BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Islamabad has again resorted to its old trick of provoking India by inviting hardcore Kashmiri separatists and die-hard India bashers to Eid Milan at Pakistan High Commission in the national capital. But, will New Delhi get annoyed, given its weak-kneed leadership, which hasn’t changed even after men in saffron robes donned the scene.
A minister of the Narendra Modi-led government has gone public in saying that Ministry of External Affairs will take call on this issue. This is a mellowed down reaction, given the hysteric opposition of the BJP to any such development when it used to be in the opposition. Recently, BJP had softened its stand over separatists frequenting the Pak den in New Delhi by saying anybody could meet anyone. Of course, anybody can meet Pakistani leaders but why only separatists? Why not Kashmiri ‘mainstreamists (many of whom are more venomous than separatists)? There is a pattern in Pakistani machinations, which India comprehends but pretends not to understand. If Pakistan has so much love lost for Kashmiris, the mainstream leaders should not have been singled out. They are being sidelined and even dubbed as puppets only because they have affirmed their allegiance to Constitution of India. On the contrary, separatists are openly and brazenly denouncing the Indian Constitution and trampling its symbols. Therefore, by ignoring mainstream leaders and owning up anti-India elements, Pakistan is actually sending a terse message of acknowledging its role in whatever has been happening in Jammu and Kashmir for the past two-and-half decades. By not accepting this hard and harsh fact, India is behaving like an ostrich. This can be self-destructive.
Indians had been nurturing high hopes from BJP and its earlier avatar of Jana Sangh for the past seven decades as far as national security is concerned, But Narendra Modi led government with such a huge numbers in Lok Sabha has belied all expectations. It is no different than earlier dispensations.
Known for his strong views against Pakistan before shifting to New Delhi, Narendra Modi has virtually mellowed down beyond expectations vis-a -vis Pakistan. He was among the few most vocal BJP leaders who used to mock at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his ‘meek response’ to Pakistan and ‘Kashmir Policy’ of the Congress government. He too has started experiments on Kashmir, as several generations of politicians have ended up doing so but the problem continues to remain where it was pre and post militancy. In fact, it has worsened with hardcore separatists becoming hardened. Till two-and-half decades ago, they were challenging the writ of Indian nation behind the veils, now they are openly questioning it with contempt and venom. Congress has always offered olive branch to them which they used as licence to browbeat New Delhi and humiliate Indian symbols in Kashmir. Instead of correcting the discourse with Pakistan, NDA Government is perfecting the line adopted by predecessors.
In hot pursuit of scoring points in international affairs, Modi has gone above board in normalizing relations with Pakistan. In the process, he has ended up with Pathankot and series of terror attacks in the Valley. Sensing his desire to make a mark in Indo-Pak relations, the rogue neighbouring state has switched over to arm twisting. The latest invite to Kashmiri separatists is one such attempt to mock New Delhi.
The invite to secessionists is not a new phenomenon. Separatists have been frequenting the Islamabad mission quite often. They are on their official guest list and regular invitees on occasions like festivals and national days of Pakistan. Secessionists guest list with Pakistan is virtually a compendium of who’s who of mischief mongers, Hawala racketeers and trouble makers besides terror elements like Yasin Malik, Bitta Karate and ‘General Moosa’ whose hands are soaked with blood of innocents.
India has all along encouraged Pakistan High Commission in its misadventures. Nearly five years ago the Commission bestowed a unique ‘honour’ to secessionists by facilitating their meetings with the then Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar twice, ahead of her engagement with Indian leaders. Was it to get a first hand brief from Pakistani agents in the Valley to frame up Islamabad’s stand on Kashmir? This remained unanswered though the Indian leadership later raised hue and cry over one of the two meetings. Surprisingly, some senior Indian leaders expressed ignorance about Hina’s meeting with secessionists. During Modi’s tenure, his Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd) V K Singh rubbed shoulders with Kashmiri secessionists in Pak mission on its national day.
A year ago, India had cancelled Foreign Secretary level talks with Pakistan over the issue of separatists meeting Islamabad’s High Commissioner. But it proved to be just a hoax, which was glaringly evident when ‘seditious’ Asia Andrabi reportedly visited the Pak mission in New Delhi this April. How can separatists visit the Commission without knowledge of Indian Government? Since they meet and chat with Pakistani dignitaries, connivance of Indian authorities becomes evident. Therefore, grand-standing of the BJP Government and its ministers about hot pursuit against Pakistan is just to hoodwink public opinion and to play to the galleries. They stand exposed. People can be fooled once and not all the times.
With BJP dominating the national scene, one would have expected annihilation, or at least, marginalisation of Pakistan. But it is getting much needed oxygen instead. India has perhaps lost will to tackle its enemies. The intermittent high pitch verbose and hullabaloo is just cosmetic and for public consumption only.