Indo-Pak relations: Letting the men in uniform talk

September 9 will witness a meeting between India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers. After the abortive meeting of the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of India and Pakistan, this will be the first official engagement between the two countries since the Prime Ministers shook hands at Ufa, Russia.

Neither India nor Pakistan wants to appear to be the party that broke off talks, so the chances are BSF-Rangers talks will be held as scheduled. What the talks will achieve is another matter altogether.

The talks will take place amid escalated tension on the Line of Control (LoC) and bitterness that has suspended even formal ceremonials such as exchanging sweets on the border on India and Pakistan's independence days.

The capture of a Pakistani militant on the Indian side of the LoC is a sore point. Obviously, the level of those talking from both sides needs to be ramped up if all these issues are to be discussed at length. But hopefully, the conversation will enable the NSAs to meet in a third country away from the glare of the media to hold discussions.