Najam Talks India-Pakistan Tensions on VoA
Speaking as an expert guest on the Voice of America’s Urdu language program Independence Avenue, Prof. Adil Najam, Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, says that the belligerence reflected in recent statements from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Minister of Information Rajyavardhan Rathore do not bode well for prospects of betterment in India Pakistan relations.
More than that, Dean Najam suggests, they are a reflection of India’s growing nervousness about changing regional dynamics, including Pakistan’s improving relations with both Afghanistan and China.
However, Najam is of the view that this has been a wasted opportunity and the hopes of reconciliation that had been sparked by positive vibes in the early days of prime ministers Modi and Sharif now seem all but wasted.
He suggested that the worst casualty of the current aggressive statements, particularly the very undiplomatic ones by Indian Minister Rathore has been public and media opinion in the two countries. With emotions now flaring high, he hoped that both Prime Ministers – Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif – will take steps to cool down rather than further escalate the tensions.
Dean Adil Najam is an expert on South Asia politics and also on environmental policy. More on Dean Najam here.
Video of the full interview available here.