Q: Final question on Pakistan. You said Pakistan interests you the most. How do you look at the present status of Indo-Pakistan relationship? Do you think that there can be a real feasible solution to Kashmir issue which they say is central to Indio-Pakistan relationship?
Mani: There are perhaps two people in India who are deeply convinced that there is a feasible solution. One is Mani Shankar Aiyar and the other is Dr Manmohan Singh.
Manmohan Singh said on day one virtually that he wanted to work towards achieving what is feasible. And his performance in the first three years in terms of relationship with Pervez Musharraf's Pakistan was so outstanding that everything including Kashmir issue was on its way to resolution.
Unfortunately, Pervez Musharraf quarreled with his judiciary before Dr Manmohan Singh went to Pakistan. And ever since then, things have not worked out. But in my view, the PM of India could yet do what Indian PM did in 1984. As soon as Rajiv became the Prime Minister, he ordered the PMO to look into the possibility by an Indian PM to China. In 1988, a good 34 years after the last Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had been to China, Rajiv went to China.
Although there were many ups and downs in that relationship including Arunachal Pradesh controversy, Rajiv stuck to his intention and accomplished it. And when he accomplished it, there was a complete sea change in the nature of India-China relationship by setting up mechanisms that would perhaps not ensure the resolution of disputes but would ensure that disputes don't get out of hand. And that I think Dr Manmohan Singh can still do. I was thrilled at the press conference to hear him say that I would still like to visit Pakistan before the end of my tenure. And my reaction was to write him a letter saying please include me in your party if you do go. So I'm still hoping that vis-à-vis Pakistan, Manmohan Singh will do a Rajiv Gandhi .
