There is a saying in Malayalam which translates to “you take it out on your mother when you lose in the marketplace”. The recent flare ups on the line of control indicate that Pakistan, after losing out to world opinion in regard to its intention of a honest fight against terrorism, wants to take out the frustration on India…OK...what are mothers for – after all Pakistan is only an errant child from a pan Indian point of view! (That is, if we set aside polity and politics for a moment).
It is reported that ISI chief, Shujah Pasha said to the Pakistan parliament, in camera, that targets in India have been identified for retaliation in case India chose a clinical strike on targets in their country. On the face of it his statement does not mean much and India should not publicly react to a statement made in private, by a political and conventionally military non entity (except for terror acts). But it may be worth the while to examine the statement from the following angles!
1. Does Shuja Pasha in his statements, inadvertently admit that those terrorists and criminals wanted by India are hiding in Pakistan under the protection of the ISI? – India knows that and ISI knows that India knows!
2. ISI is yet ready to use terrorists to strike at targets within India – with what? Terrorism is the only strategic and tactical weapon Pakistan can now employ against India, with their nuclear arsenal totally in control of the USA. In other words US complicity will be implicit in Pakistan’s use of a nuclear weapon.
The stakes in the region are high. India will be better served looking beyond Pakistan at Afghanistan. China is a looming threat to India in the region. India is better off than China in that it is a democracy. Militarily and economically China has an edge over India. With Pakistan as its ally it will try and dominate Af-Pak region once the USA pulls out from there. As an Indian, I feel vulnerable when our politicians exhibit a pathetic finality in treating elections as the end all of democracy and governance. I do not see any well defined strategy for India, let alone implementation steps, beyond clichés like ‘historical……’, ‘traditional…..’ et al. History and tradition will take us only thus far.
It is time India shed petty politics and seriously look beyond the immediate neighbours. I strongly feel a section of our military should be a permanent fixture in formulating National security policies and foreign policies. For instance, may be symbolical in the least, a senior Military General or equivalent should have accompanied the PM to Afghanistan during his recent visit to that country.
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