The India-Pakistan relationship was born under the star of controversy and suspicion. The advent of Islamist terrorism further aggravated the relationship as India, especially Jammu and Kashmir, became the target of terrorist attacks. Most incidents of violence bear the fingerprints of terrorist outfits located in Pakistan and, which have, at one time or another, been nurtured by the Pakistan State. The attack on Mumbai in November last year made it clear that terrorist groups in Pakistan had become more daring and were making cities like Mumbai their targets. The government of India, irrespective of who heads it, has always felt that the Pakistan government, despite all its protestations, directly sponsors terrorists against India at worst; or at best allows them to flourish and refuses to take action against them even when evidence is provided. These factors have so vitiated the atmosphere that it has become well-nigh impossible to conduct a dialogue to normalize relations somewhat. All attempts to engage Pakistan in some kind of meaningful dialogue have ended in failure or have been reduced to meaningless gestures because of bad faith on the part of Pakistan.

In this context, the joint statement made by the Indian prime minister and his Pakistani counterpart could mark the opening of a new chapter in the saga of the tortured relationship between the two countries. There is the sign that the two countries are keen to proceed with a meaningful dialogue without unnecessarily allowing unsavoury controversies to scupper talks and negotiations. Terror, in the joint statement made by Manmohan Singh and the Pakistan premier, Yousuf Raza Gilani, is to be delinked from the composite dialogue. This means that talks on other matters, especially economic issues, can proceed without allowing the charged subject of terrorism to hinder a free exchange of ideas that could benefit both countries. The shadow of terror cannot, however, be so easily removed. Mr Singh admitted this when he noted that “unless we are satisfied about the action taken against the people responsible for the Mumbai attacks no dialogue can succeed”. There is an obvious and a vast space between resuming the dialogue and its success.

What needs to be borne in mind is that Indo-Pak relations have hit an impasse. This cannot be broken by a steadfast refusal on India’s part to engage Pakistan on a variety of issues without getting mired in terrorism, of which Pakistan is itself a victim. The joint statement opens up the possibility of sorting out some of the other issues. There can be no gains, short-term or long-term, by shutting the doors on a dialogue with Pakistan. Some gains could be registered by resuming talks. The joint statement recognizes this simple, if self-evident, point. Hawkish cynicism can often harm self-interest.