World cup

• This is not the first time a visiting cricketer has had visa problems in India.
• Headley, in his visa application, had concealed his Pakistani roots and managed to visit India multiple times to reconnoitre the targets.
• As a result, the Indian Home Ministry (MHA), which is in charge of internal security, decided to tighten the visa requirements.
• The US and UK governments lodged diplomatic protests against India’s decision to tighten its visa rules, but the Indian government resisted the pressure.
• Mindful of international pressure to exercise restraint in the aftermath of the attacks, the then Manmohan Singh government instituted several defensive counter-terrorism measures, including the new visa rules.

Modi’s neighbourhood policy

• This aimed to encourage cross-border cooperation and business enterprise across South Asia and focused on building deeper people-to-people ties.
• But as terrorist attacks from Pakistan continued, India changed its tack to more forceful measures targeting terrorist bases within Pakistan.
• As a result, a new mantra became popular in Indian government circles: “terror and talks cannot go together”.

Focus on counter-terrorism

• Meanwhile a focus on regional counter-terrorism has become something of a mantra for Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
• Seen within this paradigm, India’s approach towards Pakistan is unlikely to change as the country expects its general elections in April.
• A hostile military in control of domestic politics combined with strong anti-India public opinion invalidate any prospects for reestablishing ties with India.

Dheeraj Paramesha does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.