Delhi Diary: Modi's Birthday Diplomacy On Christmas Day

By M.Santhiran KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- Christmas in India on Friday went on as usual like in other parts of the world with festivities, prayers and family reunions, except for a Christmas surprise pulled by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi startled everyone in India and Pakistan when he made an unscheduled stopover in Lahore, Pakistan while on his return journey from Moscow to attend his counterpart Nawaz Sharif's birthday. It was during a stopover in Kabul in Afghanistan that he decided to give a call to Nawaz where the Pakistan leader invited the Indian leader to attend his birthday function at the latter's family home in Lahore. Nawaz's birthday also coincided with his granddaughter’s wedding and it was a double celebration for the family. According to the Indian prime minister's office, Modi was served with his favourite vegetarian food and he even touched the feet of Nawaz's mother who hailed from Punjab, India. Modi was reported to have spent more than an hour at the family home, minus the glare of the Indian and Pakistani media. The last visit by an Indian leader to Pakistan was some 11 years ago. MEDIA CAUGHT OF GUARD While it was reported that Modi even surprised his security officials when he agreed to make a stopover in Lahore, leaving most of his entourage at Lahore International Airport, some said it was not an impromptu stop over as claimed. Hindustan Times reported that the stopover was planned a week in advance and was kept under wraps especially from the media. The daily claimed that Pakistan's envoy to India Abdul Basit was in Islamabad two days prior to make the arrangements for the stopover. "Those who practice the art of diplomacy know some surprises are not really a surprise," the daily reported. POLITICIANS AND MEDIA DIVIDED However, as anticipated, Modi's 'diplomatic surprise' did not go down well with everyone. Congress leaders claimed it was just a pre-arranged meeting and Modi's move could undermine India's national security. India's leading daily The Hindu reported Congress party's sharp criticism where it labeled Modi's engagement with Pakistan as "frivolous, unpredictable and full of abrupt U-turns". Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar in his opinion column in NDTV web page wrote that foreign policy cannot be conducted whimsically. "It needs a clear enunciation of goals; the preparation of a strategy to arrive at the goals; a roadmap to show the way to the attainment of the goals; and tactical flexibility to factor in the unexpected as we go along. "The inconsistency of the Modi government in its approach to Pakistan belies the absence of a strategy," he opined. However, External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj hailed the visit as "statesman like" and brought a paradigm-shift in India's relations with other nations. Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah in another column of the NDTV web page too welcomed Modi's effort. Both countries have been locked in territorial dispute over Jammu and Kashmir that led to three wars since gaining independence in 1947. A DIFFERENT REALITY PERSISTS While the informal meeting between both leaders painted a picture that relations between both antagonistic neighbours are improving, the reality is otherwise. Since Modi's BJP government came into power 16-month ago almost daily clashes were reported between the security forces of the two countries in the disputed borders. Clashes with terrorists and other separatist groups also forced India to suspend all bilateral talks with Pakistan until recent senior officials met in Bangkok and follow-up visit by India's foreign minister Sushma to Islamabad. Even efforts to improve people to people relationship took a beating recently after India canceled a cricket match scheduled between both countries. Nonetheless, Modi had done something that many of his predecessors only dreamt off. Times of India recalled on the former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh who was quoted as saying on Jan 8, 2007 that he had dreams that one could have breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul. However, it was Manmohan's successor Modi who had his breakfast in Kabul, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Delhi. -- BERNAMA