Aam diplomacy: Sharif tries to sweeten ties with Modi with crates of mangoes

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have been slightly surprised when he was greeted with several crates of mangoes on Wednesday from across the border. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s favourite mangoes, of the Sundari and chausa variety, reportedly found their way to 5, Race Course Road in a bid that is being seen as a few think as peace offering.

Earlier too, at Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, the Pakistani premier had gifted a shawl for Modi’s mother. A few days later, Sharif had sent a white sari as a present for Modi’s mother.

After Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit met with Kashmiri separatists and India cancelled bilateral talks at the foreign secretary-level. The crates of Pakistani mangoes are seen as an attempt to reach out to Modi.

Pakistan’s mango diplomacy is not just for repairing the damage caused by cancellation of talks but is also suspected to be a a feeler from Islamabad ahead of a potential Sharif-Modi meet later this month in New York on the sidelines of UN General Assembly.

Despite Modi’s “proxy war” remarks, Sharif has made it clear that he does not want to engage in a confrontational exchange with India and reiterated that Pakistan wants an improvement in relations.

Apart from Modi, Sharif sent mangoes also to President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.