Which is why a comparative understanding by those of understanding must be taken..
Here are decades of Khaki rule.. manipulation of text books to venerate a single regime..
And planned indoctrination of a section of population for subversive gains.
There is are still the wounds of dead brothers from wars.. and media reports of India's actions against us.
But a goodwill gesture towards the awam makes a difference.. people are swayed more by good intentions.. than by hate.
Hate works faster.. but is less convincing in the long run.
I agree that there must be 'positive movements' in the bilateral relationships. And recent events certainly point in that direction. And the Indian Awam (at least the powers that be/are) is willing to move in that direction. There is evidence of that time and again.
Let me take you back through the "memory lane" of history, Oscar.
Post 1965, at Tashkent an Indian PM called Lal Bahadur Shastri agreed to concessions that he knew that he would find difficult to sell back home. One example of that was the return of the Haji Pir Pass that the Indian Military establishment opposed tooth and nail. Whether it was his sagacity or the bullying of Big Brothers USSR and USA is still a subject of debate in India.
Lets move along the time-line: after 1971, India and Indira Gandhi had the upper hand (and 93,000 prisoners to boot) while talking at Simla. But she did not force Bhutto to accept the LAC as the IB in Kashmir (against her cabinet and military counsel), she did not accede to the demand in some quarters to allow War Crimes Tribunals to be set up. Most of all, in the conflict itself she resisted the plans of the AHQ to rationalise and even recover territory in Jammu and Kashmir. Only retaliatory thrust in other sectors of the Western Theater were allowed. Many strategists are of the opinion that was a gross error of judgement in some of the most ideal conditions. Be that as it may, she even lent her support to efforts to prevent or forestall Bhutto's execution. Of course, its another matter that Bhutto had written his own fate.
Even Rajiv Gandhi was willing to accommodate changes in Indian policies, just in order to allow the nascent democratic rule in Pakistan by Benazir Bhutto, a fact both known and acknowledged by her. And in turn she ratcheted down the "Deep State" i.e. the GHQ/ISI 'muddying around' in Khalistani waters.
Now lets hit the Kargil episode: When the Kargil "misadventure" happened, in very good time GoI knew who was the architect of that plan (mainly SIGINT). When the tide was turned at Kargil, erstwhile Commandos now stood to be exposed COMMANDO along with their country. Now do not forget that was another (sadly, brief) period of Democratic Rule in Pakistan. When the proverbial $hit hit the fan, the GoI offered an escape route to Nawaz Mian. During the telephonic conversations, ABV suggested to Mian ji to de-hyhenate himself from that "glorious adventure". That was both credible (even more so when the facts came out) and acceptable to GoI only to give some chance to the fragile democratic process to survive the ever present "kheencha-tani" in Pakistan.
Manmohan Singh has also pitched in time and again, from Sharm-el-Sheikh to setting up facilities for trade through Wagah-Attari among so many other moves. Unbelievable as it may seem to you Oscar, even the bounty on a certain "Professor" is part of that! Think how and why.
So Oscar, tell me amigo; who really needs more convincing on which side and how?
In the meanwhile; the Average Indian Joe is still working his a$$ off and constantly dreaming of better times. If he has a bicycle, he dreams of a motor-bike. If he has a motor-bike, he dreams of a Maruti. If he has a Maruti,.................. He does'nt care or understand if Hafizzz in another corner of the world is agitating or strapping on a special kind of jacket or if HongWu is making a killing on the stock market. His world (the one that matters to him) is small and all he wants is to keep it safe and prosperous. If other people want to share that dream, would he mind?