India did well by having a surgical strike across the Line of Control and taking out terrorists who had gathered there to launch attacks against Indian citizens. For the first time, a government has stood up and said very clearly they will go in hot pursuit to areas where terrorists are gathered and take them out - and they have done it very boldly.
For the last 30 years, the government of India has failed to carry out its constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of its citizens from attack by a terrorist state which is a neighbour and sends jihadi terrorists across the border to attack Indian citizens. Pakistan lives today in a state of denial, full of conspiracy theories. Its army treats India as an enemy nation and this doctrine is at the core of its existence.
For the last 30 years, the government of India has been speaking to Pakistan and Pakistan has made it very, very clear that it wants Kashmir at all costs and Kashmir remains the core issue. And to get Kashmir, they make sure that they have terrorists (who they call "good" terrorists) in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and send them across the border.
Openly, in Pakistan, elements like Hafiz Sayeed and Syed Salahuddin go around to raise money to fund these terrorists and they have camps that train them. It is well known that the Pakistani army is involved in training these people and many Pakistani generals have gone on record that they justify the use of non-state actors in terrorist activities against its neighbour.
It is very clear that 30 years of talking to Pakistan has not stopped terrorism. All we got in return for our talks has been more killing and more violence. India taking the high moral ground has met with utter disdain and terrorism. Finally after trying all peaceful means, our PM ordered, after Uri, that the Indian army must go and strike the targets across the border in hot pursuit which is legally acceptable under international law.
There are many people in the country who have been saying that India should occupy a high moral ground and should not resort to retaliation whatever the provocation. India, throughout its history, has taken the high moral ground and has suffered immensely as a consequence.
When Pakistan and its raiders came across the border in Kashmir in 1948, Pandit Nehru got the Indian army to push them back but stopped the advancement of the Indian army before the entire territory was reclaimed and took the case to the United Nations. And from 1948 till now, Pakistan is in occupation of territory legally acceded to India by the Maharaja of Kashmir and there has been no movement.
And that single decision of Pandit Nehru of taking the high moral ground has not worked out and we have suffered tremendously. It is very clear that taking the high moral ground and protesting and talking to a country which considers us their enemy will not work - especially when the country lives in denial, when the country is controlled by an army that is inimical to you and that army treats you as its own enemy.
The world is ruled by realpolitik and not by taking the moral high ground. The history of the last 60 years has proven this and that countries taking the high moral ground will inevitably compromise with issues of national security. The United States, Europe, Soviet Russia and China are very clear in their minds that national interest overrides all considerations. The security of their territory, their people and their property is paramount.
They are prepared to be offensive in case anybody threatens them and they have demonstrated this very clearly. United States took out Osama bin Laden from Abbottabad very openly and told the whole world what it had done. And Pakistan was unable to do anything - its military leaders had not even woken up when the strike was done. Even today, conspiracy theories float in Pakistan that this never happened.
Today, India has set a precedent and the precedent is very clear: India will take all steps to protect its border, its citizens and the property of its citizens. India will not accept any terrorists coming across the border from Pakistan destroying army camps and destroying property. And in case anybody comes across and Pakistan does not stop them, India will go across the border in hot pursuit and take them out as has been done.
Many people will say that this could lead to a confrontation and a war-like situation. This will not happen for a very important reason. India's action has been defensive in nature and not offensive. India has not occupied any territory across the LoC. India has acted in self defence by sending its troops to act against terrorists, and if any Pakistani soldiers were protecting those terrorists, they have been taken out.
India's policy now is very clear - India has explained to the world exactly what it intends to do. The Pakistani side has been clearly exposed as a bully, a terrorist nation and a nation founded on living in denial and conspiracy theories. The Pakistani army was holding army games near Jodhpur and across the border in Rajasthan when this surgical strike took place.
This strike changes the balance of power as far as the border is concerned. It is possible that tension across the border will increase, and if tension increases and if Pakistan resorts to its usual tactic of firing across the border, India should retaliate 10 times more and demonstrate that it will not accept any of these usual tactics and will give it back because the only way to handle a bully is to stand up and hit back very strongly - which India has done.
As far as the economy is concerned, the stock markets have fallen today, but all analysts across the world understand that this has no economic consequence at all. This is a normal knee jerk reaction whenever such events happen. This is a normal act by a country which is attacked by terrorists from across a border. When the United States takes any action against any country, the economy is not impacted. Our trade with Pakistan is very meagre.
The world understand India. India has been a victim of terrorism, for long and public opinion and world opinion is against terrorism, especially jihadi terrorism. There is no country which will support terrorist activities today and come out in support of Pakistan. Even the Chinese who consider Pakistan to be their friend forever and ever are very apprehensive that the jihadi elements of Pakistan will go into Muslim areas of China and cause trouble.
Pakistan has to look towards its future carefully and evaluate and see if its usual strategy and tactics of sending terrorists across the border to India, making Kashmir the core issue and keeping its economy and people hostage to the sole idea of treating India like an enemy, are really relevant.
This issue is no longer valid as the Prime Minister of India has said very clearly that reducing poverty, giving good quality of life to people, helping them realise their dreams is the primary responsibility of every country in South Asia. And he has challenged Pakistan to work to make sure that Pakistani citizens have a better life.
If you look at all the social indicators of Pakistan, it is very clear that they have gone backwards in time. A senior journalist said that in the 60s, the Pakistani per capita income was 65% more than India's. And today it is about 30% less than India's. It has compromised its economic future. Because of the terrorist activities of the Pakistani state, the Pakistani passport is looked at in suspicion by so many countries around the world. And many countries don't even allow Pakistanis to come in.
After 60 years of treating India as an enemy and 30 years of using terrorism as a matter of state policy - it's time that Pakistani citizens re-evaluated their own future, looked at what they want their children to have and come to a conclusion about what is good for them.
The liberal voices and those voices in Pakistan who are for peace need to stand up. And in India, it is time that all the people who advocated continued dialogue with Pakistan understand that dialogue can only be with a country which is open to reason...a country which is open to dialogue...and not a country which treats you like an enemy and sends terrorists across the border to kill your citizens and lives in duplicity and self-denial.
You cannot treat that country as an equal. India taking a high moral ground and not retaliating when its citizens are killed does not work. The future for India is very, very clear. We need to be united against terrorism, speak as one voice, take defensive action. And make sure that we tell the world that India will always protect its borders, its people and the property of its citizens. It will never go on the offensive against any country, but should any country use terrorism against India, it reserves its right to retaliate and will retaliate to protect itself.
(Mohandas Pai For NDTV)
For the last 30 years, the government of India has failed to carry out its constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of its citizens from attack by a terrorist state which is a neighbour and sends jihadi terrorists across the border to attack Indian citizens. Pakistan lives today in a state of denial, full of conspiracy theories. Its army treats India as an enemy nation and this doctrine is at the core of its existence.
For the last 30 years, the government of India has been speaking to Pakistan and Pakistan has made it very, very clear that it wants Kashmir at all costs and Kashmir remains the core issue. And to get Kashmir, they make sure that they have terrorists (who they call "good" terrorists) in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and send them across the border.
Openly, in Pakistan, elements like Hafiz Sayeed and Syed Salahuddin go around to raise money to fund these terrorists and they have camps that train them. It is well known that the Pakistani army is involved in training these people and many Pakistani generals have gone on record that they justify the use of non-state actors in terrorist activities against its neighbour.
It is very clear that 30 years of talking to Pakistan has not stopped terrorism. All we got in return for our talks has been more killing and more violence. India taking the high moral ground has met with utter disdain and terrorism. Finally after trying all peaceful means, our PM ordered, after Uri, that the Indian army must go and strike the targets across the border in hot pursuit which is legally acceptable under international law.
There are many people in the country who have been saying that India should occupy a high moral ground and should not resort to retaliation whatever the provocation. India, throughout its history, has taken the high moral ground and has suffered immensely as a consequence.
And that single decision of Pandit Nehru of taking the high moral ground has not worked out and we have suffered tremendously. It is very clear that taking the high moral ground and protesting and talking to a country which considers us their enemy will not work - especially when the country lives in denial, when the country is controlled by an army that is inimical to you and that army treats you as its own enemy.
The world is ruled by realpolitik and not by taking the moral high ground. The history of the last 60 years has proven this and that countries taking the high moral ground will inevitably compromise with issues of national security. The United States, Europe, Soviet Russia and China are very clear in their minds that national interest overrides all considerations. The security of their territory, their people and their property is paramount.
They are prepared to be offensive in case anybody threatens them and they have demonstrated this very clearly. United States took out Osama bin Laden from Abbottabad very openly and told the whole world what it had done. And Pakistan was unable to do anything - its military leaders had not even woken up when the strike was done. Even today, conspiracy theories float in Pakistan that this never happened.
Today, India has set a precedent and the precedent is very clear: India will take all steps to protect its border, its citizens and the property of its citizens. India will not accept any terrorists coming across the border from Pakistan destroying army camps and destroying property. And in case anybody comes across and Pakistan does not stop them, India will go across the border in hot pursuit and take them out as has been done.
Many people will say that this could lead to a confrontation and a war-like situation. This will not happen for a very important reason. India's action has been defensive in nature and not offensive. India has not occupied any territory across the LoC. India has acted in self defence by sending its troops to act against terrorists, and if any Pakistani soldiers were protecting those terrorists, they have been taken out.
India's policy now is very clear - India has explained to the world exactly what it intends to do. The Pakistani side has been clearly exposed as a bully, a terrorist nation and a nation founded on living in denial and conspiracy theories. The Pakistani army was holding army games near Jodhpur and across the border in Rajasthan when this surgical strike took place.
This strike changes the balance of power as far as the border is concerned. It is possible that tension across the border will increase, and if tension increases and if Pakistan resorts to its usual tactic of firing across the border, India should retaliate 10 times more and demonstrate that it will not accept any of these usual tactics and will give it back because the only way to handle a bully is to stand up and hit back very strongly - which India has done.
As far as the economy is concerned, the stock markets have fallen today, but all analysts across the world understand that this has no economic consequence at all. This is a normal knee jerk reaction whenever such events happen. This is a normal act by a country which is attacked by terrorists from across a border. When the United States takes any action against any country, the economy is not impacted. Our trade with Pakistan is very meagre.
The world understand India. India has been a victim of terrorism, for long and public opinion and world opinion is against terrorism, especially jihadi terrorism. There is no country which will support terrorist activities today and come out in support of Pakistan. Even the Chinese who consider Pakistan to be their friend forever and ever are very apprehensive that the jihadi elements of Pakistan will go into Muslim areas of China and cause trouble.
Pakistan has to look towards its future carefully and evaluate and see if its usual strategy and tactics of sending terrorists across the border to India, making Kashmir the core issue and keeping its economy and people hostage to the sole idea of treating India like an enemy, are really relevant.
This issue is no longer valid as the Prime Minister of India has said very clearly that reducing poverty, giving good quality of life to people, helping them realise their dreams is the primary responsibility of every country in South Asia. And he has challenged Pakistan to work to make sure that Pakistani citizens have a better life.
If you look at all the social indicators of Pakistan, it is very clear that they have gone backwards in time. A senior journalist said that in the 60s, the Pakistani per capita income was 65% more than India's. And today it is about 30% less than India's. It has compromised its economic future. Because of the terrorist activities of the Pakistani state, the Pakistani passport is looked at in suspicion by so many countries around the world. And many countries don't even allow Pakistanis to come in.
After 60 years of treating India as an enemy and 30 years of using terrorism as a matter of state policy - it's time that Pakistani citizens re-evaluated their own future, looked at what they want their children to have and come to a conclusion about what is good for them.
The liberal voices and those voices in Pakistan who are for peace need to stand up. And in India, it is time that all the people who advocated continued dialogue with Pakistan understand that dialogue can only be with a country which is open to reason...a country which is open to dialogue...and not a country which treats you like an enemy and sends terrorists across the border to kill your citizens and lives in duplicity and self-denial.
You cannot treat that country as an equal. India taking a high moral ground and not retaliating when its citizens are killed does not work. The future for India is very, very clear. We need to be united against terrorism, speak as one voice, take defensive action. And make sure that we tell the world that India will always protect its borders, its people and the property of its citizens. It will never go on the offensive against any country, but should any country use terrorism against India, it reserves its right to retaliate and will retaliate to protect itself.
(Mohandas Pai For NDTV)
No comments:
Post a Comment