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| Propaganda machine should be cautious | | Indian Army's reputation takes a beating | |
B L KAK
NEW DELHI: Spit-and-polish reputation of the Indian Army has taken a beating, with the circulation of a false report of a Pakistani Army Major having got killed in an anti-terrorist operation in Kashmir. On the night of July 28 when the story broke across India on all television channels, the local Army spokesman in Kashmir claimed proof of the "Pakistani hand" in Kashmiri terrorism.
The Army Headquarters in Delhi, after speedy investigations, denied both claim and proof. This left many faces embarrassed. Critics of the Indian Army in Kashmir--Muslims rebels and separatists, to be precise--automatically got an opportunity to run down the security forces and throw up the question: If the Army can make such a big error, how can one trust what the government has to say?
Considering the fact that the chasm of alienation continues to exist in Muslim-majority Kashmir, the hearts and minds of the populace in the Valley cannot be won by throwing money at them. It was not without meaning when the Prime Minister, during his visit to Srinagar in May, spoke of tghe urgent necessity of stopping all custodial deaths. According to some Kashmir experts, this can be one of the most effective ways of restoring the chasm of alienation.
The US establishment has recently found a major friend and ally in India. And the US administration knows full well the extent and scope of Pakistani involvement in unleashing terror in India. But Washington is both unwilling and unable to connect the dots with terrorism in Afghanistan to terror in India.
Pakistan, particularly the ISI, wants to keep the 'Kashmir pot' boiling. In fact, Muslim masses in Jammu and Kashmir will continue to be used, more often that not, against 'Hindu India'. Considering the fact that India has a decisive role in the troubled State, utmost care requires to be taken to ensure that the image of the Indian establishment is not tarnished.
The Indian Army must answer why it thought that the dead body of a terrorist killed in the Gurez sector in Kashmir on July 8 was that of a Pakistani major? This episode has emboldened the anti-India lobby in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to openly lambast India's activity and expression in Kashmir. |
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