The initiative by civil society groups in India and Pakistan to strive for congeniality is novel in essence. It is especially welcome at a time when hatred and a sense of otherness have become the order of the day. The fact that more than a hundred notables from both sides of the divide are signatory to a letter written to their respective Prime Ministers, urging them to take "meaningful and sustained" steps towards restoring peace and cooperation, is a breath of fresh air and must be reciprocated with goodwill gestures from those at the helm of statecraft.
Diplomatic relations are currently at their lowest ebb. This has provided radicals with an opportunity to capitalise on the segregation of more than two billion people in the region at the altar of geo-economics. Moreover, the suspension of trade, people-to-people contacts and consular services has emboldened an aura of mistrust, and this is where this initiative can act as an ice-breaker in normalising ties. Thus, the tendency to make commoners suffer must come to an end. Both India and Pakistan refuse to see through the same prism. Their bilateralism has long been characterised by bias and suspicion, irrespective of the fact that they share history, culture and geography. This phenomenon can only be overcome by kick-starting an unconditional dialogue, with the prerequisite that both sides agree to disagree. Of late, the stumbling blocks on the path of rapprochement have been the four-day duel of last year and India's unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. The least that is desired on the part of New Delhi is to stop treating water as a weapon of war and coercion, and to reciprocate positively to Islamabad's calls for a tête-à-tête.
Pakistan, having played a major role on the global stage as a mediator for peace, is prepared to walk the extra few miles for regional tranquility. India must take the leap and, at least, respond to its own egalitarian civil society's cry for a thaw. Resuming diplomatic, aviation, and trade ties could act as a precursor to confidence-building measures and pave the way for a composite dialogue on irritants such as terrorism, Kashmir and other bilateral issues.