War not an option for India and Pakistan

India-Pakistan relations are on the boil once again in the aftermath of the attack on the Uri army base in Jammu and Kashmir in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. Both nations appear to be massing troops on the border in a bid to show off their preparations for any eventuality. This blow-hot and blow-cold cycle in the relations between the two nations is not a new thing. It has been the norm ever since India's partition in 1947 after the end of the British rule. They fought three big wars - two of them on Kashmir - without resolving the issue. The two neighbours have their pet issues. If New Delhi talks of terror-groups based in Pakistan orchestrating attacks in India, Islamabad rakes up the Kashmir issue. Bilateral dialogues launched with fanfare now and then have gone nowhere.
War is not an option, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif once famously said. This apt statement should serve as a guiding principle for resolving all issues between the neighbours. But his statement that the Uri attack could have been a reaction to the simmering situation in Kashmir is not very helpful and will only add to the tensions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly held talks with top army and defence officials to chalk out New Delhi's strategy. Indian public are clamouring for some action, while Indian TV channels led by Arnob Goswami of Times Now are whipping up jingoistic fervour and demanding punitive steps against Pakistan. War, even if it is visualised on a smaller scale, is detrimental to the progress of both the nations. Economic development, which is the avowed objective of the Modi government, will suffer hugely if tensions were ratcheted up on the border. Hence, temptation to take any drastic action should be resisted. Diplomacy, which at times appears unfruitful and time-consuming, should be given the front seat in efforts to resolve the border tension.