Russian President Vladimir Putin is believed to have persuaded Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to reciprocate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handshake in Bishkek last week on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
According to Pakistani sources, Khan was – predictably – quite upset that Modi didn’t fly over Pakistani airspace to reach Bishkek after asking the Pakistanis permission for the same, which was given. In fact, Khan also wrote three letters to Modi in the run-up to Bishkek, offering the hand of peace.
After all, how many times can a man say hello to you as you turn your face away?
Also read: PMs Modi, Imran Khan exchange pleasantries in Bishkek
Modi will definitely have to find a way to climb down from his Balakot angst. There is no easy way to deal with Pakistan’s policy of undermining India through cross-border terrorism.
This is why Modi will always have Bishkek. It is here, last week, that the veils finally fell from Modi’s eyes. India may be a rising power, which the world cannot ignore, but it was in Bishkek that Modi realised that in the quicksand of international politics, there are no rules. No permanent friends, enemies or acquaintances. Only plain and brutal national interest, sometimes enveloped in a bear hug, other times wreathed in smiles.
That’s why a video from Bishkek doing the rounds is important. It shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and Imran Khan in animated conversation at the SCO summit dinner, while Modi, sandwiched between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, looks straight ahead. (Chinese President Xi Jinping is sitting on Tokayev’s other side). At least in this video, and on this side of the table, there’s no conversation at all.
Did Modi wonder what Putin and Imran Khan were up to? Speculation has been rife for some time that Islamabad wants to buy Russian arms, although Moscow has told Delhi this is just to fight terror operations. Nevertheless, what was Putin, who has more than once clasped Modi warmly in his embrace, doing with India’s main enemy, Pakistan?
The importance of Bishkek is that Modi, who has been lucky so far because he has had to deal with an enervated Rahul Gandhi as his main opposition, must realise that international politics gives you no room to grandstand.
Also read: Modi’s Bishkek message to Imran Khan — forget talks until you end terrorism
If he has read his history, from Chanakya to the Treaty of Versailles, Modi must realise that nations, especially when they are down and out, must be allowed to save face.
Even when nations lose the World Cup, have to go with begging bowls to the IMF/ADB/World Bank and are constantly threatened with being put on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list, they must be allowed to survive.
Iran is a good example. On the FATF blacklist and once again in the crosshairs of the US sanctions, Iran keeps going, one step after another. Its latest weapon to deflect the oil sanctions is to call upon its old friends, the Russians, to invite Taliban leader Mullah Baradar to his first foreign visit outside Pakistan, to Moscow – incidentally, on 28 May, two days before Modi was sworn in again as prime minister.
Mullah Baradar spurned the US negotiator on the Afghan talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, and went to Moscow – no doubt, on the telling of the Pakistani generals. In one fell swoop, Russia had reinserted itself into a dialogue that the Americans have been trying, for years and years, to broker.
In Bishkek, Modi is believed to have walked up to Imran Khan – the foreign office establishments have different stories to tell their respective media, of course – upon which both shook hands and proceeded to have a brief chat in a room that appeared round the corner just at that very instant, whereupon they discussed a few things, including the hurly-burly of the Indian elections.
Also read: India can get a lot out of Bishkek — if PM Modi can remember lessons China taught Nehru
Clearly, the very carefully orchestrated messaging by both New Delhi and Islamabad is to ensure two things: In India, Modi must find a way to climb down so he can tell his own ‘karyakartas’ and favourable media why he is now talking to a country he called the enemy during the recent elections.
In Pakistan, too, a carefully affronted establishment must also tell its own favourable media why and how the dialogue with India can, will and must soon begin.
This is how the story goes in Islamabad: Putin persuaded Imran Khan to reciprocate Modi’s handshake. Khan, who is wooing Putin these days, said yes.
Putin, whose Russia has fallen from great power status to a middle-income country, knows what it means to never say no. In Dushanbe, one day after Bishkek, Putin gifted Xi Jinping a box of Russian ice-cream for his 66th birthday, while Xi told Russian news agency Tass that Putin is his “best and bosom friend.”
Also read: From principles to pragmatism: Five ways Modi has changed India’s foreign policy
Certainly, Modi wouldn’t like Putin being chummy with either Imran Khan or Xi Jinping – both Pakistan and China are India’s enemies, remember?
That’s why Modi will – or must – always remember Bishkek. It was here, in this small Central Asian town, that illusion gave way to pragmatism. It is here that the veils fell. As he smiled sweetly at Imran Khan – who was seen cosying up to Putin, Modi’s best friend – Modi probably realised that the world is a really tough place.
Perhaps the PM has gotten used to dealing with a weak opposition that can’t even put together a leader in the Lok Sabha. But Putin, Xi, Imran Khan and his generals or Donald Trump – who Modi meets later this month in Osaka – are cut from a different cloth. Clearly, Modi has his foreign policy work cut out.
Why should india alws show generosity in world platform? We are not NEHRU anymore. Modi is our democratic HITLER… And we won’t tolerate such non sense participants in SCO whose soldiers do mujra like hijra and Sends militants to kill kashmiri brothers and sisters. The world must understand that we believe in “DEFENSIVE OFFENSE” , So if necessary surgical strikes at LAHORE ,Karachi will be done before the dates . We honor guests but we defy betrayal… Pakistan was once part of India and has taken lots of aids from INDIA and yet they have no regards . This country has no right to be recognised as a country. Its a swarm of Terrorism. They are a black blot of Islam.
Speaking about DOVAL… Mark my words “NIGHTMARE OF PAKISTAN HAS JUST STARTED”
What’s imagination! It seems editorial stuff is to damage image of India and particularly Modi, elected PM. This paper is dam and no historical authority to write like they have written. Rotten article by a rotten sold out media.
Must say a very well analysis by writer problem is that most of indians who are saying sh*t about writer are the ones who support violence and they really dont have any vision living with blind mindset its 21 century. By invading in pakistan and disturbing our peace how could you think that every time you guys can peace easily.? All the matters which are between pakistan and india has just try to create this thing with your neighbours individually and you guys would realise many things that might help you out in realising all this… The only solution have is resolve the problems at table otherwise things will get much worsen than this… Try to think out of box once before doing any comment.
What do you mean by resolve problems ? Give Kashmir to Pakistan or reinstate Mughal Rule ?
Referendum
Astonishing comments by Modi supporters. Shows the inferiority complex they suffer from. Mature people don’t respond to articles in this manner. If you don’t agree with the author, don’t make it a question of life and death.
Highly immature people.
She says story is based on Paki sources. We have every right to question the author’s blind trust in Pakis who are famous for their lies and deceit.
Please attend a course in reading comprehension. The Pakistani sources she refers to is only for Imran being upset because Modi chose not to overtly Pakistan airspace. It’s another matter that Pakistan is only creating problems for itself by banning flights to India from its airspace. So Modi was right in refusing Imran’s offer.
The rest of the article has nothing to do with the sources.
appreciate…
ayaz you mind your business no need to poke your nose here … your above comment shows your mental bankruptcy
Calling almost every one immature just shows your lack of intellectual capability. We didnt abuse her here (like PAKI trolls) , we actually gave her reasons why her article is miles away from reality and gave some valid points to support our argument. Now what u have done here is by calling us JUST immature and not supporting your argument with facts u have made fool out of yourself. Strategic affairs are not based on PEACE and OPTICS. Get out of this bubble and u will be capable of debating with us.
Dammit…I read the complete article. The article is a sham, author is immature. An editor trying to be an analyst. An Indian believing the stories coming from Pakistan sides. Today their PM called Rabindranath Tagore quote as Kahlil Gibran. They are taught they won battle of 1965,1971 and 1999. Before an agreement they released the statement of getting loan from ADB. The PM of India is invited as a special guest after SCO. India has increased tariffs on 29 US imports. The bilateral deal between India and China has strengthened as export of 151 products from India to China. Maldives have stopped a China project. Bhutan has given a warning to China on doklam. Ministers are reaching their office at 9:30. Some people can write good English and they start thinking they know governance, better foreign policies than countries think tanks and the reader know nothing what is going on in the world. No one is a fool here. Author needs to come out of her election PTSD.
Shastri gave face saver and also stratrgic haji pir pass at Tashkent. Indira Gandhi returned 90 k soldiers without settling Kashmir… The results are known as face saver provided by prithviraj Chauhan.
One day, journalism will go beyond school essay-writing. Will start reading editorial pieces then. Till then, good bye.
It’s stupid to believe Pakis don’t have agents among our journalists. They have always been better than us in the game of lobbying. The journalists we ignore thinking stupid liberals are actually on the payroll of ISI. This woman is no different.
Its these So called World Leaders who realized INDIA is NOT IRAN , we DONT BEG and MODI is not RAHUL or NEHRU
🙂 Well, I too get that feeling sometimes but then the likelihood of their being on Sonia’s payroll are much higher. This is the ho-halla type journalism not even pretending that some substance, some intellect should come through in an opinion piece. This is not how the old India Today way of journalism was from where Shekhar Gupta is coming.. However expect more; their skin is thick and the potential rewards too tempting.
This journalist routinely appears on Paki channel discussions and the Pakis treat her very fondly. She herself says in the article that it’s completely based on her Paki sources . She is willing to blindly believe Pakis who are famous for their lies and propoganda. What could be the reason for her blind trust in Pakis !!
Since when Imran has become Global leader? What a shitty article!
Looks like you guys have no clue about international politics and nation’s safety. Its not PM who decides the aeroplanes’ way to destination. It is handled by NSG and other security agencies, far more qualified in such affairs. Stop writing shitty articles.
Auther of this bin article probably have left analysis of politico topology and happenings of Eurasian and Russian politics in relation to USA. Americans used Pakistan to create and operate Taliban that broke USSR. So, the author’s compliment to Imran Khan making Puttin a tame politician, cozing up with Imran is obscure and must understandt Imran is just moving into the steps carved by his army generals, which Putin never endorse. Pakistan clearing air space for Indian PM or writing series of letters to PM Modi to begin talks just don’t impress strong and seasoned leader PM Modi. Now Pakistanis must close their terror operations and network or Indian will see to it to break into Pakistani side to destroy terrorists camps.
What kind of a childish comments are made by Jyoti? Does she think that readers are school kids who did not understand international diplomacy? Is international diplomacy such a purile stuff As described by Jyoti? ThePrint should seriously review if it is worth publishing such article, lest it loses its own credibility. Jyoti may be good old friend of Shekhar but that hardly matters…
So many in denial, refuse to see the facade of Modi and end up falling for his lies and meaningless rhetoric. Modi is a product of PR and hate propaganda, not the intellectual dynamic PM this country has been fooled to believe.
Its the DAMN INTELLIGENT HINDU PUBLIC WHO VOTED FOR HIM , they DONT ALLOW their SOULS to be HARVESTED for some RICE BAGS , this country was , is , will always be HINDU STAN
I was enjoying all the comments wrote by true patriots of India. I stopped reading after running through the first three lines.
If I am in your position jyothi, I will stop writing after reading all the comments and start some other career
I think THEPRINT has to come out of the old lutyen way of arm twisting. I am confident that these tactics wont work. first the author should do a SWAT analysis first on them. please change along with time and rewrite lutyen rules. otherwise you will be sent to oblivion by the resurgent Indians.
At least, this inane article helped me appreciate the immaturity of strategic thought in india. Not talking to Pakistan is about not engaging in false negotiations. Talks are not an end to anything. We want Pakistan to make irreversible actions, so their words have real meaning. None of this has anything to do with saving face (which is perhaps the most ridiculous idea in this article). National interests are beyond such immaturity. How is such immaturity permitted for publication?