India is a growing global force with a rapidly developing economy and fantastic stores of human capital. But there are incidents occurring with Pakistan which could have come straight out of a banana republic
Four Indian soldiers were reportedly killed along the border. One was beheaded and the body of another was mutilated. Their bodies were left to rot on the so-called Line of Control (LoC), allegedly by Army personnel.
Within hours the country was outraged. Facebook and Twitter were fuming with indignation. The protests against the recent gang rape were eclipsed by anger over this fresh atrocity.
The political class got involved; with the opposition blaming the government for its soft stand on the enemy’s frequent disturbing shenanigans and the government blaming the opposition for letting Pakistan raise its hood so high during the former’s regime. The Prime Minister stated that there can be no “business as usual” with the enemy. Although Pakistan has reportedly also lost men, India has been particularly infuriated at the beheading of a soldier. What has left India fuming all the more is the claim that its men were brutally killed as part of an attack inside its own territory by a raiding party from Pakistan.
The mother of Lance Naik Hemraj, who lost her son and in return got a headless body, demanded dignity for her son and sat on a hunger strike demanding his head back.
Lance Naik Hemraj
Politicians pitched in and she was pacified. The incident has now died a muffled death. Newsprint is now being utilised for something else and silence suddenly prevails on the Internet. Our emotions are short-lived. Patriotism is a seasonal affair; visible most frequently during an India-Pakistan cricket match.
This trend worries me all the more in the light of these killings. Inhumane acts by a country’s army on their neighbour’s men are disturbing and derail any normality between the two nations. Repeated displays of tolerance India will paint a picture of incompetence and eventually impotence.
However, this does not mean we declare a war against our neighbour as some emotional citizens are demanding. Instead, we must begin initiatives to protect the nation’s self-esteem. For both countries, the issue is not just about two soldiers, it is the nation.
Having said that, what can be done that has as much impact as waging successful war, without shedding any blood?
To begin with, immediate punitive action at the executive level has to be initiated. Plans and mechanisms for such actions do exist; however, they need to be kept below the threshold of an all -out war. Initiatives should be strong and repetitive; the message needs to be sent to the opposite side that it is “cost ineffective” for them to engage in such provocations.
Economic sanctions through international and regional associations would work well and would make the enemy realise that bread is more desirable than bullets.
This should be followed by political pressure, mounted by international bodies. Bilateral relations with power centres like the USA, Russia and the UK should be used. Having done that, a diplomatic onslaught at all levels is needed. There is just no harm in being a little less polite when lives are at risk.
The bottom line is, as a nation, we need to garner support for our actions and not expect others to act on our behalf. It is not in the interest of the global community for India and Pakistan to enter into a war. But it remains to be seen how things unfold and in which direction the relations go.
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