IN THE sixty years of independent India’s history, we have rarely witnessed such diplomatic offensive. But what is baffling is that it has not yielded any concrete result from Indian perspective. But for westerners Pakistan’s acceptance of Ajmal Amir Kasab’s identity is a step forward. Many in India perceive it as nothing much, given the amount of work one needs to do to bring the perpetrators to justice. So the question arises: Was the much talked and hyped diplomatic offensive only about identifying whether Kasab was a Pakistani or not? Given the progress in the ongoing investigations into Mumbai attacks, it seems that everything is going in favour of Pakistan. India is simply nowhere near the intended result? Gilani, the Pakistan PM, too has refuted India’s claim?
The ease, with which Gilani has managed to stall any international move to bring the culprits to justice has baffled everybody in India. But who is to blame for this embarrassment of ours? Our own beloved politicians are only ones to blame for not achieving anything, not only in Mumbai massacre but in almost all such terror-related cases of the past twenty years. It seems that we clearly have shortage of strategists who can give a befitting reply to every Pakistani move. Even in the case of Mumbai attacks it seems that India, instead of taking tough measures is relying heavily on US and UK. History shows that these two countries are not trustworthy and have always given Pakistan the benefit of doubt.
Every Indian charge met with an equal and opposite charge and that’s what has neutralised India’s diplomatic maneuvers. We have only issued statements till date and there is a clear absence of any action on the ground. What is stopping us from sealing our western borders? Aren’t we sovereign within our territories? What our new home minister said in response to Gilani’s statement on the dossier in Pak Parliament is something, which should have been decided upon much earlier. By only presenting the dossier and not taking any action, we have eased the pressure on Pakistan and have signaled to our not so trustworthy western allies of our enduring patience and habit of endlessly waiting for things to happen. Had India stopped border trade with Pakistan and done whatever Chidambaram has said on Tuesday, while handling over the dossier to Pakistani high commissioner, the international community would have pursued the matter more vigorously. For every Pakistani attempt to deviate from the intended line India needs to exercise one option. Their words should be matched with our action.
The Pakistanis succeeded in creating war hysteria and to some extent succeeded in blaming India for increasing the tension. They gained on two fronts. They successfully diverted the nationalistic sentiments of Pakistanis against India and also made it clear to the allies of the war on terror of Pakistan’s importance for them. Had India started building up troops on the border and started flexing muscles virtually threatening the world to launch a war on terror the Pakistanis would have been forced to yield sooner or later. That would have been India’s bargaining chip and pressurised the international community. Given the economic condition of Pakistan, it is almost impossible for them to engage India in a long battle. But instead of turning the tables on them, we simply played into their hands. Nobody will take India seriously if we do not take extremely serious steps.
Breaking all the business relations with Pakistan and banning the entry of Pakistanis in India would be an ideal response to their dilly-dallying. For any further attempt to deny and divert attention should meet with calling back our high commissioner and sending the Pakistan high commissioner back to Pakistan. Further denial must be met with blocking the Indus water flowing to Pakistan. We need to ensure that Pakistan comes out of their denial mode and listen to India seriously. Expecting the US and UK to act against Pakistan is asking for too much from them. Pakistan knows that the foolish US administration has no option but to rely on Pakistan in their war on terror, the greatest American blunder since Vietnam War. The intelligence report of US’s agencies have proven that Pakistan is siphoning funds meant for war on terror to anti-India activities yet it is sleeping on the report. We would only be naïve in believing that the US or the UK will do enough to dismantle the training camps churning out messiahs of terror meant to bleed India through thousand cuts.
The more the matter is delayed, more confusing it will cause. India should not leave any stone unturned to send the message to Pakistan that things could become worse in the coming days if our concerns are not addressed. It is high time for us to be proactive and turn away from Americans in taking steps to protect our national interests. It is India, which is threatened the most from the increasing Taliban and al Qaeda influence. We are just few minutes away from any rocket or possible missile attack and few hundred miles away from the Taliban or al Qaeda irrespective of US, which is thousands of miles away. The threat for India is more real than it is for US.
