POST 26/11: FROM THE TABLE TALK TO THE BRINK OF WAR

November 26, 2008, was a nightmare for not only people of Mumbai and India but it has jolted every peace-loving person in the world but, soon after attacks Indian media and politicians exploit these attacks for propaganda against the only Muslim nuclear power state and to divert attention of International community from Kashmir issue and other home grown terrorism in India. The peace process, which was started with much zest and enthusiasm, has reached yet another stalemate just when Indian Home minister Mr. P. Chidambaram pointed that New Delhi might consider snapping “all links” with Pakistan. There have been a number of statements in the past from the Indian side and analysts’ writings that if another terror attack takes place, the peace process will end It took the Mumbai terror attacks for the Indian minister to clearly state that the India-Pakistan peace process is no more on or at least is on hold but the fact is that even when the peace process was in its full swing, nothing has been really achieved. 

India’s handling of the Mumbai terrorist attack shows that it is more interested in pursuing its broader domestic and foreign policy agendas than focusing directly on elimination of terrorism. In the domestic context, India wants to cover-up the administrative, intelligence and security failures in coping with the Mumbai attacks and at the international level, India is using the global consensus on counter-terrorism to advance its broader foreign policy agenda of maligning Pakistan as an irresponsible state and isolating it from the rest of world.

Since 9/11, terrorism has emerged as the most sensitive issue in international relations and the Americans are especially sensitive on the topic. Singing along with the Americans, the Indians have all along pointed fingers to Pakistan as the hub of global terrorism to divert attention of America from Kashmir issue. it seems that India is raising the current conflict with Pakistan at the multilateral and global level rather than taking up the matter with Pakistan at the bilateral level. This is in contrast to Indian practice in the past when it objected to Pakistani efforts to raise Kashmir and other bilateral conflicts at multilateral level. Now, India argues that terrorism is a global rather than a bilateral issue and dismisses Pakistan’s offer of joint investigation and its promise to take action on credible evidence.

It looks that India is trying to entitle itself a role in the South Asian region similar to that which is already being played by the US throughout the world and Israel in the Middle East. By poking its nose into the affairs of its neighbours, creating problems for them and most of the times supporting some persons, India must reconsider its conduct and mindset if it wants peace in this region without relationship with Pakistan, based on confidence and equality, no type of peace can be guaranteed in the South Asian region.

The Indian media is putting pressure on their government to act against Pakistan’s so called “terrorist training camps” and teach Pakistan a lesson by conducting surgical strikes similarly as done by Israel in Gaza. Certainly, this attitude is totally irresponsible and is ignoring the facts on the ground that both the nations are nuclear armed and any “surgical strike” will be reciprocated by Pakistan “in minutes”. It is very unfortunate that Indian media is successful creating a large section of pseudo-patriotic forces imbibing vague sentimentalism and hollow emotionalism. At this juncture, the media should be independent, impartial and free from all prejudices. It should be a vehicle of social transformation and social change rather than polluting the minds of the people through misleading and distorted information’s. The media should try to purify the polluted atmosphere. (UBAID MUSHTAQ IS A STUDENT BBA, ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FEEDBACK AT UBAIDIUST@GMAIL.COM)