It is men who make history. Not the entire truth. History has a way of making use of men. In the calamitous story of the India-Pakistan relationship, both are true. Successive leaders in New Delhi and Islamabad have waged wars, talked peace, made grand gestures, but still they are far from bringing their countries closer to normal cohabitation. Once again there is a movement: a new vocabulary of reconciliation, a new urgency and a come-to-Islamabad invitation to the Indian prime minister (which has been promptly rejected). In principle, the latest stirrings of a New Beginning are welcome, for the alternative to a peaceful resolution-talks matched by action-is something either of the countries (both nuclear powers) can afford only at a suicidal cost. So they should certainly talk, as two honest partners in peace, for decades of bloody antagonism have debilitated both countries. But talk what? Is there a framework? Has enough diplomatic homework been done for the leaders to meet and make a breakthrough? Unfortunately, no. The prime minister of India cannot just go to Islamabad and talk. Because what Islamabad-President Pervez Musharraf, to be specific-thinks is that reality is not the reality. The General wants to take the diplomatic and moral high ground by talking dialogue and peace. Actions repudiate his words.

To have a meaningful Indo-Pak dialogue, Islamabad has to come clean first. India has had enough of grand-gestures-followed-by-bloody-betrayals. Atal Bihari Vajpayee's bus journey to Lahore was a made-for-history moment. What followed was Kargil. Agra was thought to be the summit of statesmanship. It was a disaster. Ground reality does not vindicate Pakistan in spite of Musharraf's brave words against Islamist militancy. Pakistan is still a command centre of jehad. His occasional soul-searching words have been just words. He is good at this verbal showmanship. He has a chance now. Rather, Vajpayee has given him a chance. The prime minister's hand-of-friendship speech in Srinagar was another gesture: India has the will to talk peace but Pakistan has to pass the credibility test to be on the peace table-just an invitation to the prime minister won't do. The General can do something substantial, and the global context of war against terrorism hardly gives him any other choice. Once India is convinced of his own internal war on terrorism Vajpayee should take a trip across the border.