Indo-Pak relations need more than cricket diplomacy push

Khaleej Times, Fri, April,23, 2004.

Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema


Ever since the Indian cricket team started its current Pakistan tour the question that has been frequently asked by both the Indians as well as the Pakistanis revolves around whether or not the resumption of cricketing ties could pay sufficient dividends towards the much desired normalization of relationships. Judging by the continuous demonstration of goodwill that has been witnessed during the recent series of one-day matches, it would indeed be difficult to minimize the significance of this tour. However what one should keep in mind is that the resumption of sporting ties is just one of the good confidence building measures (CBM) that can make enormous contributions but it is not a panacea for all the complex issues/disputes that effectively impede drift towards normalization. 

CBMs imply the existence of a dangerous situation that requires measures for confidence building. The main purpose of CBMs is to arrest the alarming drift towards war and reverse the trend if possible by introducing transparency, which may reduce tensions and make the atmosphere conducive for some form of cooperative behaviour. Openness can introduce qualitative improvement in the climate of distrust and apprehension, enhance understanding of the adversary’s perceptions and help establish working relationships between antagonistic states. Simply defined the term itself reflects a process of building confidence between adversaries.

To generate confidence in an atmosphere of distrust is not an easy task. Even to begin negotiations in such a situation requires political will and recognition of the dictates of the time. Since it is easier to negotiate a CBM than an agreement or a formal arms control treaty, not only the popularity and efficacy of CBMs have been on the rise but they are emerging as essential means of preventing unintended escalation and minimising the dangers of accidental war.

The Indian pull out of Asian Cricket Test Championship at the last moment in 2001 was indeed disappointing not just for the players and cricket lovers but also for all the peace promoters. While almost all concerned were sad about such an undesired decision by the government of India, it is imperative to understand why such, ostensibly somewhat childish, moves were undertaken? This question haunted many in South Asia particularly if viewed within the context of normalization process.

‘After all, sports is not the only thing the government has to think about. The country and its policies are of greater importance than sports. When we weighed national interest with sports interests we felt the scales tilted towards national interests. It was a very apt decision keeping in minds the current situation and relations between the two countries’. These were some of the reported utterances of the then Indian Sports Minister. A careful examination of these utterances along with the Indian decision not to participate, at the time, in the Asian Test Championship revealed three distinct aspects that need to be mentioned here.

First, it appeared that the Indian government was almost regularly employing the friendly cricketing exchanges as a tool of its foreign policy. Cricket matches between the two countries had not taken place since the Indian government cancelled a proposed tour of Pakistani team in 2000 and banned all bilateral cricket matches between India and Pakistan. To implement its ridiculous but well thought out and considered policy, the Indian government even went to the extent of disallowing Indian team’s participation in a one-day triangular tournament even at neutral venue such as Sharjah. 

Pakistani reaction to Indian moves was indeed much more rational. Although the initial Pakistani authorities’ reaction to Indian refusal to honor its commitment of scheduled tour of Pakistan was that they would severe all cricketing ties with India but later they modified their stance and agreed to participate in the Asian Test Championship. Indeed this was the product of rational thinking and the respect accorded to the sanctity of the multilateral tournaments. Boycotting or jeopardizing the tournaments for political reasons merely indicates the level of commitment accorded to the development of the game.

Second, the Indian decision relating to non-participation of its team in tournaments where its team may have to play against Pakistan had disappointed the game lovers both inside as well as outside the region. While the Indian government consistently defended its decision, it was subjected to biting criticism almost within the entire cricketing world. Describing the Indian pullout as a blow to all involved, the Bangladeshi cricketers, while touring Pakistan, expressed disappointment for having been denied an opportunity to play against India. Even the leading Indian cricketers were not very happy with such a decision. At the time an Indian selector stressed, ‘It is a sad day for Indian cricket. Playing Pakistan could have eased the increasing tension’.

The disappointment expressed in various quarters appeared genuine. After all Indian team has some of the best players in the world and almost all cricket lovers would love to see players like Tendulkar, Sehwag, Dravid and Ganguly batting. Not only the cancellation of Indian tour caused considerable financial losses as the Indian cricket team is one of important team that often attracts crowd as well as electronic media but the action also   damaged the Asian cricket. In addition the deprivation of the cricket lovers was indeed enormous. Almost all multilateral tournaments that are arranged by different authorities at different venues are watched by the entire world via electronic media.

Third, such decisions often tend to generate vibes and pulses that strengthen negative images. The sporting exchanges are meant to erode the negative images and highlight the positivism. After all the sportsmanship teaches us how to be fair, tolerant and accept the defeat gracefully.  It tends to popularize the commonalities and erode the incumbent level of hatred. In fact sporting exchanges can help in alleviating the situation. The existing negative images, at the time, appeared to have gained strength unnecessarily. Acts like refusing to participate in friendly tournaments lend more sustenance to the incumbent edifice of hate and distrust.

Reflective of then incumbent conditions, the Indian cricket tour of Pakistan was cancelled in 2001 but the radical transformation of conditions in 2004 facilitated and enabled the government of India not only to encourage the Indian cricket team to tour Pakistan but also instructed them to win the hearts of the people. Both the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistani President Musharraf encouraged the teams to demonstrate the real spirit of friendly contests.

There could be nothing more easy to implement than CBMs in cultural and sporting areas. CBMs are not supposed to be the decisive factor in removing major irritants or resolving disputes between two states but they certainly are useful facilitators. Since April 18 2003 when Prime Minister Vajpayee expressed his willingness to talk to Pakistan, atmosphere has been gradually improving and the spirit of cordiality and accommodation is overwhelming the people of the two countries. Floodgates of goodwill were opened at the time of arrival of the India team and in consequence the Pakistanis accorded a warm welcome to the visitors.

As stated above that CBMs in areas like culture and sports could be extremely useful in arresting the fast drift towards unwanted situations. However one has to carefully ascertain whether or not the situation is deliberately contrived and pushed towards the undesired ends or it has acquired a momentum of its own and kept rolling. The inbuilt danger in the politically contrived situation is that after the passage of sometimes, it tends to acquire its own momentum. Both situation appear to be somewhat contrived to many observers, last one for negative reasons and the current one for positive reasons. Thus it is not too far fetched to assume that the current trend may continue.

Since the inconclusive end of the Agra Summit, the Indian policies seems to be deliberately pushing the drift towards irreconcilability rather making concerted efforts to retrieve what ever little good has come out of Agra meeting.  Was it because the BJP hardliners felt that the Summit did not go the way they visualized or was it because Gen.Musharraf seemed to have emerged a clear winner in terms of media’s portrait of the Agra meeting or was it because the international community openly credited Pakistan for showing more flexibility or was it because of alliance partners were not happy embarking on path likely to lead towards normalization? Whatever were the reasons lurking underneath the then operative policies, the banning of Indian cricket team to participate in Asian Test Championship did attract condemnation and vociferous criticism even from outside the region.

The current situation is vastly different then what was prevalent in 2001.  Both sides have not only undertaken the constructive undercurrents of the measures so far announced but are also constantly demonstrating political will to carry on with the peace process.  Despite the existence of deep-seated distrust, the recent developments certainly tend to generate hope and optimism on one hand and begin the erosion of well-entrenched distrust.  While it is difficult to ignore the complexities of the incumbent edgy relationships between the two countries, the current cricket tour has certainly seem to have demonstrated the existence of strong desire for normalization among the people of India and Pakistan. Therefore it would not be too far fetched to assume that the resumption of cricketing ties has made substantive contributions towards the steady improvements in their mutual relationships.