Naresh Chandra, bureaucrat, diplomat and administrator, shares an 'insider's view' on the India-Pakistan peace process in an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Naresh Chandra, 79, wears many hats. The retired Indian Administrative Service officer has served in various capacities in the home, finance and agriculture departments at the state-level and the Centre. He retired as Cabinet secretary, the head of the Indian civil service, in 1992.
He turned diplomat in 1996 and served in Washington as Indian ambassador to the United States successfully.
He drafted the much-talked about white paper on the Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya. Recently, he retired as chairman of the National Security Advisory Board.
He is highly active in the corporate sector as well, both in India and internationally. He is a member of the Indian advisory group of the world's largest spirits company Diageo, which boasts brands like Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff.
Since long, he has been associated with Vedanta, Cairns India, Escorts and Bajaj amongst other companies.
He abhors Left-leaning or Left-of-Centre policies, but he believes 'national interest' can't be based on any 'ism', Right or Left.
Allahabad-born and educated at district-level schools, Chandra can give high-flying technocrats and Western-educated young brains a run for their money in dissecting issues and suggesting practical solutions. He has a trained sense of 'what is the big picture' on any Indian issue. He is known for putting forward strategic issues with wit and dry humour.
Chandra, never short of expressions, shared an 'insider's view' on the India-Pakistan peace process in an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Are these skirmishes on the Line of Control stand-alone happenings? Or does it expose the fundamental faults in the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process?
First of all, I don't think it's a peace process yet. Dialogue is taking place between India and Pakistan to start something meaningful! Whatever moves (in the peace process) have been made so far are of an exploratory nature. You know, it is by fits and starts.
Some good statement of a general kind comes about, then on the ground some unfortunate incident takes place which diverts and upsets the applecart.
The (December 13, 2001) attack on Parliament, the 26/11 attacks, the action along the LoC in the form of infiltration from Pakistan are such issues.
Pakistan, as a State, does not have a unified or coherent facet with which a government can deal with. They have all kinds of desperate elements who can resort to violence from time to time.
It is not just beyond the border of Pakistan. You see the situation inside Pakistan.
There have been a large number of suicide blasts, thousands of Pakistanis have died. I believe some 7,000 soldiers and policemen have died in violent attacks.
Karachi is in a state of flux. They have serious problem in Quetta, in the Pakhtunkhwa areas.
Even the Taliban are not united. They have some four kinds of Taliban groups.
When we are dealing with a disturbed State which is at cross-purposes with itself, it is a very difficult situation.
At a diplomatic level you deal with the civilian government. What can the civilian government do on what goes on along the LoC?
In India, the army comes in to support the civilian government, but in the disturbed areas of Pakistan it is the other way around. There, the civilian government comes in to provide support to the Pakistan army.
The Pakistan army is in charge and they are the people who can make the difference. The main issue is this.
Pakistan, on one side, is fighting terrorism and mainly they are fighting the elements which are against Pakistan army.
The Pakistan army wants to encourage rest of the violent elements to keep the neighbours in check.
We are not the only victim of Pakistan using terror elements as their instrument. Afghanistan is also a victim.
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'Pakistan army is a dishonourable bunch of people' - Rediff.com News
