[One'd guess that one should rather look towards Trump for meaningful clues.
On 24th, he had talked of India's desire for a "very strong response" (ref: < https://indianexpress.com/article/world/pulwama-attack-donald-trump-india-looking-at-something-very-strong-5598334/>); on 26th, Indian fighter jets would intrude into Pakistani airspace to carry out bombing of specific target(s), successfully or otherwise. Thereby broke a long held taboo, globally observed. Pakistan would hit back likewise the very next day. Thereby triggering serious concerns all around. Then,Trump, while responding to a question about the spiking tensions between India and Pakistan, said "We have some reasonably decent news. Hopefully that (tension) is going to be coming to an end." Soon thereafter, the Pak Prime Minister, on the floor of the national legislature, intervening in a discussion, would announce the decision to return back the Indian PoW, the very next day. To be sure, the cross-LoC firings, by the ground forces, have only intensified. This, in all probability, would continue, for at least quite a while. But, it wouldn't perhaps be too optimistic to expect that Feb. 26-27 may not recur, at least too soon. The stalled train services between Pakistan and India, Samjhauta (Reconciliation) Express resumes today (ref.: < https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-pakistan-tension-de-escalates-samjhauta-express-to-run-from-india-on-sunday-5608112/?fbclid=IwAR3ptZv4nDgKrQKc6r7c2O_oE8Yz8s4bxeXbnL_zbZXdvYp58HXZ5xL2SdY >). Quite in tune with what Trump had said: 《Trump, while responding to a question about tensions between India and Pakistan, said "We have some reasonably decent news. Hopefully that (tension) is going to be coming to an end." He went on to add, "It has been going on for a long time, decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike, unfortunately. So we have been in the middle, trying to help them both out so that we can get some organisation and some peace, probably that is going to be happening."》 (Ref.: < https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/trump-says-reasonably-attractive-news-from-india-pakistan-119022800595_1.html?fbclid=IwAR1-lnm2bCgGqfQg0bmO7RRFfR4133roPG6PqPFsIzZk8nG4Az7pOLiv0hQ >.) But, the low-key battle, in all probability, would go on. It's strongly linked with national politics. To recount history, the US interventions in the past had brought about Vajpayee's bus trip to Lahore (ref.: < https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/greenyouth/EEsImLVxbkA>), Musharraf coming to Agra (ref.: <https://www.facebook.com/notes/10150224999460437/> and <http://in.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/11dixit.htm>, < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/281764.stm>, < https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/04/world/indian-leader-accepts-pakistani-offer-to-take-a-ride-to-lahore.html> and < https://theprint.in/opinion/kargil-what-kind-of-a-democracy-are-we-that-we-are-shy-of-facing-the-truth-about-our-wars/69936/>) and, in between, the closure of Kargil without apocalypse (ref.: (< http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/14/the-story-of-how-nawaz-sharif-pulled-back-from-nuclear-war/>, < https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/pakistan-india-nuclear-bomb-kargil-war-former-cia-officer-sandy-berger-bruce-riedel-a6758501.html> and < http://idrw.org/nawaz-sharifs-pleas-and-bill-clintons-intervention-in-the-kargil-war/ >). But, the limits of effectiveness of such interventions are also pretty clearly demonstrated. So, the fight goes on. The fight for peace and amity. On both sides of the border, and beyond. Yesterday, artistes in India, in a number of major cities, had marched for democracy and against hate. (Ref.: < https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/mumbai-steps-out-to-save-democracy-freedom-of-speech/articleshow/68238536.cms?fbclid=IwAR0iexzy1UjJrkt352lvsD8FPSpvlfkmpMhjyI8wObkxghrdrRh_PMGc2pI> and < https://scroll.in/article/915190/in-delhi-and-mumbai-residents-and-artists-rally-together-for-india-pakistan-peace-tolerance >.) 《Hostilities escalated rapidly following a suicide car bombing on Feb. 14 that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of harboring the Jaish-e Mohammad Islamist group that claimed the bombing. Indian warplanes carried out air strikes on Tuesday inside northeast Pakistan's Balakot on what New Delhi called militant camps. Islamabad denied any such camps existed, as did local villagers in the area when Reuters visited. Nevertheless, Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday with its own aerial mission. ... Jaitley dismissed suggestions that the rapid escalation in tensions with Pakistan had anything to do with India's domestic politics ahead of a general election due by May. Pollsters expect the ruling party to benefit from the nationalistic passion sweeping the country. ... Pakistan touted Abhinandan's return as "as a goodwill gesture aimed at de-escalating rising tensions with India" after weeks of unease that threatened to spiral into war. Global powers, including China and the United States, have urged restraint to prevent another conflict between the neighbors who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistani leaders say the ball is now in India's court to de-escalate the tensions, though the Pakistani army chief told top military leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia on Friday that his country would "surely respond to any aggression in self-defence". On a visit to Jammu and Kashmir state on Saturday, India's army chief asked soldiers to remain vigilant to "counter the nefarious designs of the enemy and anti-national elements".》] https://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-india-step-back-brink-unease-continues-053940535.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=fb&fbclid=IwAR3GwW9TGU1leJ_UdKzQML1O6Mpwdtx7-6MByio5Rnl1dUpUhn5yF9mNDLk India refuses to share proof of strikes in Pakistan amid doubts of militant deaths Reuters By Abu Arqam Naqash and Fayaz Bukhari, Reuters• March 2, 2019 A man watches a statement of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman on his mobile phone, released on Twitter by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in Karachi, Pakistan March 1, 2019. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro By Abu Arqam Naqash and Fayaz Bukhari MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan/SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - A top Indian minister said on Saturday the government would not share proof that "a very large number" of militants were killed in air strikes inside Pakistan this week, after doubts were raised there were any casualties in the attack that stoked tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. The flare up appeared to be easing on Saturday after Pakistan handed back a captured Indian fighter pilot on Friday night, amid efforts by global powers to prevent another war between the arch enemies. However shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) that acts as a de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, a frequent feature in recent weeks, continued, said military officials on both sides. Hostilities escalated rapidly following a suicide car bombing on Feb. 14 that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of harboring the Jaish-e Mohammad Islamist group that claimed the bombing. Indian warplanes carried out air strikes on Tuesday inside northeast Pakistan's Balakot on what New Delhi called militant camps. Islamabad denied any such camps existed, as did local villagers in the area when Reuters visited. Nevertheless, Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday with its own aerial mission. Pakistan said the Indian bombs hit a largely empty hillside without hurting anyone. Some Indian opposition leaders have asked the government to share evidence of the strikes. But India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top lieutenants, said "no security agencies ever share operational details". "It's a very irresponsible stand," Jaitley said at a conference organized by the India Today media group. "The armed forces must have, and our security and intelligence agencies must have, a full leeway in dealing with situations, and if anybody wants operational details to be made public ... he certainly does not understand the system." Indian Air Force officials said earlier it was up to the political leaders to decide when and how to release evidence of the Balakot strike. Jaitley dismissed suggestions that the rapid escalation in tensions with Pakistan had anything to do with India's domestic politics ahead of a general election due by May. Pollsters expect the ruling party to benefit from the nationalistic passion sweeping the country. PILOT WALKS ACROSS THE BORDER Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who became the face and symbol of the biggest clash between India and Pakistan in many years, walked across the border just before 9 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Friday in a high-profile handover shown on live television. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met him at a New Delhi defence hospital on Saturday, where he was seen in his air force jumpsuit. He will undergo medical checks before re-joining active duty, officials said. Pakistan's military said on Saturday its air force and navy "continue to be alert and vigilant", while two of its soldiers were killed after exchanging fire with Indian troops along the LoC. India's military said that Pakistan was firing mortar shells across the LoC. Pakistan touted Abhinandan's return as "as a goodwill gesture aimed at de-escalating rising tensions with India" after weeks of unease that threatened to spiral into war. Global powers, including China and the United States, have urged restraint to prevent another conflict between the neighbors who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistani leaders say the ball is now in India's court to de-escalate the tensions, though the Pakistani army chief told top military leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia on Friday that his country would "surely respond to any aggression in self-defence". On a visit to Jammu and Kashmir state on Saturday, India's army chief asked soldiers to remain vigilant to "counter the nefarious designs of the enemy and anti-national elements". (Additional reporting by Saad Sayeed; Writing by Drazen Jorgic and Krishna N. Das; Editing by Kim Coghill, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Ros Russell) -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
