he Indian delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will be visiting Pakistan this month much uncertainty around its participation. Unlike some other occasions when there was hope of a breakthrough and easing of the extreme tension in the relations between the two countries, there seems to be little hope of that for now.

The visit itself can be seen as a welcome step. It was earlier feared that the Indian delegation might not be participating in the meetings albeit. However, the participation stands downgraded from the prime minister level to that of the foreign minister.

In the past, such visits have resulted in breakthroughs. When Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan 10 years ago, she has sounded very enthusiastic about her trip. It was pointed out that she had herself hailed from Lahore. Her family had once lived in Dharampura.

One of the reasons the relations between the two countries are tense is a hardening of positions in the two capitals. Even when there is a little easing of tension, it is soon followed by a recoil to the rigid traditional narrative of strain and loss.

The close links continue to sustain a desire to make up and join hands. At the same time there are bitter memories of ugly behavior and bloodshed in the past. The bloody past and the ongoing disputes, including territorial and natural resources dispute, have constantly muddied the relationship waters and obstructing the restoration of normalcy.

Many people in Pakistan are quite cued-in onto the Indian cultural scene. The same can be claimed about some Indians who remain interested in Pakistani music, television and performing arts.

When Atal Bihari Yajpai, then prime minister, visited Pakistan, his delegation included Dev Anand, a very popular film hero who was born in Shahkargarh. He and his elder brother, Chetan Anand, had studied at Government College, Lahore. The latter went on to become a celebrated movie director. His Neecha Nagar was acknowledged in Cannes. Its cast had included Rafi Peerzada. The Indian cinema scene then was a lot more responsive to the contemporary social conditions.

Many people in Pakistan are quite cued-in onto the Indian cultural scene. The same can be claimed about some Indians who remain interested in Pakistani music, television and performing arts.

Dev Anand wished to visit Government College, Lahore. The wish was granted and he was taken there. It was a scene to behold. He almost broke down as he touched the walls and the staircases and the steps. For a while he wanted to be left alone with his thoughts of the days when he was a student there.

Dilip Kumar also visited Pakistan twice and was welcomed by the people of Pakistan as one of their own. He visited his ancestral city, Peshawar, and people were hugely enthusiastic about his homecoming. He was invited for a second time by the government of Pakistan when and presented one of the highest awards. He had to seek the approval of Atal Bihari Vajpai’s BJP government to visit Pakistan and receive the award.

The family of Prithviraj Kapoor, too, visited Pakistan when his grandsons brought the film, Hina. Randhir and Rishi Kapoor visited the ancestral home and Edwards College as well as other sites trying to recall and match the narrative that the grandfather had advanced in nostalgic recounting.

Without bending over backwards the chances this time round are not that sanguine. The government on the other side of the divide has to be more sensitive to the issues that involve the people and territory. Unless there is flexibility on certain issues, it appears that the relations will remain tense and uncomfortable.

On another level, familiarity also breeds contempt. The proximity of the two peoples does not in itself guarantee good relations or easy progress towards normalisation. One wishes that the bigger side takes issues like poverty, prejudice and climate change as being the main factors in the normalisation of relations and the resumption of cultural exchange. It may seem impossible for now but there is no harm in hoping for an easing of tensions. The Muslims on the Indian side have suffered greatly for not being allowed to visit their relatives in Pakistan. They want better relationship to be an outcome of any official visit that takes place. If this visit cannot yield such a result, let it remain a fool’s dream.

The writer is an art critic based in Lahore