Sending back Pak students wrong

The Government of India is wrong in its unseemly treatment of some 50 Pakistani children visiting the country. The children arrived in Delhi on Monday, the day the mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers were discovered at the Line of Control. They were part of a student exchange programme hosted by a Delhi NGO, Routes2Roots and were to visit their pen friends and heritage sites. The five-day programme would have provided Pakistani children glimpses of India’s pluralis­tic society, its vibrant culture and rich heritage. Unfortunately, the Ministry of External Affairs informed the NGO to send the children home as it was “not the right time” for such a visit.The children came here eager to experience Indian hospitality. What they got here was a taste of Indian bureaucratic small-mindedness. South Asians are hospitable people and the MEA decision to send back the children marks a sad departure from South Asian tradition. It would have underscored to the world that ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ is just a catchy slogan and that in practice, India’s bureaucratic and political establishment is hostile towards guests, including children.

India’s Sports Ministry too has joined the ‘boycott Pakistan’ bandwagon. It has turned down the visa applications of Pakistani wrestlers and squash players who were to participate in upcoming international tournaments in India. Last year, India did not allow Pakistan’s junior hockey team to come here for an international tournament. Sports Minister Vijay Goel’s argument that sporting relations between India and Pakistan cannot be cordial so long as Pakistan sponsors anti-India terrorism is a weak one. Why punish ordinary civilians for the reprehensible acts of the Pakistani state? Why should Pakistani children, sportsmen and artistes be punished for the flawed policies and actions of Pakistan’s political and military establishment? There is no doubt that all Indians are distressed and disgusted with the barbaric manner in which the Pakistan military mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers. But this is a matter between the two states. Their governments should be talking about the problem, not punishing people who are not in any way connected to the violence.

India-Pakistan people-to-people interaction, cultural exchanges and sporting events should not be put on hold because of troubled bilateral relations. In fact, these need to be stepped up when ties between the two governments turn frosty. There is
much that the two countries share. People on both sides of the border enjoy music, dance and cricket. They have similar aspirations for their children. By encouraging deeper bond between the peoples of the two countries, India will facilitate the building of a strong peace constituency in Pakistan. That would be in India’s interest.