Sundeep Waslekar who hails from Mumbai, India, is a regular visitor to this Kingdom. The first time I met him in Kathmandu, he was one of the team members of the Stockholm based IDEA, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. It should have been some where around 1997. Since then I have been meeting him in Nepal during various media seminars either organized by the FES or some other International NGOs. Needless to say, he has many friends in Nepal.

Sundeep is frank but yet modest. He is well abreast with the contemporary international events. Nevertheless, he is concentrating his efforts in peace building measure in and around South Asia and beyond that as well. He is at the moment, the President of an Internationally acclaimed Strategic Foresight Group; and happens to be the Founder of International Centre for Peace Initiatives, which is perhaps based in Mumbai.

His Specialization is on the following: Governance, conflicts, global and regional security, political economy, and political philosophy.

Sundeep secured his BA (PPE), from Oxford University, UK; and obtained his Mcom degree from Mumbai University, India.

Needless to say, he possesses a varied Work Experience which among others include, Conceptualised and led the establishment of South Asia's pioneering Track Two diplomacy institution in South Asia (ICPI), as well as the first strategic forecasting think-tank (SFG) in the South Asian region.

Has facilitated dialogue between Indian and Pakistani decision makers and Kashmiri leaders, achieving specific breakthroughs in crisis situations in the past.

Has played a critical role in enabling reform in a sector in the Indian agricultural economy, resulting in deregulation of the sector, announced by the Government in Parliament.

His Research postings and Consultancy include the following: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm; King's College, London; Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi; Rockefelle Foundation, New York

Sundeep is a globe-trotter indeed. He has travelled in over 30 countries; Published articles in over 50 periodicals and newspapers around the world; has served on advisory committees of several institutions, including India International Centre, Coalition for Action for South Asian Cooperation, Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry etc.

Sundeep has few books to his credit on Governance and several of SFG and ICPI publications.

Last week, Sundeep was in Kathmandu to attend a FES sponsored India-Pakistan seminar where I met him and approached for a tete-a-tete. Sundeep agreed. Below the results: Chief editor.

TGQ 1: South Asian region is conflict ridden because of continued rivalary goin on between Indai and Pakistan over decades and decades? Do you think conferences of this sort (track two) contribute to lessen the tension in between the tow arch rivals? If yes then hoe? Your comments please.

S.Waslekar: Track two diplomacy and people to people contacts are more necessary in conflict periods than in an era of peace. These exercises enable participants to understand perceptions, ascertain facts and explore new ideas. Official diplomacy has limits of protocol and legality. Track two diplomacy can play a supportive or preparatory role for the official diplomacy. But we should nor expect track two diplomacy to resolve conflicts.

TGQ 2: How you define peace? What mechanism, you think fit, which if applied would stabilize peace both in region and the world.

S.Waslekar: Peace is an ongoing process. It has no full stop, only several commas working for peace iis like climbing mountains. You reach the peak and find that there is another peak to conquer. We need to construct peace at all levels- political, bureaucratic, business, civil society the media and culture. Peace is not a showpiece to be exhibited at high profile political events.

TGQ 3: As you are associated with an international Institute for Peace Initiatives based in Mumbai, India. Would you please tell our readers main activities of you institute?

S.Waslekar: International center for Peace Initiatives (ICPI) is the first conflict resolution institution in South Asia. It was established in 1990. Last year, it launched Strategic Foresight Group (SFG), the first ever scenario planning and geopolitical forecasting think-tank in the region. The ICPI has facilitated change and hague projects between South Asian politicians, indigenous language editors and researchers. It has facilitated search for solutions to conflicts between India and Pakistan. The SFG h as produced highly acclaimed reports on the future of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran Saudi Arabia. In my personal capacity, I contributed to the creation of Center for the Study of Democracy and Good Governance in Nepal.

TGQ4: India and Pakistan have finally agreed for talks. Both sides have exhibited their commitments for talks in the coming days. Do you think that it is due to the US pressure both the countries have toned down their accusations against each other ad agreed for talks? Or were it a compulsion for both to come to terms?

S.Waslekar: Prime Minister Vajpayee's current peace initiative is driven by two factors. First, the Prime Minister has an emotional and political commitment reflected in his Lahore and Agra initiatives as well as his unilateral ceasefire of 2000. Secondly, the Prime Minister is using the present initiative to spell a vision of India based on shared progress with neighbors. He is as much addressing the international community as the domestic hard-liners. There is certainly some prompting from the US. But it is less important than the domestic factor.

It is a wide subject, which I can't explain you in few words. But the gist is that what I mentioned above.

TGQ5: Do you think that the Indian and Pakistani media has contributed in bringing the rival nations more closer? If yes, then in what ways?

S.Waslekar: The media of India and Pakistan are neither weapons of war nor purveyors of peace. They just follow the official line advocating hostility as well as reconciliation as per the winds blowing in the General Head Quarters in Rawalpindi and the South Block in New Delhi. Unfortunately, the media in India and Pakistan are handmaidens of the two establishments.