Getting to Know You
	Manmohan Singh is brilliant. Pervez Musharraf is savvy. Can they get along?
	By Vir Sanghvi

	AAMIR QURESHI—AFP/GETTY IMAGES Musharraf has a deft touch; Singh's wiles are unproven

Posted Monday, September 20, 2004; 20:00 HKT
They are both non-politicians who pride themselves on their forthright nature. But that's where the similarities between Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh end.

When the two men meet in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week, they will present a study in contrasts. Musharraf is a flamboyant, extroverted publicity-lover. Though he portrays himself as a bluff, plain-speaking military man drawn into politics by circumstances beyond his control, he has proved to be a deft political manipulator. Singh, on the other hand, is a shy, soft-spoken economist who is obviously uncomfortable in the spotlight. His forthrightness is the plain speaking of a non-political person who has no patience for guile and deviousness. Even his greatest admirers say he makes a lousy politician. Although a lot of praise has been heaped on him in recent weeks, nobody has used the words "shrewd" or "wily."

So, can the flamboyant general and the reticent economist bring peace to South Asia? Until recently, the answer to that question would have been an unequivocal no. Pakistan has always preferred to deal with a Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on the grounds that any concessions made by hard-liners are more likely to stick than those made by a government headed by the relatively liberal Congress Party. Moreover, Musharraf had a rapport with Singh's predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and believed in Vajpayee's personal commitment to peace with Pakistan. In contrast, Singh has been seen as relatively weak politically and too cautious to show any flexibility in his approach. In any case, he was viewed as a man with little interest in foreign policy, and someone who preferred to concentrate on economic matters.

In recent weeks, however, Singh and his government have surprised the world with the attention they have devoted to world affairs, and in particular, relations with Pakistan. India's External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, met Musharraf in July in Islamabad. Two weeks ago, Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, spent two days in New Delhi meeting Manmohan Singh and holding extensive talks with Indian officials. The biggest surprise has been Manmohan Singh himself. I saw him in action in Bangkok at the summit meeting of BIMST-EC, a grouping of nations around the Bay of Bengal. I had expected him to be a reluctant participant, content to read from briefs prepared by his officials. To my astonishment—and, I suspect, that of many heads of government attending the conference—Singh virtually took over the meeting. When BIMST-EC leaders could not agree on a statement, he forced his own point of view through and by the time of the retreat phase of the summit, all the other Prime Ministers were deferring to him as though he was a Yoda-like sage.

Much of this relates to Singh's unquestioned brilliance—he has been among India's leading economic thinkers for three decades now. But it also reflects his tendency to master the complex details of any negotiation. Once he is sure of his facts, the shy, soft-spoken Prime Minister can be both forceful and imaginative.

Nevertheless, as Singh prepares for his meeting with Musharraf, the big questions remain. Is brilliance a match for Musharraf's keen political skills? Does Singh, who heads a disparate coalition of parties, have the authority to commit India to a new approach toward Kashmir? And crucially, does he have the vision to come up with a creative solution that will satisfy both sides in this long-standing dispute?

It will take time for all the answers to emerge. But there are some intriguing signs of a growing figure on the subcontinent. A few days before Pakistan's Foreign Minister arrived in New Delhi this month, Singh invited Vajpayee for breakfast and evolved a policy that was acceptable to the opposition. So the Prime Minister leaves for New York with a foreign policy consensus in his briefcase. It is also apparent that he has a personal commitment to friendship with Pakistan that is as deep as Vajpayee's desire for peace: in marked contrast to the previous administration, Singh's government never indulges in public Pakistan bashing. There have been too many false starts and dashed hopes for anyone to be too optimistic. But Manmohan Singh may just surprise us all.

Vir Sanghvi is the New Delhi-based editorial director of the Hindustan Times

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