Round The World

New Delhi, 1 March 2019

India-Pak Airstrikes

DIALOGUE OFFER IS ABSURD

By Dr. D.K.Giri

Prof. International Politics, JMI

India and Pakistan are at war. Pakistan started it by a proxy terrorist organisation JeM with a suicide bomber on our security personnel. In fact, they have been doing it for years. India has been restrained all these years while campaigning internationally against the unabated terrorism sponsored by Pakistani Military, and its intelligence agency ISI. Despite trees of evidence forwarded, Pakistan has been in continuous, duplicitous denial. India has to retaliate as it was an attack on its sovereignty and security as Pakistan again targeted its military. Islamabad reacts to our retaliation in deference to its audience that it can respond. Having done both the aggression on our forces and retaliation to our legitimate strike at the terrorist bases, it invites us to a dialogue. This is simply preposterous.

How low can Pakistan stoop? How shameless it can become and behave like an ostrich. The time has come, as the patience of all Indians has run out on Pakistan, to tell Islamabad that it has to mend its ways or face the disastrous consequences. The menace of terrorism that it harbours will consume Pakistan one day leading to its dismemberment. New Delhi has no choice, for the sake of its own security and in the interest of world peace, the terrorist state of Pakistan has to be made to realise its monstrous folly.

Pakistan ludicrously asks for evidence whenever it carries out a terrorist attack. Can it deny 26/11 attack in Mumbai carried out by LeT based in Pakistan? Ajmal Kasab one of the 10 terrorists caught and tried in India gave ample evidence of how he was indoctrinated and drafted into the attack. Can Pakistan deny the attack in Pathankot in January 2016 by United Jihad Council and JeM? Will Pakistan wash its hands off the attack in Uri in 2016? The entire world knows that Osama Bin Laden, the international terrorist was given safe haven in Pakistan, near the Pakistani military academy?

Can Pakistan deny that Dawood Ibrahim who carried out Mumbai Bomb blasts in 1993 is staying in Pakistan? He is not even hiding there as his daughter Mahrukh Ibrahim married Junaid Miandad, the son of a known Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad in a normal social function. Why is Iran accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism in Iranian territory? Is there any more evidence required that Pakistan is a terrorist state that survives by feeding on terrorism?

No, Mr. Imran Khan, the new Prime Minister of ‘new Pakistan’, you do not need evidence, you are a mouth piece of the army making platitudinous statements to cove the terrorist and the nefarious activities of your army. Pakistan army is above any civilian government. The Pakistani government stays in the office at the mercy of the army, which sustains itself on blood money for terrorism in India, Afghanistan and Iran, and unless stopped in its tracks. It might work as mercenaries for other countries too.

Mr. Khan, you issue an invitation in language of blackmail. You say that, “with the kind of weapons that we have, can we, India and Pakistan, afford any miscalculation? Should we not think about the consequences of an escalation at this point in time? If it escalates then it will neither be in my control nor Narendra Modi’s. This is why I am inviting you again; we are ready to cooperate in Pulwama investigation, and to dialogue on terrorism. Better sense should prevail.”

You had invoked God earlier to say that beginning a war is in the hands of humans but ending it is up to God. Now you are brandishing the nuclear weapons. Is that a posture for peace or trying to blackmail us into a cease fire? Anyone knows well that death and dialogue cannot go together; terrorism cannot be tackled by tokenism for peace.

If you are serious, then for God’s sake incarcerate the terrorists moving scot free in your country. Assure the world that no terrorist activity would initiate from Pakistan territory. Declare that we want to resolve bilateral issues with India through dialogue and no violence from your side is resorted to. If one of these two steps is taken by you, New Delhi and Indians will respond favourably.

Since it is hard to trust Pakistani leadership and military, what are India’s options at this critical juncture? Surely, New Delhi has to take it to the logical end what it has started in the form of retaliation. It is not just military but all out war against the terrorist state of Pakistan.

To start with New Delhi must realise that Pakistan will not give up its historic hope of tearing Kashmir valley off India unless it is, on this issue, completely subdued. Second, New Delhi should vigorously claim PoK back in order to complete the unification of India. Third, on the lines of apartheid South Africa, Pakistan should be treated as an international pariah. Immediately, India should pull out of the Cricket World Cup if Pakistan is allowed to play.

New Delhi should suspend all ties with Pakistan. It should expose and oppose any country that supports or is silent on Pakistan in its terrorist activities. Fourth, as a lay man, one would advocate the sporadic pounding of terrorist bases in Pakistan. Remember the Indian traditional wisdom, bhay bina na preet, which means there is no sensibility without fear.

Also what applies appropriately to Pakistan as it asks for dialogue, lathon ka bhoot baton se nahin manta meaning the devil only understands a body-wrenching kick not a gentle kiss. So the operation against terrorists sheltered in Pakistan should continue until their last vestige is wiped out. This would be a contribution to the international battle against terrorism.

At home, although there is a definite consensus in Indian politics on the operation of the army in particular and national security in general, the ruling party should be extremely cautious in politicising the current conflict with Pakistan. It should not add PR grist to the theory promoted by Pakistan that this is a military posturing by Modi in the election year. Already 21 Opposition parties have called upon the Prime Minister not to party politicise such a grave national issue.

Without going into the merit of their position, the onus is certainly on the ruling party in a democracy to carry the confidence of the entire political spectrum in times of war as it is the national responsibility of the Opposition to rally behind the government. Any political mis-step either by the ruling party or the Opposition, might affect the morale of the army. As such one of our pilots in Pakistani custody is causing heart burns to Indians. Let us not, at this stage, say or do anything that might affect our mission.

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)