This act of his had several messages. It was picture story for neighbours like China and Pakistan. Also it was a morale booster for the armed forces and at the same time it was a fillip to vocal for local as Arjun is the first indigenously developed battle tank for the India Army.
“Today, country’s Army is engaged in military exercises with other big countries. We are engaged in strategic partnerships to fight against terrorism. Today the whole world is troubled by expansionist forces. Expansionism is, in a way, a mental disorder and reflects 18th-century thinking,” said the Prime Minister in Jaisalmer.
On Friday the Pakistani troops violating the ceasefire agreement and unprovoked fired heavy artillery along the Line of Control (LoC) in several sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, causing loss of lives and a huge damage to property on the Indian side. Five security forces personnel were among the 11 persons killed in multiple instances of ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC between the Gurez and Uri sectors of Jammu and Kashmir. Those killed in the Pakistani aggression include four army men, a Border Security Force jawan and six civilians.
Indian forces too strongly retaliated to this unprovoked attack on Friday and Indian army sources revealed to media that there have been multiple casualties on the Pakistani side. Around 6-7 Pakistan army soldiers, including two SSG (Special Service Group) commandos, have been killed and 10-12 injured. Several Pakistani army bunkers, fuel dumps and launch pads have been destroyed and set on fire. Released videos, which went viral on media, both in television and social platforms, are a testimony to the claims.
India on Saturday had summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to register a strong protest over the heavy shelling that left several armed forces and civilians dead. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India also condemned, in the strongest terms, the “deliberate targeting” of innocent civilians by Pakistani forces, saying it was highly deplorable that Pakistan chose a festive occasion of Diwali in India to disrupt peace and perpetrate violence in Jammu and Kashmir through coordinated firing along the LoC.
“Whoever challenged the sovereignty of India, be it on the LoC (Line of Control with Pakistan) or on the LAC (the Line of Actual Control with China), our valiant soldiers gave them a befitting reply in their own languages,” the Prime Minister had said from the rampart of the Red Fort after hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 74th Independence Day last year. The statement was tough and it is being followed by action, much to the dismay of the neighbours.
Pakistan claims India is sponsoring “terrorism” aimed at destabilising the country and targeting its economic partnership with China. In fact, Pakistan and India routinely accuse each other of targeting the other, but this was a rare time Pakistani officials said they prepared a mountain of evidence to back up the allegations against their South Asian rival.
The United States of America, which at one time had offered their “services” to help India and Pakistan to resolve the Jammu & Kashmir issue, after the revocation of Article 370 has identified South Asia as an epicentre of terrorism and religious extremism and therefore has an interest in ensuring regional stability, preventing nuclear weapons proliferation, and minimising the potential of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.
The stage is set and a cautious “verbal war” has broken out between India, China and Pakistan. At this moment, it seems that it is mainly to address their own nationals and to keep the morale of their armed forces high in these very uncertain times when the world is hit with COVID pandemic.
In diplomatic circles, issuance of demarche, expelling and recalling of diplomats is considered a step before the actual war. As long as diplomatic relations are not snapped completely, there is no fear of actual war but it surely gives enough space for political leaders to keep talking about other nation’s fault just to mentally engage their own citizens and armed forces so that their morale as a nation is not affected.
