Shashi Tharoor Advocates People-to-People Ties Despite Indo-Pak Tensions

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor emphasizes the need for dialogue and people-to-people connections between India and Pakistan despite tensions resulting from past terror attacks. He advocates for more visas to promote goodwill, acknowledging the complexities caused by political realities and past incidents.

During a recent book launch event at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC), Congress leader Shashi Tharoor addressed the complexities of India-Pakistan relations. He described the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks as acts of betrayal, arguing that uninterrupted dialogue is unfeasible given past incidents.

Tharoor underscored the importance of people-to-people ties, advocating for increased visa availability to foster goodwill between the two nations. He noted that any government in India taking a hard line has been forced into it by Pakistan but emphasized that cutting off talks altogether is not a sustainable policy.

Despite New Delhi's stance that terror and dialogue cannot coexist, Tharoor remains hopeful. He stated it's crucial to strike a balance between addressing security concerns and nurturing bilateral ties through non-official channels, like cultural exchanges and tourism, to build trust.