What should be India's Response to Pakistan

The recent position taken by PM Modi and Sushma Swaraj is to be applauded. Finally India is showing some spine. However, it needs to be taken a step further.

Pakistan has to be put in its place. It has and continues to be a hostile and aggressive neighbour behaving like a five year old child who is adamant that Kashmir belongs to it and it will never give in. It is like a child that cannot be reasoned with. India's message to Pakistan ought to be, “go to your time out corner, when you exhibit mature behaviour and India concurs, then and only then will there be bilateral talks. Until then India should break off all diplomatic and political interaction and communications. There are good people in Pakistan and it would benefit both countries if there are cultural, sports exchanges, cross border visits and business. Facilitate applications via web based applications. Apply on-line for a fee. It gets vetted and if approved, visa is granted upon arrival. By all means back channel discussion can continue. But from an official standpoint India treats Pakistan as “persona non grata”.

India's Stance on Kashmir:

India's stance on Kashmir has a lot to do regards the situation in Kashmir. In the past the approach seems to have been, we can talk, we will, we wont discuss Kashmir. Oh no we will discuss anything but Kashmir. At least that is the perception people have. It appears like a wishy washy approach to an issue that Pakistan and India has never agreed upon. So how should India go about addressing this disagreement?

Thanks to PM Modi's administration India has forcefully declared that Kashmir belongs to India, no ifs and buts, that is it. Any mention to the contrary has to be responded with, “Kashmir is an integral part of India”. This is the official party line and ought to be repeated as often as necessary if the topic is broached by any state or non-state party. However, it needs to be taken a step further.

India should clearly state that India will not discuss Kashmir with any external party. That means it will not be discussed with Pakistan, or the UN or other external wannabe interlocutors. In this matter any discussion on Kashmir is “off the table.” Issues in Kashmir are strictly internal affairs and it is India's business to resolve. Any suggestion/approach by an external party ought to be responded with, “Sorry, Kashmir is an integral part of India, India will not entertain any discussion on Kashmir.” This has been the communicated to Pakistan by the Modi administration. It has to be taken further and leads to the next step.

India should politely refuse any discussion on this matter in the UN forum. India's position is that the past is the past. In the present context, with the new leadership, this is not an external issue that India will participate in the UN. The UN may bring this issue and discuss it, but India will not participate and will deny any resolution contrary to India's stated position.