Dear Readers,
When PM Sharif visited India last May to attend Narendra Modi’s inauguration as Prime Minister many believed this could lead to a lessening of tensions but this was not to be. Pakistan has always taken the first step towards reconciliation hoping for meaningful change; this time around too, Sharif’s visit was another attempt to set the ground for improvement in relations further down the line. In the past Musharraf, Asif Zardari and Gilani have visited India but reciprocation at the State level by India has never been forthcoming; Indian PMS have not visited Pakistan in more than a decade! Unless steps are taken to initiate a genuine and credible process to address mutual concerns, a change for the better will remain elusive. In India, while speaking to the press Mr. Sharif consistently talked about peace, a word that the hard-line Modi might have some difficulty understanding fully. One of the most controversial figures, particularly in Pakistan and with Muslims in general, Modi, who was Chief Minister of Gujarat stood by and watched as the February 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots erupted in which more than 1000 were killed and hundreds more injured, mainly Muslims. Many independent observers believe that Modi failed to “protect his own citizens”. This view was also endorsed by the USA which denied Modi a visa for over 10 years under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The decision was reversed last year after the Modi-led BJP swept the general elections but the fact remains that Modi is a radical Hindu leader who is both anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan.
After assuming office Modi has gone into overdrive with his anti-Pakistani tirade, accusing it of waging a proxy war in Indian Held Kashmir, Spreading terrorism, etc. Indian governments have never reconciled to the idea of a strong Pakistan and now with a known fundamentalist ruling next door, can we expect them to reciprocate Pakistan’s keenness to revive the peace process or normalize ties? For the benefit of readers I am reproducing my article “FLEXING INDIA’S MUSCLES”
The Indian policy articulated by Indian PM Narendra Modi and his National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval ostensibly seeks (1) to protect India’s national interest regardless of what another power thinks (2) not throw a lifeline to Pakistan or its leaders for its survival and (3) not worry about the sensitivities of Indian Muslims vis-à-vis their dispensation with Pakistan, these “imaginary chains” (all 180 million of them) will no longer shackle India! In projecting its economic and military power to impose its hegemony over South Asia, India will resort to any means to make Pakistan toe the line. The jury should not hold its breath about the nature of the “lifeline” meant for Pakistan, this “lifeline” meant to keeping the army engaged on the borders and thus off the back of political leaders ready and willing to do the Indian bidding. As for independence of the new Sri Lankan govt, engineering their predecessor Rajapaksa’s govt’s ouster was a major RAW Success under Doval’s direction.
For the “problem” posed by “the artificial entity called Pakistan”, Doval’s doctrine of “offensive defence” calls for inflicting “disproportionate pain” on Pakistan, with or without reason. He has been threatening ad nauseam that if a Mumbai-type incident happens, Pakistan may lose Balochistan. Doing everything possible to hasten Pakistan’s disintegration, such deadly RAW adventures targetting Pakistan is neither surprising nor unexpected under the new policy of causing pain to Pakistan, and throwing a “lifeline” to our beleaguered politicians. Mortar shelling of Pakistani civilians on the working boundary adjacent Sialkot starting on Eid day caused many casualties. Successfully engaging and integrating the vast diaspora of Indian-origin citizens and non-resident Indians (NRl’s), Modi is copying Israel in using economic and political influence in their adopted countries to articulating India’s smart
power projection, potent combination of hard and soft power. With a convergence of thinking between the civilian political masters and a subservient Indian military ready to do their bidding, “Cold Start” will be taken out of the cold storage. Indian and Pakistani soldiers and civilians will die to achieve the Modi-Doval’s Hindutva ambitions of reversing the memory of a 1000 years of Muslim rule!
Including 6-8 years working as an undercover spy with the Indian High Commission in Pakistan, Ajit Doval retired in 2005 as the Head of Intelligence Bureau (IB) covert operations. With a group of right-wing Hindu nationalist ‘commentators’ he established ”Vivekananda
International Foundation” (VIP) as a think tank as a founding member in 2009. His former colleague in the IB, Haba Ram says, “instead of strict professionalism Doval’s main motivation stemmed from a deep hatred of anyone and anything non-Hindu perceived a threat to his misguided notion of Hinduism as advocated by ultra-right-wing Hindu fascist organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)”, unquote. With absolute control now over Indian foreign overt and covert policy, Doval has a plethora of resources to wage his madness. In his comprehensive article “the Indian who wants to destroy Pakistan” of July 15, 2014, Hassan Qureshi said, ‘After reading the title you must wonder, so what? There are plenty of Indians who want to ‘destroy’ Pakistan — there always were and there always will be — that is the sad reality. But this one, my friends, is a little different. He has the
knowhow, the expedise, and most importantly, now he has the resources and power to inflict damage upon not only the people of Pakistan, but also countless, defenseless Indian minorities. And he has done it before. So all peace-loving people from Khyber fo Kerala — sit up and read carefully,” unquote. Cautioning India from being tested prematurely on either the Pakistan or China fronts, renowned Indian analysts say that in a conflict with China both China and India will lose, with Pakistan India has something to lose, not Pakistan. They had better believe it!
Soon after becoming President in Sept 2014 Ashraf Ghani signaled changing the dynamics of Afghanistan’s relationship with Pakistan from adversarial to one of friendship. Sartaj Aziz’s visit to Kabul in Oct 2014 forged a better understanding with the new Afghan Pakistan’s Army Chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, visited Kabul in early Nov followed immediately afterwards by the new DG ISI Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar. What really upset India was Ashraf Ghani’s visit (sans the Pakistani PM) to GHQ Rawalpindi on Nov 14. The historic meeting between the Pakistan and Afghan civil and military hierarchies was best described by the Afghan President promising, “we will not let the past bury the future!” Unfortunately Doval and his RAW-trained and controlled Afghan operatives, deeply imbedded in the Afghanistan intelligence services, have other ideas, a one-point agenda, to bury Pakistan!
Covert operations by others than those who actually planned and execute them are called “false flag” (or black flag) operations. Whether they know it or not, “false flag terrorism” is carried out by entities supported or controlled by the “victim” nation. Because of the increasing levels of duplicity and internal intrigue this terminology is used relatively loosely as a form of deep politics. In the Polish border incident, concentration camp prisoners dressed in Polish uniform were made to attack the German border outpost at Gleiwitz giving Germany an excuse to declare war on Poland. In 1953 CIA carried out “false flag” attacks on mosques and public figures blaming it on Iranian communists loyal to the govt to undermine Mosaddegh. Doval’s well-known predilection for “false flag” operations will only force-multiply. In both Wagah (Nov 2) and Peshawar (Dec 16) everything pointed towards terrorist control by Kabul, Kabul being blamed for incidents in Pakistan and vice-versa Islamabad for incidents in Afghanistan.
The arrest of five persons in Kabul who masterminded the Peshawar APS children holocaust revealed the brutal involvement of India’s RAW in the murder of our children, the excruciating pain promised to us by Ajit Doval. Provoked by such atrocities but facing overwhelming conventional numerical and material superiority, what do we do? Our response must be measured in both word and deed, keeping our cool while the Indians embark on a “Cold Start”-type military adventure with 10-12 mechanised brigades? With very little geographical depth, we can either welcome with flowers as conquerors if they cross a fail-safe line and be Balkanized alongwith the rest of South Asia or use our tactical nuclear weapons as an unconventional means of last resort to protect our freedom.
A deep yearning for peace in South Asia and a lasting friendship with India notwithstanding, it is better fodie free in a nuclear holocaust rather than be enslaved for the next 1000 years under the Modi-Doval brand of Hindutva chauvinism.
