DELHI -- With its continuing "war of a thousand cuts" against India, military-ruled Pakistan poses the single biggest challenge to Indian foreign policy. Yet Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has changed course on Pakistan often in the past three years. The unending policy dance, with its monkey-like somersaults, has left the Indian public dazed.
Until the morning of May 23, India's policy was that it wouldn't even play cricket with Pakistan. By that evening the policy had changed so completely that India was ready to role out the red carpet to welcome Pakistan's dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, for talks without preconditions. There was not even a cursory attempt to explain the rationale behind this 180-degree turnabout.
Consistency may not be a virtue in politics but it is an essential element in foreign policy. Abrupt twists and turns are detrimental to foreign-policy credibility. A nation whose policy commitments mean nothing can never secure international respect or be taken seriously.