With talks in mind, India takes softer view on beheading

India’s reaction to the beheading of a Sikh by the Taliban in Pakistan has been muted, ahead of talks between foreign secretaries Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir on Thursday.

When news first came in on Sunday evening, South Block refused to comment. Initially too, there were conflicting reports on the number of Sikhs beheaded, with the reported casualties ranging from one to three.

At any other time, New Delhi would have made much of it, taking the opportunity to hammer away at the status of the minorities in Pakistan and express concern for their safety. It would have given Delhi the handle it required to hit back at Islamabad, which was for decades running an international campaign on the abuse of human rights by India’s security forces in Jammu & Kashmir.

In the interest of engaging with Pakistan, India took a more moderate view. The government did not issue a statement that it would have normally done.   

External affairs minister SM Krishna only said, “Uncivilised, barbaric methods will take us back to the medieval times. The government condemns this act.”

When asked if the issue would be taken up at the foreign secretary-level meet, he said, “All issues concerning relations between the two countries will be taken up for discussions.” The external affairs ministry, which had made a strong statement about reports of levying a religious tax on Sikhs in the north-western frontier province last year, has been restrained now, hoping not to sully the atmosphere before the crucial meeting of diplomats. It is quite evident that the foreign secretaries will stick to their governments’ domestic briefs: India will talk of terrorism and protection of minorities, while Pakistan will drum up Kashmir and sharing of the Indus waters.

In Punjab, however, the reaction has been much sharper. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) told prime minister Manmohan Singh, a fellow Sikh, to take up the issue with his counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani. The SGPC wants Singh to arrange for a delegation to visit Pakistan to take stock of the situation.

The opposition also condemned the beheading. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told the government to ensure the security of Sikhs through the Pakistan government. “The killing of innocent non-Muslims by Islamic fundamentalists has been going on. The Indian government must open dialogue with Pakistan to stop this,” BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj said.

Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said, “We condemn the killings. It is extremely unfortunate... We expect the government to talk to Pakistan to protect the lives of the minorities there.”