K.N. Pandita
Situation on the Line of Control at some very sensitive parts like Krishna Ghati in Poonch or Nowshehra sectors has become tense as a result of Pakistani infiltrators making more bids to sneak into Indian Territory and carry out their plan of attacking Indian posts. In the more recent exchange of fire, two of our jawans have been martyred and two more have been injured. Pakistani troops, too, have suffered casualties and at least two of their armed men have been gunned down. Four of their launching pads have been decimated. Earlier also Indian army destroyed some more launching pads Pakistan had raised close to the LoC.
Exchange of mortar fire has been going on along the LoC for quite some time. Hindsight shows that there is change in the tactics of Pakistan border forces conducting their infiltration bids. In the first place a new strike force given the name of Border Action Team (BAT) has been formed by Pakistan army. This appears to be a combined strike force composed of volunteers of jihadi organizations like Lashkar-e-Toyyaba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, and both of them have been individually active in Kashmir in the past and now they have formed columns collectively including members from the Rangers. Pakistan army wants to make full use of the jihadi force functioning under various names but indoctrinated in fundamentalist ideology so as to prepare suicide cadres out of them. Regular troops or Rangers, who have been keeping vigil on the border with India in J&K whether across LoC or IB, do not have suicide bombers.
LeT has often been threatening to send in suicide bombers to teach a lesson to the Indians. Their indoctrination is profuse and once a youth falls in their trap they prepare him for extreme jihad in which he is told that getting killed in a jihad against the kafir would send him to paradise. He is told that as a true Musulman he is enjoined upon by the Quran and the tradition to take up arms against the non-believers and wreck destruction on them and their traditions. He is told to believe that Islam has to prevail as it is the religion sent by Allah. He is told that establishment of Islamic Caliphate is the goal of their mission and in moving along that path, they are enjoined to fight the Indians in Kashmir and throw them out at any cost including if it means sacrificing life. A true Muslim is not to question any subject pertaining to religion of Islam and its teachings.
In fact the struggle of fundamentalist Islam is with democracy, secularist ideology and freedom of expression. There are many enlightened people among the Muslims in all countries of the world including the Islamic Republics like Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia and others. They have understood that in the process of evolution of political thought, human beings have learnt that democracy and secularism are the best political systems which provide not only the material well-being of all citizens to whatever faith or cast or ideology they belong. They have also understood that modern society has to deal with a variety of issues that did not exist fourteen centuries ago when Islam was brought. The fact is that reform and liberalizing movements began in Islamic society soon after Islam expanded say in Iran, Mesopotamia, Central Asia, Indian sub-continent and other countries. These were somewhat counter movements that wanted the society of their days to give due regard and respect to logic and human inquisitiveness hitherto disallowed by the Islamic orthodoxy.
About Pakistan we have to understand the reality behind the creation of Pakistan. Who rules in Pakistan? It is not the so-called elected government, it is not the rule of law, it is not the judiciary, and it is neither the penal code nor sharia law nor tribal law. In Pakistan power is in the hands of army. 96 per cent of Pakistan army comprises Punjabis only which is one of the present four provinces of Pakistan. Pakistan army is supported by two more classes of Pakistan society, namely the landlords and bureaucracy. These three groups have formed the unholy alliance through commonality of interests and through matrimonial alliances and this conglomerate rules the roost. Islamabad government is a surrogate of GHQ. Army uses Islamic religion through the instrumentality of the clergy to support the ruling structure. Therefore comes into play the section of indoctrinated youth as the instruments of the ruling structure. Religion is politicized and fundamentalism is the ideology that works for politicization.
What is called BAT or Border Action Team is actually deploying the religious auxiliaries on a front where they might be able to deal deadly hit to one or two Indian soldiers and in the process also get killed in return fire. It has tremendous publicity value for Pakistani army. They propagate these incidents as the resolve of the ummah to lay down life in upholding and expanding the mission of Islam, the mission of raising the Islamic Caliphate where sharia law would prevail and not the Westminster type democratic dispensation.
India has said it more than once and at various important international platforms that international community should try to understand the impact of jihadism on their societies and on the democratic dispensation to uphold which the world has fought at least two world wars. Many European, African and South Asian countries have been the targets of jihadis. India repeatedly told Pakistan that she was playing with fire by raising suicide and other squads. India’s apprehensions have come true and today Pakistan goes about beating the drum of having become the victim of jihadi attacks.
The flames of terrorism are gradually engulfing the Pak society and the day is not far away when it will have to reap the disastrous consequences of what its military planners have planned for the large jihadi outfits.
It has also to be said that most of the western countries have put on blinkers, especially the US, and are soft paddling with jihadism. The commercialized polity of western countries would not call a spade by it name for fear of losing commercial advantages. The liberal segment among the Muslim communities is overawed by the brute force unleashed by the jihadis. What is to be seen is that will the liberal ideology ever gain upper hand and liberate the umnnah from the stifling rigidity of the orthodoxy which they (liberals) consider the handiwork of myopic clergy.
As far as India is concerned, she has taken a decision to protect her constitution, secular democratic dispensation, traditions and life style with all the powers at her disposal. She will fight terror and its manifestations with or without any international power realizing that terror is threat to humanity and its precious heritage. India explained the scenario to the world community bilaterally and multilaterally. It is for the world community including the UN and the Security Council to decide whether they are on the side of terrorism or on the side of international peace and the rule of law.
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