Pakistan

General Musharraf's declared resolve to make Pakistan a nontheocratic state is a step towards Pakistan's transformation from an ideology-based to a territory-based nation. Unfortunately there is a growing trend among some sections in India to give a Pakistan-type ideological orientation to India's nationhood. But the tendency to purify Indian culture from 'alien' accretions poses a threat to the security of the country by weakening national unity and the unique civilisational experiment that is India.

A realistic policy on the response to the December 13 terrorist attack on parliament demands that we consolidate the significant diplomatic gains that have already been made and evolve a well-considered, multifaceted strategy, make an intelligent assessment of the pros and cons of the different options and act with a degree of self-confidence and faith in our national values.

It is imperative that the challenges facing the coutnry in the management of its international borders are properly understood and widely debated so that pressure is brought on all political parties not to take actions which would compromise national security.

The national interest, if defined narrowly, does not make for very good foreign policy. It might make sense, here and now, to try to enlist America on the Indian side of the dispute over Kashmir and to celebrate the turn of events in Afghanistan as a vindication of India's own support for the 'Northern Alliance'. In the long term, however, it demonstrates a shocking combination of strategic myopia and cynicism.

Islamisation in modern times is not simply a throwback to the past. It evolved in the schools in Deoband as a form of Islamic revival to form trans-regional identities under colonialism. And jihad may seem like a reasonable option in establishing these identities.