THE SUMMIT COLLAPSES.

FURTHER READING:
A Monument of Hope
Filed on July 14th 2001.

India blames Pakistan, Pakistan blames India and the world media blames Kashmir. Whatever the reasons maybe, the Agra Summit collapsed late Monday as both sides failed to agree on a joint Resolution mainly on the point of Kashmir.

After the much hype that the summit generated, there is now an uneasy calm and silence prevailing as the southasians are puzzled at what the future holds for them.Pervaiz Musharraf is back in Islamabad; strong as ever, AB Vajpayee in Delhi with his coalition surviving, while Kashmir is in flames asusual.

If the leaders remain unshaken, one wonders who has actually lost Agra? One analyst Rajmohan Gandhi (Gandhi's Grandson) said that "Its the people of Southasia that have lost!" Surely we have lost yet another opportunity to clear the Fog of War that has overshadowed our two nations ever since Independence.

We now analyse the series of events in Agra that led to the Deadlock and ultimately the Collapse of the Summit.

SERIES OF EVENTS

It all seemed well untill Monday morning when the two leaders had a 85 mins long seating originally scheduled to last only half an hour! We are not sure what went on behind close doors as there has been no Official word but in a Press Conference the Indian Spokesperson delibrately omitted the Kashmir Issue which upset the Pakistani President who later went onair in a press conference and made some rather harsh remarks on Pakistan's standing on Kashmir.

This press conference is considered to have played a major role in provoking a cold Indian response in the next round of talks later on Monday. While the two leaders did agree on the agends of resolution, the Indian Bureaucracy however did not! It was thus on a bureaucratic level that India made its point that "You Cannot come to India and talk of our misdeeds in our own Country". The President's press conference has been widely criticised in Pakistan aswell as being undiplomatic and untimely, with a senior politician remarking "You dont go and talk to the press on such delicate Issues while being in a closed-door session".

Pervaiz Musharraf's showed signs of tension and frustration as he left for the airport in Agra, and some signs of anger as he was later recieved by Pakistan's Top Brass at Chaklala airport near Islamabad. From what happened at Agra it is clear that the two sides are unwilling to show any flexability on their stands on Kashmir, atleast not as yet. Also, what India may not realise is that they have turned down not just a peace initiative from Pakistan but they have also turned back a Pakistani General, the Most Powerful ever who is surely frustrated and annoyed at what happened at Agra.

THE AFTERMATH

Our Intelligence reports confirm that the Generals are already having second thoughts on the Peace Initiative and we could expect the same response from the Indian side aswell which might result in fresh voilence in the Kashmir Valley.

There is still a chance for Peace as PM AB Vajpayee has accepted the invitation to visit Islamabad and the pakistani side might hold on till that round of talks later this year but today's scenario surely qualifies for another Kargil waiting to happen.

Filed on July 17 2001.