A sincere request to fellow Indians.
Please stop writing in that this is a lesson to Pakistan or that this is some kind of victory for India. Neither is true.
The two countries had to come to their senses and agree to stop this madness about Siachen. We should be very happy that Pakistan has shown the lead, and we should now be praying earnestly that someone, somewhere in New Delhi is preparing frantically to meet this gesture.
Granted, this is a news report, and governments don't act on news reports. There is still NO HARM in India taking note of this, and making necessary overtures, irrespective of when the official Pakistani move happens.
If, and when, a Siachen agreement happens, we gain millions of dollars in expenditure, dozens of lives a year, and, most important, we stop polluting the sources of the rivers flowing out of the glacier. The situation is already very, very close to an environmental disaster of major proportions.
That is the peace point of view. There is also a war point of view.
We save enormous amounts out of the military budget.
We save crack regiments and the best military personnel.
We gain highly experienced soldiers with unique experience of very high altitude campaigning and battlefield survival skills.
We save effort and attention for the western and northern boundaries.
Nothing but positive things can come out of this.
Think about it again. If this rapprochement proves to be useful for it, what do you think Pakistan will do? Will it surprise you that it will seek more such gains, and think of some other similar step? Or at least listen with keen attention while India makes a useful suggestion.
This is a fantastic moment of time, granted that nothing formal has happened yet.
Let us celebrate in muted tones and in anticipation of happy days ahead of us.
Just tuppence worth from a Joe in the street.
This is assuming
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