Bridging Borders: The Call for People-to-People Connection

Dattatreya Hosabale, a senior RSS functionary, emphasizes the importance of people-to-people contact to improve India-Pakistan relations. Despite past diplomatic efforts and ongoing terrorism concerns, he advocates for open dialogue and cultural engagement, suggesting that civil society connections can break longstanding deadlock.


Devdiscourse News Desk | New Delhi | Updated: 12-05-2026 20:05 IST | Created: 12-05-2026 20:05 IST
Bridging Borders: The Call for People-to-People Connection
Dattatreya Hosabale
  • Country:
  • India

In a candid interview with PTI Videos, top RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale highlighted the absence of trust in Pakistan's military and political leaders from an Indian perspective. He proposed that fostering people-to-people connections is key to resolving tensions between the two nations.

While acknowledging past diplomatic efforts and citing incidents like 26/11 and Pulwama, Hosabale stressed the need to protect India's security and self-respect. However, he advocated keeping channels open for dialogue, including trade, commerce, and visas, to maintain diplomatic ties.

Hosabale believes that civil society can play a pivotal role by emphasizing cultural connections and encouraging academicians, sportspersons, and community leaders to engage, thereby counteracting the aversion from Pakistani political and military leaders towards India.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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