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| Post Uri India ups ante against Pakistan | | | Dr. Romesh Raina | 10/22/2016 10:58:13 PM |
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Post Uri surgical strike will
not end Pakistan sponsored
terrorism against India but surely demonstrates that the exaggerated Pak Politco-Military bluff will not go unchallenged. With this action,India has send a strong and clear message to Pakistan that it will no longer remain a mute spectator to cross border terrorism and will respond with full force. This proactive operation, a significant response to the two terror attacks on Indian defence establishments earlier this year-Pathankot in January and the Uri camp in September was probably a first by India since the 1971 war with Pakistan, the political leadership exhibited a firm national resolve. In order to get a better understanding of the present Indian approach towards Pakistan, it is important to revisit the starting point. India began differently its post congress innings from 2014,it is when our Hon'ble Prime Minister Sh Narinder Modi reached out to Pakistan by inviting Nawaz Sharief to his swearing in ceremony, it carried lot of weight. Later during these two years, India tried everything possible to make a substantive progress to improve the relations between the two countries, to the extent that he made a surprise visit to Pakistan and met Nawaz Shrief shared some emotional moments with his family. Despite all that, it never relent in its pursuit of evil designs to bleed India, its thirst for revenge and territorial ambitions were quite visible. That is the point when India started thinking of other options towards its Pak policy in practice .It is here when India made its mind clear "Bomb ke dhamakon mein baatcheet ki awaz sunai nahi deti", a significant statement loaded with a political message made by our Prime Minister that the attack at Uri was the last straw and India will not tolerate the wanton killing of innocent Indian civilians or soldiers by state sponsored terrorists, the rules of the game have now changed.
Terrorism has become an inseparable element in its calculations about responding to Pakistan as it has come to be regarded as its epicentre. It is therefore seen as a potential springboard for punitive action for pursuing terrorism as an instrument of its policy towards India.Islamabad,is said to support 17 terror camps in Pakistan.The affirmation comes from none other than Chowdhary Abdul Majeed Prime Minister of AJK who declared on November-17,2015 that the region was the base camp of Kashmir liberation struggle. This view is further reinforced by a perception that the leaders of al qaeda and Taliban are hiding and operating from Pakistan. Some of the world's most wanted and dangerous terrorists have either been killed or captured through US operations. The killing of osama bin Laden in Pakistan though a confirmed reality, supports the Indian argument amply. These terrorist net works have frequently targeted Indian people be that Mumbai terror attack or Indian security establishments. It is driven by their quest for jihad that has been instilled in the minds of all those people who wish to cleanse India from Kashmir and Pakistan used Islam to further its stated objectives.It naturally strengthens the Indian resolve which forms a part of the discourse on terrorism that genuinely stigmatises the country. The thrust to name and shame Pakistan therefore as a state sponsor of terrorism emanating from its soil was carried out systematically at the national, regional and global level.
From the archives(September 30 1966)quotes Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that "India has emerged stronger and more united after attacks by China and Pakistan and that it was India's policy and faith to live in peace with all particularly its neighbors". The imperatives of peace and reconciliation remain the same but History continues to repeat itself. While the characters change, the plot remains the same. All these years dialogue appeared to be the agreed path in removing the obstacles but the prospects of its success appeared doubtful in the light of Pakistan's persistent denial of either reigning its non state actors viz Hafiz sayeed, Azhar Masood or making any substantial progress in its probe against Mumbai terror attacks and Pathankot attacks.The decision therefore to become aggressive was a natural corollary of Pakistan's persistent non cooperation in preventing the use of its soil for terror activities against India. Not only that the Pak terror activities have been extensively reported in the international media along with the tacit support it has received from the country's security establishment. The close association of Haqqani network and Afghan Taliban with its intelligence agencies is also well known and gives credence to the international thinking on the issue.Hizbul Mujahideen and some Pak based terror groups have already been listed by EU as terror groups. Their reach and influence in Pakistan is a well acclaimed reality. It is visible when such people and their organizations proscribed by UN are openly allowed to make provocative statements and issue threats against India in their public meetings. Their International involvement, as a result of encouragement from security agencies in terror activities is given as under;
1- Mohd Usman Ghani was arrested by Austrian Police for his links to the Paris terror attacks in November 2015.
2- 18 Pakistan nationals were arrested by the Italian security agencies for their association with International terrorism.
3- 3 Pakistani nationals by Spanish Police in July 2016 for spreading jihadist ideology.
By dint of Pakistan's complicity with terror attracting international attention, the Indian attack appeared justified at global stage as no stake holder questioned the Indian motive of unleashing surgical strikes against the terror launching pads in POK. Though India had clearly indicated that these attacks were not against the state of Pakistan but against the terror groups that threatened peace and stability in the region. Even its all weather friend tacitly endorsed Indian act when Li Baodong Chinese vice Foreign Minister(HT Dt 11-10-2016) said "on counter terrorism the five countries have consensus. The Foreign Ministers of the five countries have reached an agreement on the margins of the UN general Assembly. We hope and believe this Goa summit will build on past consensus and continue to strengthen cooperation on counter terrorism and other issues of Political security". Washington is also witnessing pressure this time to declare Pakistan a "state sponsor of terrorism" and a resolution in this regard by two congress men Ted Poe and Rohra Bacher has been moved in the congress. It is a reflection of Pakistan's global image rooted in its role in international terrorism and the close links of its security establishment with Islamic radical groups. As a consequence, it is undeniable that countries with which Pakistan has had long standing relationships-worth protecting are increasingly becoming uneasy with its policies.
The resultant impact of the Uri incident which led to the death of 19 Army soldiers was not the only provocation that hardened the Indian resolve but the cumulative build up of recurrent terrorist attacks scripted by Pakistan. India managed to put Pakistan on notice that New Delhi has multiple options which it wont hesitate to use, should the need arise. It clearly signalled that henceforth Pak army's adventurism against India whether through direct military action or through terrorist network would invite punitive military action. By this military action stuck with deadly effect, it is the Pakistan military's reckless conduct that has been hit. The military aim was to inflict punishment on the Pak army deployed on the LOC for every terrorist act committed on Indian soil and should they venture any subsequent act, there will be a response but with increased intensity and magnitude. India this time has added an element of surprise and unpredictability to shock Pak army and ISI planners. India's hand gets further strengthened in the eventuality of Pakistan still deciding to go ahead with its terror policy which in any case will force it to further isolation. Besides military options there are many other arrows in India's quiver. These include cancellation of SAARC summit, indefinite postponement of the next meeting of Indus water treaty commission, MFN status given to Pak are under active consideration of the Govt. In the aftermath, it played the diplomatic cards well which elicited a favourable response from global influential capitals.
It has provided a considerable space to India now and in future to adopt robust and more imaginative measures to inflict pain on anti India elements, where it hurts the most. It has laid foundations for real implications for the policy of cross border terrorism towards India. This is the beginning of a new chapter in Indo-Pak relations indicating that there won't be any business as usual from now on. India through this action has communicated that it is impossible to maintain status quo in the unhealthy bilateral relationship because of its pursuance of hostile Kashmir policy which is a prisoner of "bleeding India with a thousand cuts" doctrine. The momentum to reset the present frame of relationship between the two countries was set by our Hon'ble Prime Minister by changing the rules of engagement. The new policy construct is based on the internationally accepted crackdown on terror. Consequently the strong communication to civil military leadership of Pakistan is that there is a marked change in India's strategic intentions and strategic policies. This realisation entails grapling with truths about Pakistan's political sincerity towards India. With the success of the operation, it heralds the onset of a new era of retaliatory options available to India. First is its success in fundamentally altering the doctrine of strategic restraint. The consequences of this message has a relevance not only for the country but for the entire region. Of importance here is to quote Sheikh Hasina wajid's(Prime Minister Bangladesh) recent statement that "Terror(from Pakistan) has gone everywhere, which is why many of us felt frustrated by Pakistan". Afghanistan too shares an unhealthy relationship with it because of its unfriendly policies towards Kabul. This is borne by recent recurrent terrorist events which have severely impacted the framework of relations between the various countries in the region. SAARC as a consequence became a big casualty. While concluding, the reasonable objective for India is that Pakistan make demonstrable persistent efforts to reign in anti-India forces and the so called non state actors from using its soil for terrorist activities against New Delhi.The central element of all this should be to stop disruption and stress in the main stream politics of Kashmir by addressing all the concerns through diplomacy rather than direct or indirect military means.Add to this, it must firm its resolve to force fundamental changes in its behavior and stop fuelling anger and insurgency in the Valley.
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