RSS veteran Ram Madhav on Saturday dismissed reports of his involvement in a Track-II dialogue with Pakistan, labeling the claims as a 'non-story' and a 'wrong portrayal'. He clarified that his presence in Colombo was for an event organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), not for any backchannel engagement.
Background of the Speculation
Reports had suggested that Madhav and former Army Chief General M M Naravane participated in a Track-II meeting in Colombo involving Pakistani participants, allegedly organized by a British think tank. The reports also claimed that US Under Secretary of State for South Asia Paul Kapur joined the participants.
Reacting to the reports, Madhav stated, 'Totally wrong portrayal. It was not any Track-II dialogue. It was the IISS Annual South Asia Dialogue, which was attended by scholars from India, Sri Lanka, the US, the UK, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even officials attended this annual dialogue in the past. No Track-II is held with so many countries.'
Madhav's Clarification
Madhav emphasized that he did not attend the entire two-day dialogue. 'I did not attend the two-day dialogue. I was invited to speak at one session, which I did, and left. Complete spin to a non-story,' he added.
Sources indicated that Indian, Pakistani, and other South Asian strategic experts have been participating in conferences organized by Western think tanks for many years. The Colombo conference was part of a series of such events.
Event Details
The IISS Annual South Asia Dialogue is traditionally held in Bahrain but was shifted to Colombo this year due to the fragile situation in West Asia amid the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. The dialogue included participants from multiple countries, making it a multilateral forum rather than a bilateral Track-II initiative.
Madhav's denial comes amid heightened scrutiny of any informal interactions between India and Pakistan, given the strained bilateral relations. The clarification seeks to dispel misconceptions about the nature of the gathering.
