As the reports of the Indian Air Force preemptive strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps inside Pakistan territory came, there was a sense of gratitude for ordinary Indian who felt that the terror camps must be destroyed at all cost but the media and those who want to use these bombing to raise the political climate in their favor have taken up charge and now in full flow as if it is they who did this act.
Political reactions were as per their policies and with much maturity. All complimented our forces for their act of bravery but the prime minister and BJP leaders went on claiming as if it BJP’s victory. It is the same people who during the Uttarakhand tragedy or attack on Taj did not give credit to the government but made every effort to suggest that the government was different than the army and forces. Today, all the political parties across the spectrum have supported the Strike which is a good sign and BJP and its leaders must desist from taking credit of these claims. Secondly, these issues are of utmost importance and therefore it is important to leave the army and the Indian diplomacy to deal with the issue and not convert into another hate propaganda back home. India must remain united facing this as attempt will be there to create divisions.
The biggest casualty during the ‘war time’ is truth particularly when media become part of the propaganda machinery of the governing class. India and Pakistan media are competing with each other in who can stoop low to the level of ridiculousness. We are not even allowing the army and the requisite Ministry to handle it.
After the Pulwama, we felt proud of the way CRPF officers send their categorical message to the country that their Jawans did not die to create religious polarisation and hatred in the country. I can say that the Ministry of External Affairs Press briefing too was mature and balanced. Of course, the claims and figures mentioned are only as per the ‘information’ received. The best part was when the Foreign Secretary Mr Vijay Gokhle spoke in a fairly measured way about ‘India’s ‘non-military pre-emptive strike’ which clearly mean that for India it was not a war against Pakistan but specific target of ‘eliminating’ the terrorists camps and outfits. Now, it is another matter whether those camps, terrorists, hatemongers or Jehadis have been killed and whether the threat to common Indians from these terror outfits have now finished. Frankly, it was not a press-conference but a statement of India’s position after crossing the LoC or International Border.
Now the ‘entertainment’ channels are reporting from ‘sources’ that over 300 terrorists were killed including Yousuf Azhar, brother in law of Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad. The point is how do our news reporters come to the conclusion about the deaths and the individual when the entire operation was carried out in night and just confined to bombing of a particular target without any ground operations ? Why the media cant keep quiet when the military establishment has not spoken about these things.
The problem is that war or military can be used for short term process to bring thing to a certain level but ultimately we all have to resort to political process. India and Pakistan can not absolve themselves from the political process as there is no other option. There are however, people, both the sides who think of eliminating or deleting communities and countries from the world map. Added with idiotic fulmination and hateful jingoism being played by the corporate sponsored TV channels who celebrate these stories of war when people want peace,
During the war the level of rhetoric grows and all this is highly patriarchical, talks of machosim and create a false narrative of your ‘strength’. The biggest understanding of this is that what Pakistan is facing today because of the fanatic Islamic groups who are extra-state actors and who think they are the law unto themselves with army actively backing them. It is these fanatics whose shout is more visible than the common person in the street who wish friendly relations with India. The danger of extra-state actors destroying democratic and constitutional values in India is equally powerful. We should be more worried because whatever formed of democracy was here, it is better than any military or dictatorial regime. We all now who are the forces taking law in their hand and hitting people at their will. Democracy there was always fragile and under control of the military but we cant have the same in India. Our forces have shown extremely professional approach on the issue of being non political but for the last few years we are witnessing the political leadership trying to reap political benefit of a military action. The soldiers die for the country and the politicians want to benefit politically.
Geopolitical war games are difficult to understand. It is surprising that India did not speak anything about the suicide attack on Iranian Revolutionary Guards in which 27 of these guards were killed and the Iranian Defence Minister blamed Pakistan based militant groups. Why India remain quiet to this issue and did not attempt to find a common thread of Pakistani support for these extra state actors. It is also strange that we were more than eager to blame the Saudis who did not even bother to make a statement of condemnation of Pulwama killing. Was India’s decision of ignoring Iran was because of the fear of Americans who want to isolate Iran ? Where is the independent foreign policy ? Even Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan based Jehadi groups trying to destablise their government but it is surprising we do not have any common strategy with these countries.
At the time when the President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un are meeting in Vietnam which gives a new hope to the world that ultimately nations will have to speak to each other and take a clear stand against forces which have state patronage to destablise their neighbors. Each country today has a problem points and they need to resolve them through creating better circumstances and building confidence among people.
India has said that it did the ‘non military preemptive strike’ on Pakistan because there were specific intelligence inputs that Jaish had planned to carry more suicide attacks in India. Should we think now that we will not have any further escalation. Will Pakistan keep quiet or respond ? Will they act against the terror groups ? Saying that it does not exists when they raise open threat is basically a blatant lie and will justify Indian action given the situation world over when nation states have to take care of their people and protect them. The only thing is whether threat to people at large will be reduced or end ?
I think ,It is time for all of us to stop these jingoism and let the forces and the diplomats handle the issue. We are not afraid of government taking a decision to protect people but our problem is the fanatics back home trying to wage a war against our own people simply because we may not follow their political ideologies. The thing is simple that armed forces will protect us and may win us a war but our biggest threat is from the jingoism and hatred being spread on silver screen by the totally corrupted media which has taken the role of dividing people and creating war hysteria.
We have trust in the maturity of our forces but zero trust on these loudspeakers who have no sense of accountability and responsibility towards the people. We hope good sense will prevail and diplomatic efforts will made to isolate the terror outfits and hatemongers not only nationally but also internationally so that we can wage a decisive war against poverty, superstition, discrimination and illiteracy as defeating them only will make us a great nation and a big power.
