April 07, 2005
 

Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus route functional from today

The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service finally got going today with buses plying from the two end points amidst scenes of emotion. The journey was flagged off from Srinagar by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while I couldn't care less about who did the honours in PoK.

The service has started in spite of attacks on the route a couple of days ago and yesterday's attack on the tourist centre in Srinagar.

Connecting families in divided Kashmir is obviously a good and noble idea. Barkha Dutt, on NDTV, did take the hyperbole a little too far when she interviewed two bichde hue brothers on either side of the LoC. But the feelings expressed by the two brothers were genuine. That said, the onus is on India to ensure that terrorists do not manage to sneak in using whatever documentation has been agreed upon. I also get the feeling too much is being invested in what is, in my opinion, a symbolic gesture. I think India has invested much more in bus diplomacy compared to Pakistan and so if the experiment fails, we'd have a lot more to lose. Pakistan will be perfectly happy bleeding India through attempts at eviscerating our country, as it has been doing since it came into existence and especially so in the last twenty five years. Why 25 years and not fifteen? I guess you totally forgot about Khalistan.

Labels: jammu and kashmir