(Published in Banking Services Chronicle February 2009)
It is evident that no amount of evidence will suffice for Pakistan to agree that it is sponsoring terrorism, whether by omission or commission. The knee-jerk reaction of any wrongdoer is to deny that the wrong act has been perpetrated. In case that is not possible at all, as in the case of 26/11, the next best thing is to distance oneself from the act.
Pakistan may have “doubts” whether the persons involved in the act were from there. But the world this time is not ready to give a sympathetic hearing to it. This in spite of our neighbour’s best attempt to blow things out of proportion. If our external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee makes any strong statement, it begins to cry “escalation” wolf.
Our neighbour should rest assured that bombing Pakistan would be the last thing India would resort to. They are no Gaza and we are no Israel. And targeted bombing, if people suggest that, is not easy as the world learnt when the US attacked rogue nations. Besides, India seems to be in no hurry as we are yet to impose even sanctions.
India would continue, it appears, to put its diplomatic foot forward, reminding the world how the “epicentre of terrorism” is a global threat. There would be more of talks and less of action. Somewhere in our Gandhian unconscious, we still think non-violence is the best means to tackle terrorism.
But any soft stance from India should not make Pakistan complacent. At some point of time it has to make a strong decision. The “failed state” status it has obtained has been bred by its confused stance. The country has allowed both state and non-state actors to kick it as a football.
The leaders – both civilian and military – in our neighbouring country need to rise to the occasion. They must rescue their own country from falling into the abyss of despair. They need to guide their citizens to make their country a better place to live in. Needless to say, the effort would make India and the world all the happier.
