Punitive action
Sir,
For the first time
in a decade long terrorism, India launched its
first punitive action against Pakistani positions
on Monday, though provocation came from the other
side of the border. It may just be an indication
of India's patience wearing thin. If that is the
case it has come at the right time. There appears
to be a major shift in India's response to any
action directed against it particularly after the
US extended its support to Pakistan's concern on
Kashmir. The global coalition against terrorism
under the auspices of the US after September 11
attacks saw a new order and ironically Pakistan
finds its rank ahead of India in its fight
against terrorism, Courtesy US self interest.
It is this
"Self Interest" which has totally
ignored our genuine concerns about cross border
terrorism and in fact it has taken the precedence
over everything. Pakistan which has nurtured the
monster Taliban and groups such as LET, JeM, HUA
and many more to come... today is the front
ranking ally of the US, Notwithstanding President
Bush's claim of action against those nations that
provide safe haven to the terrorists. If the US
has been unnecesarily more liberal towards
Pakistan it is partly because President Musharraf
has played its cards quite meticulously. He has
been as wity as a fox in exploiting the situation
after Sept. 11 attacks. Even when the world was
mourning the death of several people in New York
and Washington Pakistan media and the President
himself were relentless on Kashmir issue and the
so-called freedom struggle. Thanks to the US that
Pakistan has succeded in turning out to be a
darling of US and not only that it has made the
US to accept that Kashmir is the centre of
relations between India and Pakistan. The
statement made by US Secretary of State Colin
Powell about Kashmir has come as a severe blow to
our concerns about it.
It abundantly
manifests that US would go to any extent to serve
its self interest even if it means extending
military cooperation and more economic sops which
would finally percolate through to reach the
Jehadis operating in J&K. It is not that the
US is ignorant of the fact as to who is
harbouring terrorists to foment trouble in our
country. No, She is fully aware of it and even
then it will not pay any heed to our cause simply
because Pakistan will prove out to be
strategically more helpful to here in this fight
against terrorism. We do have a right to ask a
Couple of question here: Where do our interests
lie? And what is the Status of our interest? It
is here where anyone, who has witnessed the
decade long onslaught of terrorism. Would find it
difficult to answer these questions because we
seem to have been accustomed to the old way of
handling issues. We got to shed this traditional
way of handling issues as sensitive as Kashmir.
It is here where India has to decide few things.
First whether it will continue the policy of
approaching US now and then for its support on
terrorism. Secondly, will it continue to pursuit
with its slogan of exercising utmost restraint
against any act of aggression directed against
it.
The recent
equations between US and Pakistan should be taken
as a challenge and it may just turn out to be a
blessing in disguise as India is left with only
one option i.e to give the terrorists and their
harbourers the dose of their own medicine as
Pakistan is not going to relent on the issue of
Kashmir, particularly, after overwhelming
response from the US and there may just be more
violence in the offing. The message is sound and
clear: we have to fight and win this war on our
own, but for that we have to be firm in having a
bash at anything that is directed against our
national interest.
Yours etc...
Sudhir Kr. Sharma
Shiv Vihar,
Janipur Colony,
Jammu
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