The Prime Minister's Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort was remarkable for one reason - the gratitude he extended towards the people of Balochistan, Gilgit & PoK. Was it simply an off-the-cuff remark or was it a cool calculative step that India had been planning quietly for sometime as a bait against Pakistan's huffing and puffing over Kashmir on international forums? The other sore point that got mentioned in the Prime Minister's speech was the centre's placatory gesture towards Jammu and Kashmir and the subsequent efforts by both state and central government to stop the violence in the valley. So is this PM Modi's new game-plan of being tough on Pakistan and soft on Kashmir? Will a new set of interlocutors be able to provide the much needed 'healing touch' or will it remain only a cosmetic procedure?
