New Delhi: Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, TCA Raghavan, has strongly argued that a purely military or security-based approach is inadequate for addressing the complexities of the India-Pakistan relationship. Speaking at the India Habitat Centre, Raghavan emphasised that India’s true leverage over Pakistan lies not in its military might, but in its economic strength, social pluralism, institutional resilience, and cultural influence.
He said Pakistan’s real concern is India’s overall national trajectory—its economic growth, societal progress, and robust institutions—rather than its military power.
Raghavan warned that reducing the relationship to only security concerns sidelines these broader strengths, which are crucial for long-term engagement with Pakistan.
He highlighted that the Pakistani military is not intimidated by India’s military capability but rather seeks to position itself as standing up to it. What truly unsettles Pakistan, according to Raghavan, is India’s societal and institutional progress, which serves as a model and a source of anxiety for its neighbour.
He further noted that the bilateral relationship has become increasingly “securitised” and hollowed out since 2017-18, with diplomatic channels, trade, and people-to-people contacts all but frozen. The recent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Raghavan observed, is indicative of how few diplomatic tools remain, underscoring the need for a more nuanced approach.
Raghavan cautioned against viewing Pakistan through a “monochromatic lens” and advocated for recognising the varying shades of behaviour within the country. He cited the 2021 ceasefire reaffirmation at the Line of Control as a period of relatively better conduct from Pakistan, which India failed to acknowledge due to a rigid application of the “talks and terror cannot go together” policy.
This rigidity, he argued, limits diplomatic flexibility and prevents India from responding effectively to shifts in Pakistan’s behaviour.
In summary, Raghavan called for a calibrated, long-term strategy that leverages India’s comprehensive strengths—diplomatic, economic, social, and political—rather than relying solely on military means. He stressed the importance of managing the volatile interface with Pakistan by dealing with the neighbour as it is, not as one would wish it to be, and by maintaining the capacity to distinguish and respond to different shades of behaviour.
