{"id":303552,"date":"2018-10-02T08:22:46","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T08:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=303552"},"modified":"2018-10-02T08:22:49","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T08:22:49","slug":"when-talking-to-neighbour-suddenly-gets-complicated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/when-talking-to-neighbour-suddenly-gets-complicated\/","title":{"rendered":"When talking to neighbour suddenly gets complicated"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Mounting public ire over the discovery of a mutilated BSF Jawan along the International Border between India and Pakistan on September 18, apart from forcing Government of India to call off the talks within 24 hours of announcing that foreign ministers of India and Pakistan would meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but also exposed Modi government\u2019s flip-flop over talking to Pakistan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sequel to this meeting was provided by a letter written by Pakistani Prime Minister, sent on September 14 and handed over to India\u2019s Foreign Office on September 17, in response to congratulatory letter sent to him after his oath taking ceremony by PM Narendra Modi. In his letter of September 14, the Pak PM had reportedly expressed his desire to \u201cpeacefully resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, to bridge differences and achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Siachen and Sir Creek also need close <\/span>attention to move towards resolution.\u201d While confirming Pakistan\u2019s request for meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, India\u2019s foreign office also confirmed India\u2019s participation in the SAARC council of ministers meeting to be held on September 27, along the sidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forced by the mounting public wrath over frequent incidents of mutilation of the bodies of Indian Jawans, India was on September 21 left with no option but to call off the scheduled talks with Pakistan in New York just within 24 hours of accepting Pakistan\u2019s talks offer, by saying, \u201cThe latest brutal killing of our security personnel by Pakistan-based entities and the recent release of a series of 20 postage stamps by Pakistan glorifying a terrorist (Burhan Wani) and terrorism confirm that Pakistan will not mend its ways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pakistan has been resorting to pressure tactics against India in J&K for over three decades now by adhering to two-pronged strategy: by sending armed militants to perpetrate terrorist violence to destabilise J&K thereby compelling India to accept its terms of negotiations; and harping on resuming dialogue process to showcase the world that Islamabad is for a negotiated settlement of outstanding problems with India.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some experts ascribe to the view that the somewhat liberal Kashmiri movement has taken on a more religious outlook with Pakistan\u2019s direct involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

While lamenting that Pakistan\u2019s Kashmir policy is based on double standards and hypocrisy in terms of backing right to self-determination for Indian side of the Kashmir and suppressing Kashmiris in PoK, many critics opine that Pakistan\u2019s involvement in Kashmir will always jeopardize the issue owing to Islamabad\u2019s international recognition as an alleged Islamist hub which is counterproductive for the Kashmir plight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many analysts point to the presence of a \u2018deep state\u2019 within Pakistan, which is controlled by Pakistan Army and ISI. This deep state strikes as and when India and Pakistan seek to improve relations. When the late PM Vajpayee took the bus to Lahore in early 1999, the deep state responded with the Kargil attack masterminded by the Pakistan Army.<\/span><\/p>\n

The deep-state policy sought to undermine the Vajpayee government\u2019s efforts to make peace with Pakistan by detonating a car bomb near the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly building in October 2001 and it was followed by the attack on Parliament House in December that brought the two countries to the brink of war. The UPA government\u2019s efforts in 2008 in seeking to build on the dialogue on Kashmir with the new government in Islamabad, the deep state responded with the horrific Mumbai attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

Installation of Modi regime in New Delhi has also witnessed the subversive machination of the deep state. PM Modi\u2019s sudden visit to Lahore on Christmas Day 2015 to wish Happy Birthday to Nawaz Sharif, was responded by the deep state a week later, with the Pathankot attack. Modi regime has witnessed frequent increase in violation of the truce agreement on both LoC and International Border since 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data released by Ministry of Union Home Ministry makes it discernible that in 2014, the number of border violations stood at 583 and the number of violent incidents reported stood at 222, along with 47 security force personnel killed, 29 civilians along with 110 terrorists were also killed during this period.<\/span><\/p>\n

The number of border violation incidents which stood at 499 in 2016 grew to 771 in 2017. This period also saw spurt in number of violent incidents from 322 in 2016 to 342 in 2017 with corresponding increase in the deaths of security personnel, civilians and the terrorists. It is further revealed from this data that until the end of July-2018, the number of border violation incidents by Pakistan recorded a phenomenal increase by reaching at 1, 432, killing 59 security personnel and civilians. This is apart from frequent incidents of mutilating the bodies of Indian security personnel in gruesome manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Govt\u2019s response <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Data about border violations, violent terrorist incidents and deaths of security personnel and civilians along with gruesome mutilation of our jawans don\u2019t bode well with PM Modi\u2019s public image as he projects and sees himself, as being hard-headed and focused, especially in his dealing with Kashmir and Pakistan. Undoubtedly, Modi government came to power with a lot of tough talk on Islamabad; nevertheless, in practical terms it followed a workmanlike policy of meeting with Nawaz Sharif in Nepal, and followed by the Christmas Day love-fest in December 2015, to be rewarded with Pathankot tragedy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modi government\u2019s tough response after Pathankot, which inter alia included: decrying Islamabad in international forums and capitals and responding to border clashes with disproportionate force evidently failed to yield the desired result. There was neither any significant reduction in Pakistan\u2019s cross border attacks nor in the frequency of violent incidents within J&K. One fails to understand Modi government\u2019s logic behind its recent attempts to reach out to Pakistan. While pointing out that government\u2019s approach is dictated by the fact it is focusing on the ensuing elections, some critics opine that admittedly denouncing Pakistan certainly brings in votes, especially in the Hindi heartland, there is always the probability of the situation going out of hand, as it has happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

Media reports indicate that recent years have witnessed increasing support of some segments of Kashmiri people for the cause of the separatists and they have often come out in droves to protest against government\u2019s rule and military operations in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n

The disturbing reports of Kashmiri youth, who comprise about 60 percent of Kashmir\u2019s male residents under the age of 30, and 70 percent below the age of 35, being attracted towards militancy, especially in the wake of government\u2019s inability to provide them jobs, is a matter of serious concern for the government and the nation as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

Way ahead<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Separatism in Kashmir is a complex problem that calls for multipronged approach based on consensus to be achieved with the involvement of all stakeholders. Creating a secure, stable and peaceful ambience in the Valley is a sine qua non for tackling socio-economic problems of Kashmiri people. While keeping the option of talks with Pakistan open, New Delhi needs to be prepared to face disruptive onslaughts of Pakistan\u2019s deep-state. Modi government\u2019s claim of \u201csurgical strikes\u201d launched on September 29, 2017, are often touted as aiming at deterring Pakistan from sending armed militants across India have reportedly failed to realize the desired objectives as can be evidenced from developments in the last and current years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unabated Pakistani shelling and attacks along the LoC resulting in a heavy loss of life of civilians and security personnel, attack on an Indian army formation in Nagrota on November 29, 2017, killing seven soldiers, attack on the CRPF camp on the last day of December 2017 killing five CRPF jawans by Jaish-e-Muhammad militants and recent incidents of mutilating bodiesof our jawans etc., are sufficient evidence of flip-flop policy of Modi government that needs to be corrected.<\/span><\/p>\n

While calling upon Indian government to adhere to long term steps aimed at de-escalating violence in Kashmir, one expert has suggested restoration of the Kashmiri people\u2019s trust in state\u2019s democratic institutions and address the rise of religiously-motivated nationalism, especially in religiously and ethnically diverse parts of Kashmir along with providing dignified means of livelihoods to the Kashmiri youth to bring them back into the mainstream of development.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

letters@tehelka.com<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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