The India Pakistan relationship in recent years has been to a pattern. They hit, we appease. The massive train bombing in Mumbai in 2006 was followed by the NAM Summit in 2007 where we lowered ourselves to Pakistan's level by agreeing that both countries faced the common threat of terrorism.
We ignored that India had suffered from Pakistani terrorism and innumerable killings for decades and Pakistan had just begun to suffer from Pakistani terrorism. Thereafter, the commonality ended. The carnage of Mumbai on November 26, 2008 -- something all of us watched in horror and anguish -- was really Gen Kayani's Kargil against us. It was a declaration of war.
In response we did not even formally suspend the Composite Dialogue. Instead, we had the sell out at Sharm el-Sheikh in July 2009 where we scored a number of own goals.
That has been the pattern since then, beginning with the Delhi fiasco of the Foreign Secretaries' meeting followed by the Islamabad fiasco of the Foreign Ministers' meeting interspersed with dreamy eyed hopes of building trust at Thimpu and ending with the latest foray in the Maldives. Our problem has been that we have made hope a principle of foreign policy and Pakistan has made terrorism a weapon of foreign policy and we are not able to see the futility of the first and the reality of the second.
The reality is harsh and frightening. The reality is that of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, its linkages with the Deep State of Pakistan embodied in the Pak Army and the ISI and the jihadi paraphernalia. They draw sustenance from each other. While the world is now waking up to the threat, we in India should by now have a clear idea of the kind of threat we face from this terrorist outfit masquerading as a social service NGO. We should be under no delusions about what the future entails as this organisation has the full support of the state.
Three years after Mumbai, despite all our entreaties and dossiers, there has been no joy from Pakistan. Instead we have the Pak Interior Minister suggesting that we hang Qasab, and thereby close the case implying quite clearly we are not going to get what we want from Pakistan. Three years after Mumbai the LeT has grown in strength and range of activities with a presence in at least 22 countries and making it a far more potent threat than any other terrorist organisation.
The LeT's vast terror network extends beyond Pakistan; its terror training establishment of military-jihadi expertise teaches an international alumni. Jihadi training schools are now a lucrative post retirement avenue for retiring Army officers and men who provide international consultancies and specialised training, like creating deep cover operatives. It is estimated that the LeT has over 2,500 offices, employing over 25,000 persons. While its main centre remains at Muridke, near Lahore where it has a sprawling campus, students' hostels, technical institutes, medical centres, its second major infrastructure facility is in Shahdodpur in Sindh.
Its financial resources are enormous -- both domestic from charity contributions, compensation/subsidy from the Army, global donations from Pakistanis abroad and from Saudi Arabia and UAE charities. There is enough money in the LeT coffers to enable purchase of new property worth US $ 6 million in Punjab and Sindh in 2003. Since 2001 a new centre, the Markaz Qadsiya was built in Lahore at a cost of US $9.5 million. All this and more can be found in Wilson John's book "The Caliphate's Soldiers," which is guaranteed to leave many of us very frightened.
Today the LeT is the world's most powerful trans-national, but essentially Punjabi, terrorist group enjoying unending state support. There are no signs that the Pakistani state has any intentions of either even disengaging from LeT's activities to say nothing of dismantling this group.
The fear that there could be a major terrorist attack in India by the LeT or its proxies, is very real. This threat will begin to recede only when the Deep State realises it has to pay a price for such activities. Mere threats to break dialogue, display of misplaced magnanimity or appeals to the international community are unlikely to impress the LeT or its mentors.
Source : Midday, Mumbai , November 24, 2011
We ignored that India had suffered from Pakistani terrorism and innumerable killings for decades and Pakistan had just begun to suffer from Pakistani terrorism. Thereafter, the commonality ended. The carnage of Mumbai on November 26, 2008 -- something all of us watched in horror and anguish -- was really Gen Kayani's Kargil against us. It was a declaration of war.
In response we did not even formally suspend the Composite Dialogue. Instead, we had the sell out at Sharm el-Sheikh in July 2009 where we scored a number of own goals.
That has been the pattern since then, beginning with the Delhi fiasco of the Foreign Secretaries' meeting followed by the Islamabad fiasco of the Foreign Ministers' meeting interspersed with dreamy eyed hopes of building trust at Thimpu and ending with the latest foray in the Maldives. Our problem has been that we have made hope a principle of foreign policy and Pakistan has made terrorism a weapon of foreign policy and we are not able to see the futility of the first and the reality of the second.
The reality is harsh and frightening. The reality is that of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, its linkages with the Deep State of Pakistan embodied in the Pak Army and the ISI and the jihadi paraphernalia. They draw sustenance from each other. While the world is now waking up to the threat, we in India should by now have a clear idea of the kind of threat we face from this terrorist outfit masquerading as a social service NGO. We should be under no delusions about what the future entails as this organisation has the full support of the state.
Three years after Mumbai, despite all our entreaties and dossiers, there has been no joy from Pakistan. Instead we have the Pak Interior Minister suggesting that we hang Qasab, and thereby close the case implying quite clearly we are not going to get what we want from Pakistan. Three years after Mumbai the LeT has grown in strength and range of activities with a presence in at least 22 countries and making it a far more potent threat than any other terrorist organisation.
The LeT's vast terror network extends beyond Pakistan; its terror training establishment of military-jihadi expertise teaches an international alumni. Jihadi training schools are now a lucrative post retirement avenue for retiring Army officers and men who provide international consultancies and specialised training, like creating deep cover operatives. It is estimated that the LeT has over 2,500 offices, employing over 25,000 persons. While its main centre remains at Muridke, near Lahore where it has a sprawling campus, students' hostels, technical institutes, medical centres, its second major infrastructure facility is in Shahdodpur in Sindh.
Its financial resources are enormous -- both domestic from charity contributions, compensation/subsidy from the Army, global donations from Pakistanis abroad and from Saudi Arabia and UAE charities. There is enough money in the LeT coffers to enable purchase of new property worth US $ 6 million in Punjab and Sindh in 2003. Since 2001 a new centre, the Markaz Qadsiya was built in Lahore at a cost of US $9.5 million. All this and more can be found in Wilson John's book "The Caliphate's Soldiers," which is guaranteed to leave many of us very frightened.
Today the LeT is the world's most powerful trans-national, but essentially Punjabi, terrorist group enjoying unending state support. There are no signs that the Pakistani state has any intentions of either even disengaging from LeT's activities to say nothing of dismantling this group.
The fear that there could be a major terrorist attack in India by the LeT or its proxies, is very real. This threat will begin to recede only when the Deep State realises it has to pay a price for such activities. Mere threats to break dialogue, display of misplaced magnanimity or appeals to the international community are unlikely to impress the LeT or its mentors.
Source : Midday, Mumbai , November 24, 2011
You are so right in your expression of perspective. India time and again fails to retain the prerogative to strike back, a sentiment our Government never seems to express. In contrast, a Border incident where 24 Pakistani servicemen die and they actually publicly state that they retain the right to retaliate with any means available. We could use these utterances as our chips to hand out similar treatment in case of any strikes in India. to both, Pakistan, and their interlocutors, the US which restrains us each time
ReplyDeleteBut...... However..... We must..... In the interest of..... needs to GO!
Please, can you make sure some Indian defence/military/intelligence Officials read this content and make serious efforts in counter terrorism activities. Please.
ReplyDeletePM MMS is another gujral to India
hey Vikram ... couldn't have said it any better. It's pathetic how the government seems to have completely forgotten or worse has side-stepped the 26/11 events. Other than a lame message from the external affairs minister, we have seen absolutely no progress whatsoever in the last 3 years.
ReplyDeleteIt's horrible way of recognizing the sacrifices of all the people we lost in those 3 days.
Some suggest it is because of Kasab's religion he is alive today. Do you see any point in that?
ReplyDeleteComing from Vidyut's.
Indian govt need to take adequate counter measures to tackle terror emanating across the border from porkiland. It is clear from the very outset that this country of porkiland has hatred against India and they do not hide it. Congress wants to put a purdah on it and expects the wild porkistan to change their mind set which is not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteHi Mr Sood. Its unfortunate that we choose to ignore the action of an enemy due to a weak political goverment and weaker strategic culture
ReplyDeleteIts so unfortunate for the men on the ground. Musharraf waged Kargil war against India, is known to every Indian. Yet a media group invites him to India. He is a war criminal, for god-sake. But as in Politics, even media has men who have no concern about the nation as long as it serves their purpose. The govt consists of weak men, unable to stand on their own. PM, foreign minister, home minister, all are docile, gullible men. They just know to follow. None of them are leaders in the true sense. But that is the fate of a nation, of men on ground with such powerless men in power! Pakistan is going to change is a bluff, we are trying to fool ourselves with. Wake up India, it's not too late yet!
ReplyDeleteMMS does what he is told by Sonia and the US. He has no grass root standing in the masses. It is heartbreaking and extremely frustrating but nothing will happen no matter what one says or does.
ReplyDeleteThere are two very active US supporters. One heads the planning commission the other our cabinet of ministers. Both believe that Indians can get along with Rs 24.00 per day. That providing food as a right to India's poor will drain nations wealth.
Both want foreign FDI in retail and aviation sectors and will go to any extent to achieve it.
There is no hope for India as long as we have spineless people like these who do the bidding of foreigners and take no pride in being Indians.
Our foreign and economic policies are decided in white house. We only change the bare minimum which is required by the UPA to win elections.