Unlike India, where every Prime Minister wants to leave his mark on history by untangling Indo-Pak relations, Pakistan is sworn to eternal enmity with India. Democratic governments may come and go, military dictatorships may thrive and wither away, but there is never a change in this defining element of Pakistan’s statecraft- its irreconcilable abhorrence to India.
This happens primarily because the levers of India policy are not in Islamabad, but in Pakistani military headquarters at Rawalpindi. The Generals at Rawalpindi realize that Pakistan’s sole raison d’etre is an implacable hatred to India.
Unfortunately, Indian leaders are more prone to the ‘Aman ka Tamasha’ type of theatrics.
One reason behind this is that Indian leaders perhaps, genuinely want peace to thrive between India and Pakistan. But a more cynical analysis makes one feel that Indo-Pak peace is nothing more than a ploy to garner minority votes during elections.
Be that is it may, the gross stupidity of Indian leadership in matters relating to Pakistan is simply bewildering.
After being repeatedly backstabbed and even after suffering years of Pak-sponsored terrorism, Indian leaders have traditionally taken a lenient approach towards Pakistan.
Indira Gandhi, who crushed Pakistan in ’71, refused to use the opportunity to settle Kashmir issue in India’s favour once and for all.
I K Gujral, one of the most mediocre minds to have occupied the high office, actively shut down R&AW’s Special Desk on Pakistan, thereby creating an intelligence void that Pakistan used shrewdly in days leading to the Kargil war.
Manmohan Singh, too wanted to leave behind a lasting legacy, and therefore tried his blow hot, blow cold strategy regarding Pakistan. While he was bitterly criticized for his Biryani diplomacy, the Sharm-el-Sheikh goof up and other such blunders, it now emerges that Manmohan Singh and the UPA dispensation were on the verge of ineffaceable debacle. And for what joy?- A lasting legacy!
Wikileaks reports indicate that at a time when Indian government was struggling with Pakistan’s rogue behavior in Jammu & Kashmir and even in Afghanistan, where the Indian embassy had been attacked, the government of India was making plans to settle Siachen Glacier dispute by handing it over to Pakistan, sort of a goodwill gesture from Manmohan Singh government.
The government, apparently in all its incredulity, expected Pakistan to cease with its anti-India activity, resulting in blossoming of the flower of peace, thereby securing Manmohan Singh’s and Sonia Gandhi’s legacy for posterity.
It took the vigorous opposition of our military leadership to dissuade the government from taking this suicidal step.
Had the government persisted with its contorted logic, we would have had a Kargil Redux, with Pakistani army firing away from the heights that would be in their control, and Indian soldiers being regularly subjected to a barrage of enemy fire.
It is incomprehensible how the Indian government could even conjure up such an ill-conceived plan. Being idealistic is no small folly in itself, but taking decisions based on ill founded idealism is nothing short of suicidal.
Had Siachen been given up willingly, it would have been next to impossible to ever reclaim it.
It took all of Indian army’s genius and their might to establish control over the Siachen glacier during Operation Meghdoot in 1984.
Since then, more than 879 brave Indian soldiers have given up their lives, all to protect the icy glacier that stands as a symbol of India’s resolve to not surrender an inch of Indian territory to Pakistan. That the Indian government could even consider letting the supreme sacrifices of our soldiers go in vain, defies all logic.
More significantly, such discussions put our Civilian leadership in extremely poor light. It is amply clear that Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and the UPA were willing to forfeit India’s national interest. Clearly, the thought that their lasting name could result in eternal damnation for India never crossed their mind.
It has been more than 2.5 years since the UPA was unceremoniously booted out by the people. Even now, skeletons are tumbling out of its dark and dirty closet. Everyday brings news of corruption cases, of financial improprieties, of ill-planned decisions and of abysmal execution.
Indian public has shown remarkable forbearance to such news items.
But the fact that the Government of India was actively considering giving up Siachen to Pakistan is nothing short of earth-shattering. At a time when India was groaning under mounting terror strikes sponsored actively by Pakistan, how could a popularly elected government even think of surrendering a strategic advantage to India’s sworn enemy?
All this goes to show that sections of UPA were actively working behind the scenes to undermine the Indian state. This is nothing short of treason!
After all, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Pakistan, as a sponsor of terrorism, can not be appeased. To tackle Pakistan’s nefarious designs, India needs to consciously tackle Pakistan at all forums- military, economic, diplomatic.
But the prerequisite for any action against Pakistan is for the government to believe in the immutable territorial integrity of the nation. Instead of getting peace by giving up territory to Pakistan, the focus has to be on enforcing peace by getting Indian territory back from Pakistan.
Unlike how Pakistan perceives it, India is not an equal to Pakistan, it is superior to it in every respect! India need not beg for peace to Pakistan. It must use its might to enforce peace. If Pakistan wants to bleed India by inflicting a thousand cuts, Indian government must realize that two can play that game. And surely, while India can stand a cut or two, Pakistan would implode with the slightest of Indian interventions, as happened in 1971.
In this respect, the present government seems to be behaving in an honourable way. It seems that Modi has finally understood that Aman ka Tamasha stands no chance, given how Sharif has brusquely rejected Modi’s overtures.
Modi’s support to the Baloch cause seems to be a way to pay Pakistan back in its own rotten coin. In the aftermath of the Uri attack, India expects its government to act in a way that befits a nation of India’s stature.
Unlike the previous government that sought to pawn off Indian territory to beg for peace, one hopes that Modi Sarkar will enforce peace by the blade of the sword.
References: Wikileak Report