DOST KHAN
JAMMU: Has premiership taken the toll of fire-brand Narendra Modi making him lame-duck like his predecessor Manmohan Singh, whom he mocked in August last year for remaining mute spectator when Pakistani troops lashed out at border posts in Jammu and Kashmir? He had been very vociferous while reacting to Paki attack on Line of Control, saying, “Pakistan is continuing its atrocities one after the other and we, a nation of 125 crore people, are silently suffering. The Delhi Sultanate is stuck neck-deep only in vote bank politics. The UPA Government has failed to ensure security of the nation.” Narendra Modi needs to retrospect whether he too was playing vote-politics by heightening passions by identifying himself with mood of the nation that was feeling outraged over butchering of soldiers of this mighty country.
A day after five civilians perished in mortar shelling in Arnia sector on the International Border, Pakistan Rangers have again struck and killed two women in Chillary village of Samba District. Scores of civilians have been injured and 16,000 border dwellers forced to run for their lives. The border villages are portraying ghost look with nothing noticed expect roars of guns.
There has been no response from the Prime Minister. Not a single word. The nation is not outraged but surprised over his silence, as he had been mandated to don the mantle of premiership for being bold, assertive and vocal. All these characteristics seem to have gone and the fire burning in his ’56 inch’ chest stands cooled down. Perception matters in public life and the people of India feel jittered over inaction on the civilians getting butchered every alternate day. His opponents in the Congress may take a sadistic pleasure over the mute Indian response, attributing it to his ‘5.6 inch chest’ but what about the national pride, which appears to be nobody’s concern in the political spectrum.
May be Narendra Modi’s continued silence over border incursions is guided by strategic compulsions but the government need not indulge in rhetoric like sending warnings and speaking ‘tit for tat’ but practically doing nothing. This syndrome leaves a lesson for the present generation of politicians not to create hype due to electoral compulsions. If Narendra Modi’s silence is justified this time, there was no reason for him to target Manmohan Singh last year for border incursions. The nation is required to portray cohesiveness at least in the matters of country’s security and sovereignty. These issues should be addressed in unison and by shunning petty party politics. India has suffered due to terrorism and border tensions unleashed by Pakistan. The rogue nation does not only carry out overt and covert acts of terrorism on Indian soil but also causes lot of provocations on the borders as well. Over the years, cease-fire violations have multiplied manifold despite the two countries agreeing to truce in 2003. It was expected that this agreement will be respected in letter and spirit. But Pakistan is not yielding; it is taking vicarious pleasure in pinching the Indian tail because we are a divided and confused lot. Our forces cannot pat themselves by saying that Pakistani troops are targeting the civilian areas because they think that they are not being able to cause any big damage to the Border Security Force (BSF) posts. They must remember that the enemy is piercing deep inside and killing those, who they are supposed to protect. If they are retaliating very strongly, as they claim, why Pakistan does not relent?
Despite talking peace, Pakistan continues to indulge in violations and carrying out terror strikes by providing moral and material support to Jihadis operating from Pak-occupied-Kashmir. What should be our response? Not at least the goof-ups, hollow warnings or rhetoric as these would take us nowhere.
Instead of beating bushes, India must do some brain-storming and work out a strategy to defeat the failed state that has become a chronic threat to peace in the sub-continent. This should not be the agenda of the ruling parties alone but it has to be a national agenda, as the country’s security is in jeopardy. There is no scope for any complaisance or confusion, Mr Modi.
The Prime Minister has done pretty well in showcasing India on the international platform and putting the wayward system on rails during over three months of his stewardship but the country’s honour, as far as national security is concerned, remains at stake. The enemies of the nation, within and outside, are getting emboldened day after day and causing immense scars on national psyche.
Unless Narendra Modi is unto something big, which seems to be a strong possibility, India needs to redraw its strategy to tackle Pakistan.
