As I see it...: ' Water ' in India Pakistan talks

Pakistan wishes to bring Water on to the agenda for future talks.Water?An answer to terrorism?

Now let me give you a bit of history.The Indus Water treaty of 1960,which settled the sharing of the Indus Waters,is internationally regarded as an example of successful resolution between two countries deadlocked in a bitter relationship.The treaty contains provisions for dealing with any questions or differences or disputes that might arise in the course of operation.These can arise not because of water-sharing, but of Indian projects on the western rivers.This arbitration clause was used to settle the differences that arose over the Baglihar project.

The question here is these differences across other projects can be subtly dealt with.Why is then Pakistan raising 'water' as a subject for India-Pakistan talks?

India is reported to have told Pakistan that there is no point in keeping 'water' as an agenda for the 'composite dialogue' because there are other forums to discuss it;but Pakistan is adamant in its decision.It is therefore very important for us to analyze why it is doing so.I have tried to put forward my perspective of the situation.

Why is Pakistan playing this game?

There are three possible explanations.

1. Pakistan wants to divert the attention from the Indian focus on terrorism,and unnerve India by accusing it of wrongdoing on water.

2. It is an attempt to divert the attention away from the inter-provincial conflicts within Pakistan over water and other matters by portraying India as the cause for water shortages in Pakistan,in the process,bringing together disputing provinces together by rousing national anger against the national enemy - India.

3. Pakistan is indeed dissatisfied with the working of the Indus treaty and feels that it must be in the agenda for any 'serious' India - Pakistan talks.

Possibly,it could be a mixture of these three points behind Pakistan's move to put 'water' as the primary agenda for future talks.

This is indeed bad news for India.Let us see why.

The world will be watching over the results of this talk.If water is included as a primary agenda,it would give the impression that water is an unresolved issue between the two countries,worse still, it underlines the fact that India has willingly given Pakistan a cause for complaints over water.If water does come into the agenda of Indo-Pak talks,even international opinion may be tilted towards Pakistan because sympathy of the world is generally with the lower riparian rather than the upper riparian.

As far as the feeling of division of water in concerned,it exists in India too,and it is quite strong.If both countries feel that the division is unfair,then it is indeed quite a fair division.This treaty was negotiated over a period of ten years or more and then it was signed at the highest level.We have to assume that it was the best possible agreement that could be reached at that time.Therefore either side is precluded from talking about unfairness.If at all a feeling of dissatisfaction has developed over the time,the treaty of course can be re-negotiated.However such a re-negotiation would be fruitless as either side would try to give it their shape.The best option would be to leave the treaty and work on it in a spirit of constructive co-operation.

As differences can be dealt with within the ambit of the treaty,there is no case for raising them in a different forum.

The relationship between the two countries has never been this bitter.Besides if raising the water as a subject for discussion is a disingenuous tactical move,how can it provide the base for constructive relationship?