Pakistan’s hate for India seems to have grown into a lust instead. The lust however is rather explained as ‘Indo-phobia’ or better to say – ‘Non India’ or quite bluntly, ‘Anti-India’ phenomenon. The contextual debate on the subject may however, garner multiple hues, the colour of green shines the most here. The article attempts to deal with the current Border tensions with perspectives, alternatives and strategies.
Bullets are being fired across 6 sectors in Kashmir. The bullets of words are nonetheless, more important for us. The one important characteristic of Pakistani Foreign Policy is that it’s India centric. Ask an Australian about their Foreign Policy, the answer would be Indian-Ocean Centric, ask a Chinese – Asia-Centric, ask an American – Global Centric. The characteristic, in itself signifies the extent of energy, time and manpower a nation devotes to fulfil its strategic needs within the given space among 200+ countries and counting.
While the policy in itself is deemed to bear the Historical reasons, it inherently a ‘home-grown’ cult, nurtured quite carefully by Pakistani Army, Media and Polity. The Army would use the Indo-Phobia as a tool to recruit more jawans. The media would jab ‘Anti-India’ to win over the Regime’s support and the Polity would use it to garner votes and to be in power. The other factor that emerges is that the nation would use it to justify its heavy defence expenditure, its nuclear programme and lastly even Natural calamities like Floods. Ironically, this Indo-phobia finds communal colours in Pakistan wherein India, being a Secular state, is termed a Hindu state and an attack on India is justified ‘as service to God’ in the name of Jihad and thus the lust suddenly turns green.
The border tensions arose on 4th of October when Pakistani forward posts targeted Indian posts along the LoC in 6 sectors in Kashmir. The intelligence however claimed that the firings were merely a government ploy and tool to weaken the Anti-government jibe that is continuing to gherao the government in Islamabad over Election Fraud issues. A few media reports went on to claim that the firings were a result of loss to India in Asiad Finals Hockey. A few Analysts have claimed it as an aggression against the UN Show-stopping moment by the Indian PM. Others claim that this is meant to extend US presence in Afghanistan to keep a check on India
It was however interesting to see Pakistani Diplomacy making a move that until now was quite uncommon. It deliberately weakened its hold on the LoC, allowing killing of civilians, to garner an international support for the ‘unprovoked firings by India’. It’s however common that nobody now cares for what Pakistan says.
What is uncommon is a sudden change in the posture of India as well. When it came to Chumar last year, we saw our troops dismantling establishments to resolve the incursion issues with China. Earlier that year, Pakistani troops beheaded Indian soldiers. But things seem to be changing. The Latest September incursion incident did not see Indian troops pulling back. And now, a firm resistance is being offered at the LoC.
In the economic perspective however, his Indo-phobia seems not to be working for Pakistan. In fact, it attracted quite an FDI only for being a neighbour of India – one of the largest emerging markets in the world.
What are the alternatives? The world knows that talks have failed. For once, North Korea and South Korea might unite but a successful India-Pakistan Dialogue seems a myth. The options are limited. Whenever an option shall be tried upon, the last card will always be found up on Pakistani Army’s sleeves. It is the army that controls junta, the Judiciary, the Polity, the media, the Terrorists, the Policies. The only leverage for India against Pakistan is its soft power diplomacy and the International pressure it may mount over its neighbour to keep the brat quiet for a while. But one thing that is certain is an implosion – Pakistan might implode under its own weight. Many Analysts have opined that with over 60% of its GDP expenditure on Defence, Pakistani is yet another Sudan in the making.
Chirag Goel's Blog 