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| "Dialogue is no solution to silence rogue Pakistan" | | | Kundan Kashmiri
It is unfortunate that our
mighty Indian nation has no consistent policy towards rogue Pakistan and seems has still not decided whether Pakistan is our enemy state or not. We look for options when we are attacked but yearn for peace after a few days. But it has been noticed in the past that while such peace initiatives have been going on, a section in that country ( Pakistan ) always tries to scuttle such endeavors and raises the temperature at regular intervals by launching terror attacks and increasing the cross border terrorism.
India has to realize that we are faced with a rogue state in our neighborhood. What is worse, this rogue state considers India as an existential threat. India may not have hostile intentions towards Pakistan but this is what Pakistan believes in. It still believes in bleeding India through a thousand cuts. If Pakistan considers India as an existential threat, then there is no point talking to it. It will not lead to the solution of any of the bilateral problems, and this is what has been happening. Pakistan uses issues like Kashmir to rationalize its hostile behavior. Kashmir became an issue simply because the Indian State has not handled it properly. On the other hand, countries like China successfully turned critical issues like Tibet into a non-issue. Even Pakistan plans to incorporate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) by going for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
However, Pakistan has managed to keep the pot boiling in the Kashmir Valley and to bring undue international attention. India does not seem to have a plan to deal with the Kashmir turmoil. The very rational of Pakistan army, the most important functioning institution of Pakistan, is to wage war against India.
Often, it is suggested that this army does not want amicable relations between these two countries. If relations between these two countries become normal then how would Pakistan army justify its existence and the massive resources it corners in Pakistan.
The Pakistan army at present decides all important foreign policy issues, including towards India. It's hardly surprising that this policy is full of hostility. Of late, democracy in Pakistan has been on the backfoot and the control of Pakistan army is increasing day by day. In fact, some Pakistanis are of the opinion that Pakistan has actually never seen democracy, but a military rule of various kinds and extent.
The way the Pakistani State is structured at present and the way it functions, it is impossible to expect any responsible behavior from them. The presence of nuclear weapons in the hand of this rogue state has further complicated the situation. In the past, it was suggested by some that if India responds militarily then it would be walking into the trap laid by Pakistan.
A section in India has argued that India should do much more for its neighbors, without expecting any reciprocation. Possibly, following this policy India gave the one-way most-favored nation status to Pakistan. Unfortunately, Pakistan construed it India's desperation to buy peace. In Pakistan, the debate is still on about how it can give the MFN status to India, a preferred enemy state.
The constant Pak terrorist attacks on Army, security forces and police in Kashmir once again raises the point that it is in futility of holding peace talks to normalize relations with Pakistan. The double talks by Pakistan as well as separatists are an open secret. Pakistan has kept the Kashmir pot boiling always by insisting that the dispute will top its agenda for the dialogue with India. And always hope is expressed that the J&K dispute would be settled between Pakistan and India through dialogue in accordance with the aspiration of the people of the State.
And like that over six decades have passed the peace remains elusive to the State. The NDA regime in 2014 called off Foreign Secretary talks because of Basit's meeting with Hurriyat leaders days before the dialogue. Islamabad, though, has continued to maintain that there is no change in its policy on Hurriyat and that it still regards the group as the real representative of J&K. Pakistan's love for separatists and other factions is understandable. That is why it has kept J&K a hot spot for over more than two decades by supporting militancy overtly or covertly to stake its claim over Kashmir which it claims to continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of J&K
We as core nationalists are of the opinion that a well-thought-out reaction is needed to tell Pakistan by our nation that its proxy war would no longer be tolerated and should to be desperately in search for an option to adequately respond to Pakistan in the aftermath of the constant attacks on the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. This is time to search for options tough action against Pakistan to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
No doubt India is not a huge military might like Israel or the US to take instant action against Pakistan but we would have to become very serious to create the overwhelming conventional military superiority vis-à-vis Pakistan as only this will deter Pakistan from its regular terror incursions and not so-called "diplomatic isolation". Diplomacy often gives only legal cover to military actions and this is where India needs to improve its capability. we have also one area of Indus Water Treaty where India can tighten screws of Pakistan as and when required.
It is not proper to think that a long-standing problem like Pakistan would have a quick-fix just because a BJP-led government is in power. India will have to create overwhelming supremacy in conventional power, use the Indus Water Treaty as a pressure point and keep a post-Pakistan plan ready for effective solution of Pakistan-engendered security problems. It may take some time, but the Indian government should start working towards it and there should be a consensus on this issue across the political divide. |
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