Intro: It is the Pakistani Army which dictates as to what kind of relationship Pakistan should have with Bharat. They must understand that Bharat has more capability than Pakistan, not only in nuclear field, but in many more sectors also.
Bharat-Pakistan talks at the National Security Advisors level on August 23, 2015 were called off by Pakistan on the ground that Bharat had rightly screwed the so-called separatists in Jammu and Kashmir or called them terrorists or front men of Pakistan. For the last ten years, our previous governments had been mollycoddling and appeasing such elements. It is like feeding a lion in the vain hope that it will become friendly with you and will not eat you.
Whatever language may be used, Pakistan wants Kashmir on the basis of religion as its foundations were laid. Instead of solving the problem once for all, the leaders chickened out, instead of driving the Pakistani from the Kashmir as well taking some portion of Pakistan. For getting 91,000 Pakistani Soldiers released in 1971, the then PM of Pakistan promised no war with Bharat but did not put anything in writing. Our then political leaders swallowed the same line hook and stinker. Our major problem in the country is that farther you are from the scene of an incident or terrorism; the farther you are from the realities. Instead of being country centric most people are interested only in the incidents happening close by. It is universally true as I found during my numerous visits abroad to big and small countries. I have rarely seen any news about Bharat. The media all over the world knows what will sell best.
In any case, most of Pakistani governments are self centered and interested only in the factors which affect them. This is exactly what is happening in Kashmir. But I must add that during my official visit to Rawalpindi I found the people extremely friendly. I asked a fellow Pakistani Punjabi as to why their government did not follow what the majority of Pakistanis wanted. He kept quiet as Pakistan is generally controlled by the Army and he did not want any trouble from that quarter.
It is the Pakistani Army which dictates as to what kind of relationship Pakistan should have with Bharat. All Pakistani Tom, Dick and Harry keep on threatening Bharat, that Pakistan has nuclear weapons. It makes no difference to us. Government of Bharat has more capability than Pakistan, not only in nuclear field, but in many more sectors also and is capable of responding to the detriment of Pakistani.
A newspaper report in August 2015 has claimed that a number of Pakistani terrorists arrested for grave crimes have been acquitted for want of evidence. The money being spent on J&K or being given to the local Government is going down the drain. We have no laws against terrorism at present as the previous Government had removed all such laws in 2004. Pakistani and ISIS flags have been freely unfurled in the Valley. One thing I am foxed over is why the protection of the Constitution should be made available to the terrorists from other countries as well as their supporters within Bharat. According to one report, it is the terrorists who command as to who will get what Government contract. A Kashmiri gets eight times more money from the Centre than citizens from other states. While per capita Central assistance to other states moved from Rs 576.24 in 1992-93 to Rs 1,137 in 2000-01, but that of the Kashmiri spiraled from Rs 3,197 to Rs 8,092.
The State’s non-development expenditure was Rs 2,829 crore including a salary bill of Rs 1,193 crore while its own revenues were barely Rs 1,095 crore. Still no citizens from other states can buy any property in J&K. Even idea of a keeping aside a few acres of land for putting temporary structures for pilgrims visiting Amarnath Temple was protested against. The least that Bharat can do is to have its own version of the USA Patriot Act 2001 which allows for longer detention of suspects expanded surveillance and intelligence gathering powers by federal authorities.
Pakistan’s Intentions Exposed Finally Pakistan backed out from the proposed NSA level talks, scheduled to be held at Delhi on August 23-24, on the pretext that no separate talk on terror part of Composite Dialogue is required and Bharat can’t impose preconditions for the same. This is another proof exhibited by Pakistan that its Government is totally under the control of Pakistani Army, ISI and their terrorist Hafiz Saeed, otherwise, what could have been the reason that at Ufa, Pakistan Prime Minister had signed joint declaration with Bharatiya Prime Minister to have three operative level talks between Bharat and Pakistan encompassing NSA level in connection with terrorism, Director General (DG) level in regard to Peace at Borders and Director General Of Military Operations (DGMO) level concerning to cease fire violations. However, after reaching back to Pakistan, Sharif had to face lot of ire from its Army and Hafiz Saeed against the same which has culminated to the cancellation of ensuing Talks. |
We should legally make no distinction between the terrorists who commit such acts and those who harbor them. We should be clear by action that we will hunt down and punish those responsible for these acts. A lot of changes would have to be brought in the Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code and Evidence Act as they were passed in 1863 and are mostly outdated and are pro-accused. Even the apex court had observed that in Bharat, all the rights belong to the accused and not the victims.
Ambedkar was against Article 370 in the Constitution which gives a special status to the State of J&K and it was put against his wishes. He had reportedly clearly told Sheikh Abdullah: “You wish India should protect your borders, she should build roads in your area, she should supply you food grains and Kashmir should get equal status as India. But Government of India should have only limited powers and Bharatiya people should have no rights in Kashmir. To give consent to this proposal would be a treacherous thing against the interests of India and I, as the Law Minister of India, will never do it.”
The present Government is showing some signs of taking a definite view and some action. But it must perform its Dharma as preached by Lord Krishna. The Law of Karma is also called the Law of Cause and Effect, Action and Reaction. It is very much applicable to Pakistan where even the serving Ministers, Governors and former Prime Minister, and even school children have been killed in hundreds by the terrorists promoted by Pakistan. I would add that our Government should also follow Dharma, by protecting every Bharatiya.
Joginder Singh (The writer is former Director of CBI)
