelings in India However if there is one silver lining in this bitter episode it is that Pakistans foreign office has said this is not the last meeting So Jadhavs mother and wife may get to meet him again This meeting should be truly a meeting ndash with no glass partition and without repeating the earlier mistakes In any case the best solution to this controversy is that Pakistan should send Jadhav back to India safely and at the earliest This will be a good confidencebuilding and trustpromoting measure It will remove this major obstacle in the path of IndoPak relationsSignature campaign at Shivaji ParkWhy still insist on talks when such incidents means every time you think there is a step ahead we take two steps backKulkarni Yes you are right Incidents like these derail the dialogue process Nevertheless there can be no substitute to talks We cannot stand still In the absence of talks our bilateral ties will be pushed back further Going backwards means worse consequencesmore conflicts even a new war We have had four wars and five nearwar situations in the past 70 years Wars have not solved any problem Rather they have created new problems Now that both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons a new war can have catastrophic consequences for both countries Therefore only serious sustained and resultoriented dialogue on all the outstanding issues including terrorism and Kashmir can normalise IndiaPakistan relationsPoster at Shivaji ParkStill insisting on talks with Pakistan a terror supporter who can never be trustedKulkarni Pakistan has supported terrorism against India as its state policy It has paid a heavy price as a consequence Terrorism fuelled by religious extremism has killed over 50000 men women and children mostly Muslims in Pakistan itself acircAcircu00c2u0094Acircu00c2u0080 far many more than in India Many people in Pakistan including sections of the political and military establishment are alarmed by this dangerous selfcreated phenomenon Pakistans army has begun a war on terror Negatively it has not so far touched those terror groups targeting India But when it comes to trusting our neighbour we should know that there is a similar view in Pakistan Many Pakistanis ask How can we trust India India has betrayed us in the past India broke up Pakistan by supporting the liberation of Bangladesh Even now important Indian leaders openly talk of further breaking up Pakistan Moreover India refuses to discuss Kashmir with us Therefore there is a lot of trustdeficit on both sides And both countries should make sincere efforts to remove this mutual mistrustAvanti l and Chetankul r mother and wife of Kulbushan Jadhav in Islamabad PicAFPMany Indians have stopped sympathizing with Paks we are the biggest victims of terror theory After all it terror is of their own makingKulkarni Again you are right Yes terrorism and religious extremism are Pakistans own making But they are now endangering Pakistans own peace stability socioeconomic development and survival In this context we need to look at a recent statement by Pakistans army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa that he is ready to support his countrys political establishment in their efforts to improve relations with India We should not cynically dismiss such positive signalsWorkers of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena protest against the illtreatment of Kulbushan Jadhavs family in Pakistan in Jammu PicPTIChetankul Jadhav wife of Kulbushan Jadhav in Islamabad PicAFPCatch up on all the latest Mumbai National and International news hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go