A Remarkable Asian Journey

The journey of an Indian prime minister to neighboring Pakistan is rare and remarkable. The traveler must cross not just hundreds of miles between the capitals but five decades of hostilities, including three wars. Since both nations conducted nuclear tests last May, diplomacy between their prime ministers is more important than ever.

Last weekend India’s prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, stepped onto a bus near the border and rode into Pakistan to a warm reception from his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif.

After two days of meetings, the men reached preliminary agreements intended to reduce the chance of war. The two nations agreed to warn each other of missile tests, exchange information about their weapons and try to develop a fail-safe communications system between the two armies.

The two men looked at the main issue between them, the disputed territory of Kashmir, agreed that it was indeed a monumental issue and, no doubt wisely, let it be for now.

Though there were no breakthrough agreements, no pledges to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the summit was an important step forward. It was the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Pakistan in a decade. That is far too long.

Vajpayee’s trip was important symbolically. His bus traveled a trail of tears and blood shed by those who fled India when Pakistan was created as a homeland for Muslims and by those who fled Pakistan for mostly Hindu India as the two countries were cut apart in 1947. Millions crossed borders then, and hundreds of thousands died in religious violence. After the two nations fought their most recent war, the 1971 conflict that resulted in East Pakistan becoming the independent nation of Bangladesh, their prime ministers met in India, at Simla. There were hopes then of a new relationship, frequent visits and less spending on armaments by two desperately poor countries. The reality never matched the hopes.

Vajpayee and Sharif are both shaky politically; both have constituents opposing reconciliation. But they have to keep moving forward and take advantage of a too-seldom-seen opportunity to reduce tensions in South Asia.