The manner that we have been dealing with Pakistan post-Uri attack and even earlier is somewhat odd and clearly illogical. In size terms by population Pakistan is probably just about 15% of India, in geographical terms it is just a sliver torn off India. Thus the attention that we pay to that country across our media and also in terms of mindshare of our people, is grossly disproportionate and much more than what Pakistan deserves. Figuratively speaking Pakistan is just an ant on the Indian elephant’s back and should be treated as such. However one cannot comprehend why we make a big deal of what Pakistan says or does. Recognised that we have a shared contentious history going back some six decades or more about Kashmir which is a pusurating sore. Strategically also the fact that Pakistan is in possession of nuclear bombs and in fact may be leading India in terms of tactical nuclear weapons, demands that we deal with them with caution. We also need to understand that the country Pakistan was born out of the trauma of Partition and this is the trauma that it has been fighting these last six decades or more.
Thus if you look at Pakistan’s role in international circles over this period it has to do with strife and discord. Allying with the US in the Cold War years it was involved in Afghanistan so that America could have an access into the old USSR. That is how it got involved in a proxy war, for America, with the Russians who had moved into Afghanistan a few years later. This cemented Pakistan’s presence in Afghanistan overseeing, in a manner of speaking, the transition from first the monarchy to a temporary government until the Taliban and the Al Qaeda took over the country in 2010 and then it was up to Karzai put Pakistan’s ISI in their place upon taking up the office of the President of Afghanistan. This involvement in low intensity war served Pakistan two-fold. First an easy access to arms and second, the experience to continue the same proxy war in Kashmir under the pretext of supporting a ‘freedom’ struggle.
The other thing is that as a nation Pakistan has no real reason for its existence. It is by creating problems for others that it justifies its existence. Thus with India its Kashmir and which Pakistan has been carefully nurturing for close to six decades now. They did the same thing successively with the Taliban, Al Qaeda and now ISIS supporting these terror groups in their infancy which then spread terrorism around the world. Any major terrorist strike anywhere in the world be it 9/11 or any other has had a Pakistani involved or has its origins in Pakistan or with some link to Pakistan. And through all this Pakistan claims that it is a victim of terrorism little realising that if you play with terror it is only a matter of time before it strikes back to you. Actually this position for Pakistan is a ploy to seek sympathy. The world has realised this and now know that the Pakistan government and its agencies are complicit with terror. This has been partly achieved with India’s diplomatic efforts which have to a great extent cornered Pakistan as a safe haven for terror and an active instigator when it comes to initiating terror in Kashmir and India.
In these circumstances it is best that India does not fall into the trap of reacting to what Pakistan says since it is again a ruse to draw India out and have the focus of world opinion back on itself. This is also with a hope that in India’s reaction it may trip itself and give Pakistan an opportunity to say – I told you so. In most statements or announcements that come from Pakistan we need to take it with a large pinch of salt since it has been found more often than not that they tend to be more liberal with the truth and rarely say what they actually mean.
Thus the best method for India is to ignore Pakistan’s utterances but continue the diplomatic initiatives in international circles to try and get them named as a ‘terror haven’ which will leave them hobbled in taking any further action. In the event that Pakistan or its agencies initiates or participates in any attacks on Indian soil like Pathankot or Uri, we should respond with the principle that if you give us a bloody nose, we will give you a bloody face. The more India tends to respond to Pakistan in the media, it elevates the position of Pakistan and implies that they are of an equal status to India. The strategy therefore is to keep Pakistan in its place.
(Srinivas Kamat is a
retired electronics
engineer and
management professional with a career spanning State & Central public
sector to MNC’s.)
