India Has Courage for Surgical Strikes, But Not Talks With Pakistan: Aiyar

Former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday criticised the BJP-led Centre for refusing to engage in dialogue with Pakistan, saying India had shown the courage to conduct surgical strikes but lacked the willingness to sit across the table and resolve outstanding issues.

Speaking at the fifth ‘Halla Bolle’ conclave here, Aiyar suggested that India and Pakistan could hold talks at the Attari-Wagah border, allowing both sides to maintain dialogue without either delegation having to cross the border.

“We seem to have the courage to go into surgical strikes with them. Why don't we have the courage to sit across the table with them?” he asked.

Aiyar said arguments over past disputes did not constitute foreign policy and called for sustained dialogue to determine which issues could be resolved and which would have to be kept aside temporarily.

“Wherever a resolution emerges, let us take action on that. And whatever hasn't been resolved, just postpone it,” he said, advocating continued engagement until circumstances became conducive for addressing unresolved matters.

He argued that India was being “seen as hypocritical” because it tells the international community that this is not an era of war while engaging in military conflict with Pakistan.

“Sensible countries talk to each other; stupid countries don't talk to each other,” Aiyar said, while referring to the continued diplomatic engagement between the United States and Russia during periods of tension.

On domestic politics, Aiyar said the national political environment could change if the non-Hindutva political parties united. Referring to the INDIA bloc, he claimed greater consolidation in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls could have altered the political outcome.

He also said Kashmir’s political aspirations needed to be part of discussions, arguing that dialogue should involve Srinagar, Jammu and the people on the streets, alongside the governments of India and Pakistan.

Aiyar further criticised India’s diplomatic approach towards China and the US, questioning whether joining the Quad had advanced the country’s stated objective of strategic autonomy.