Is Pakistan splurging for a war with India?

MV Kamath

The deadly explosions that struck the three to five lakh large rally in Patna on October 27 that had gathered to bear Narendra Modi carries its own message. The Indian Mujahideen (IM) wants to create a situation of fear throughout the land with what is fashionably described as “a thousand cuts”. India has undergone thousands of such cuts by now and has survived. But one wants to ask the IM, its close supporter the Lashkar-e-Toiba and its patron the Pakistan Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) whether they realise what would have happened if the IS explosions planted in strategic areas in Patna had all exploded. Worse, if by any chance, Narendra Modi himself was hurt. There would have been large-scale killings of the kind it would be difficult even to imagine.

We are now told that “a detailed study of the Indian Mujahideen based on a clinical analysis of curated data is beginning to pay dividends in understanding when these outfits will launch their next attacks and who their target will be. Big deal. But the larger question remains unanswered. What is it that the IM wants? Or, for that matter, the L-e-T or the ISI? A large-scale massacre of people? The destruction of India? India giving up on Jammu & Kashmir? Shouldn’t this be the subject of study? The Indian Mujahideen’s record is there for all to see, thanks to the explosion of a string of bombs throughout India in 2008 including the attack on the German Bankery in Pune in 2010, a triple boming in Mumbai in 2011 that killed 27 and the double bombing in Hyderabad in February 2013 that killed seventeen.

What did the IM gained by these brutal follies? Life in India goes on as ever, Jammu & Kashmir continues to stand firmly in the Indian arms fold, only innocent Muslims in India fall under suspicion. If in the next six months during the height of the pre-election multi-rallying eventualities anybody is killed, one can never say how a provoked country may respond. In such a situation, shouldn’t Muslim leadership come forth with strong condemnation of IM to show where it stands? And that, too in its own interests?

Media reports suggest that Tehsin Akhtar, alias Monu, who succeeded Yasin Bhatkal was told by his boss that southern states should be targeted with bigger explosion. How long is this to go on? The Muslims, if one is to listen to Shahid Siddiqui, editor of the Urdu weekly Nai Duniya, Muslims are growing fearful of the future. Isn’t that precisely the reason why Muslims as a community must loudly damn both the IM and Pakistan itself? They should identify themselves with the rest of the people instead of following Zakir Naik’s technique of showing separatist tendencies like wearing a white skull cap so openly and publicly.

When will Muslims learn how to integrate themselves with India without losing their identity? India takes its Muslim population seriously. Every effort is made to literally pacify it. The Government is even willing to pay Rs 50,000 to a Muslim girl towards her marriage expenses. Nobody is out to convert Muslims into Hinduism. Nobody is asked to quit India on pain of death as 3.5 lakh Kashmir Pundits were told to quit Kashmir. We have a Ministry for Minorities. If despite of everything Muslims fear for their future, it is time for them to indulge in some deep self-introspection.

Has any Muslim leader condemned the treatment meted out to the Kashmiri Pundits to date? Not to one’s knowledge. It must be further remembered that the demand for separation is heard only in six out of 20 districts in Jammu & Kashmir; these six do not represent Kashmir; worse, they are in the pay of the ISI. Besides, it maybe asked, if Muslims can’t bear to be ruled by Hindus, what prevents them from migrating wholesale to Pakistan? Is anybody stopping them? Hindus are tyrannised in Pakistan, their temples are razed to the ground, their women are getting forcibly converted to Islam whereas here in India the secularists who have access to the media want to bestow a huge guilt complex on Hindu by saying they are not doing enough for Muslims.  Muslims in India must realise how lucky they are.

Zakir Naik can address lakhs of people, can decry Hinduism and make fun of its practices but not a dog barks. Would Hindus be allowed to have massive rallies in Pakistan or for that matter in any Muslim state?

Muslims shouldn’t allow themselves to be fooled by so-called secularists. Vote massively for BJP and then see what results one can achieve.  This is a wake-up call. To keep saying that Muslims  have lost faith in the Government is self-defeating. Start re-doing one’s political philosophy in order that the whole country starts having faith in Muslims. Surely, that is not too much to ask?

that Dr Singh had taken “proves that he is susceptible to regional and partisan pulls on foreign policy”. Dr Singh’s “procrastination on the Tamil issue in sri Lanka is quite droll” said the paper, adding: “After attending the last four CHOGMs, skipping the last one during his tenure, only proves that the prime minister is no longer the sole arbiter on India’s foreign policy” and ‘it is time he restablished his grip’. The Express also made the point that while it is “undisputable that the Rajapaksha government has failed to deliver on its promise to devolve powers promised under the 13th amendment”, Delhi surely would have been justified in taking “a tough stand” – bnot not by skipping a CHOGM meeting. The Times of India (11 November) said through his ‘red-flagging’ on the CHOGM issue out of populist electoral considerations “the country’s foreign policy has hit an all-time low”, exemplifying “an infirm government whose creeping paralysis has affected its foreign policy as well”. Angrily, the paper said: By not attending the CHOGM summit, the PM would be creating a significant amount of ill will in Colombo” and “in strategic terms New Delhi’s subservience to such sentiment could drive the Sri Lankan government – yet considered an ally – into the arms of China”. Considering that the PM could have also visited the Tamil-dominated Jaffna to which he had been invited, the paper said that “this would have addressed Tamil concerns and yet kept the relationship with Colombo on an even keel.” By chooding the path of least resistance New Delhi risks all its strategic capital in Colombo”. The Hindustan Times (11 Nov.) pointedly noted that “the Sri Lankan Tamils, oddly enough, are not seeking the help of our worthies”. “The government” it said, “cannot allow regional and ethnic identities and perceived grievances to affect its foreign policy” and while “India has been uncomfortable with the growing influence of the Chinese in Sri Lanka….. yet it is being pushed by a minority to take a stand which is bound to offend Colombo”. Conceding that Sri Lankan Tamils have legitimate grievances and a political solution to their problems has not been arrived at” the paper sharply warned India that no one there “should presume to speak on their (Tamilians’) behalf”. They have, said the paper, “leaders who are pragmatic and see value in working with the Rajpakse government”. It added: “For Mr Singh to stay away from the CHOGM will serve no purpose at all… the government in New Delhi cannot be seen to cave in to the demands of a few Tamilian leaders….The central government has to take the final call on certain issue of national importance and attending the CHOGM is one of them”. The Hindu (11 Nov.) is from Chennai and cap well speak authoritatvly on Tamil Nadu, but even this paper was strongly critical of Dr Singh saying “once again, foreign policy objectives have been sacrificed at the alter of political expediency”. Pointing out that the Congress “has allowed itself to be blackmailed by its present and potential allies in the state” the paper said that “India must now deal with the consequences of its decision to stay away, both on the Tamil question and on its own larger interests”. In Sri Lanka, the paper said, “it will affect the task of reconciliation considerably”. While it is “debatable” if Sri Lanka will turn into a Chinese satellite in the Indian Ocean as is commonly feared, said the paper in conclusion, “the island will be looking for other allies in the region and beyond”. Among columnists, Harsh V. Pant has been the most hard-hitting. Writing in The New Indian Express (11 Nov.) Pant said that Dr Singh’s step “will have long-term consequences for Indian foreign policy which politicians in their attempt at political tokenism are failing to comprehened.” India, said Pant “has not only marginalized itself…. But has also made sure one of its most important neighbours will move further into the arms of China”. “As it is Sri Lanka has been rapidly slipping out of India’s orbit” with New Delhi’s attempts to end war and avert humanitarian tragedy in north east Sri Lanka proved futile” Pant argued. He further made the point that Colombo matters because Indian ocean matters and here China is fast catching up. in the end Pant said that India’s decision “will not only make it even more marginal in Sri Lanka with some grave long term damage to its vital interests, but will also raise doubts about India’s ability to lead South Asia”. All over India people are waiting for the elections to take place and then they can do what needs to be done: throw out the UPA government, bag and baggage including the erring Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh. The nation has had enough of him. Sadly he has failed in every department of administration, even in his own field of specialization: Economics. Inflation has again started running riot and the citizen is paying for it heavily. It is time for him to say: Enough is enough.