India was born on 15th of August, 1947 with the tag of a pacifist and peace loving nation. We had the values of Gandhi and the idealism of Nehru in our veins. A little bit of aggression was also there in our body in the form of Mr. Patel, but it was completely smothered under the "white" blood cells of pacifism. Given this tag we were always the ones who would respond in a war. Barring one 1971 when Indira Gandhi went all guns blazing, we were never the ones to start a war. We wanted to annex Kashmir and we did do that in the end, but not because of our own aggression but because of the aggression of our bete noire, which tried to do the same and provoked us. We have always needed that provocation and brinkmanship of our pugnacious partner to shake us out of our slumber.
Do we have that provovation now? Recently two Indian soldiers were killed in the Poonch area in Kashmir when a unit of the Pakistan army crossed the LOC, killed two of our soldiers, decapitated one of them, and took his head as trophy for themselves. Are we provoked?
Well we surely are. We are very provoked. How dare they come inside our country and do such a thing. We would never do such a thing. What should we do now? Well let's do what everybody says we should. Let's stop talking with them. We are very very angry. And well. Who talks with bad people? They are bad bad people.
So... can stopping the dialogue process be the only form of aggression we think of? Or wait. I thought of another one. Let's not play cricket with them. Bulls eye. This should work. It has always worked. Or has it?
We have at so many times in the history not been talking with Pakistan, not been playing cricket with them, sending them dossiers, condemning them for not acting against the perpetrators of acts of terrorism in our country and doing all sorts of pacifist stuff and what? Here we are. One terror attack. A few years of no cricket and no talks. A resumed dialogue. And two soldiers killed. One dead and the other dead and beheaded. And what nationalists are suggesting us to right now? "Stop the dialogue process". surprise surprise.
So what do we do now? May be this is the time we started thinking out of the box with Pakistan. I was just reading some article in "The Hindu" which talks about giving some disincentives to Pakistan from comminting such acts. Something which would make them regret later that they did such a thing. For one we can rescind the "MFN" (most favoured nation) status which we gave them 16 years before they reciprocated. And what more? We can divert/ stop the flow of Indus river to Pakistan for a short while and provide them with a very big disincentive in case they attempt such a venture the next time. Well that would be the violation of Indus waters treaty which was signed between the two countries in 1960. But is violation of the ceasefire which was signed in 2003 not a similar thing? Well an eye for an eye does not necessarily mean a head for head. let's make it a violation for another violation.
What else can we do? Let's talk tough. We have been pacifist too long and man we are tired of it. Let our Prime Minister and Home Minister speak some very tough words on the international fora. Let us name and shame Pakistan. Of course one can always argue than we cannot possibly shame that nation anymore, but then still, we have been sick and tired of being conciliatory and diplomatic.
What about denying some of their cricketers/ singers/ artists visa when they want to come to India for playing/ working? Well I am not saying that we must completely ban their entry into India, but it is high time we had become both the employment provider as well as a punching back for Pakistan. Let us make them realize that we provide them with employment and they better fall in line if they want the status quo to continue.
There can be a lot of things which can be done. The same article that I read today in "the hindu" talked about building a "covert tactical armoury". What I have tried to suggest is very much inspired by that and is about my understanding of what a "covery tactical armoury" is. A tough stand with Pakistan is the need of the day. We can hardly sustain decapitated soldiers anymore. But the dialogue must continue and we must not go on a war, but we must also not appease a nation so malignant and sick. What we need is to send strong signals that it better cure itself and fall in line or there will be consequences. Not in the form of retaliation. But probably worse.
Do we have that provovation now? Recently two Indian soldiers were killed in the Poonch area in Kashmir when a unit of the Pakistan army crossed the LOC, killed two of our soldiers, decapitated one of them, and took his head as trophy for themselves. Are we provoked?
Well we surely are. We are very provoked. How dare they come inside our country and do such a thing. We would never do such a thing. What should we do now? Well let's do what everybody says we should. Let's stop talking with them. We are very very angry. And well. Who talks with bad people? They are bad bad people.
So... can stopping the dialogue process be the only form of aggression we think of? Or wait. I thought of another one. Let's not play cricket with them. Bulls eye. This should work. It has always worked. Or has it?
We have at so many times in the history not been talking with Pakistan, not been playing cricket with them, sending them dossiers, condemning them for not acting against the perpetrators of acts of terrorism in our country and doing all sorts of pacifist stuff and what? Here we are. One terror attack. A few years of no cricket and no talks. A resumed dialogue. And two soldiers killed. One dead and the other dead and beheaded. And what nationalists are suggesting us to right now? "Stop the dialogue process". surprise surprise.
So what do we do now? May be this is the time we started thinking out of the box with Pakistan. I was just reading some article in "The Hindu" which talks about giving some disincentives to Pakistan from comminting such acts. Something which would make them regret later that they did such a thing. For one we can rescind the "MFN" (most favoured nation) status which we gave them 16 years before they reciprocated. And what more? We can divert/ stop the flow of Indus river to Pakistan for a short while and provide them with a very big disincentive in case they attempt such a venture the next time. Well that would be the violation of Indus waters treaty which was signed between the two countries in 1960. But is violation of the ceasefire which was signed in 2003 not a similar thing? Well an eye for an eye does not necessarily mean a head for head. let's make it a violation for another violation.
What else can we do? Let's talk tough. We have been pacifist too long and man we are tired of it. Let our Prime Minister and Home Minister speak some very tough words on the international fora. Let us name and shame Pakistan. Of course one can always argue than we cannot possibly shame that nation anymore, but then still, we have been sick and tired of being conciliatory and diplomatic.
What about denying some of their cricketers/ singers/ artists visa when they want to come to India for playing/ working? Well I am not saying that we must completely ban their entry into India, but it is high time we had become both the employment provider as well as a punching back for Pakistan. Let us make them realize that we provide them with employment and they better fall in line if they want the status quo to continue.
There can be a lot of things which can be done. The same article that I read today in "the hindu" talked about building a "covert tactical armoury". What I have tried to suggest is very much inspired by that and is about my understanding of what a "covery tactical armoury" is. A tough stand with Pakistan is the need of the day. We can hardly sustain decapitated soldiers anymore. But the dialogue must continue and we must not go on a war, but we must also not appease a nation so malignant and sick. What we need is to send strong signals that it better cure itself and fall in line or there will be consequences. Not in the form of retaliation. But probably worse.
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