Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - Dec 25, 2012

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 22 Jan 2013 18:01

SSridhar,

Did you notice, now Kurshit is pretty brazen as well on this so called "Hindu terror". Please read Tarun Vijay's blog in TOI as well. While everything you said is true, but if Cong can so brazenly bring in this Hindu terror rubbish, and gain from it, what does it tell you about India and Hindus en masse? Can you imargine what would happen if say in US, democrats were to accuse republicans and tea party and other allies of republcians as running terror camps, and that too in the vicintiy of say a 9/11 anniverasary (which never ends in US)? I mean at what point will Hindus stand up in one united voice? I mean the sheer audacity of Shinde and Kurshit tells you how confident they are that not only will they not be punished for this henious utterance, but will reap dividends. My immediate fear though is some kind of communal conflagration.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 22 Jan 2013 18:17

Bakara is furious, no, not because as an Indian journalist she ought to be at the brazen "Hindu terror" lies by Cong, but because "Hindu terrorists" are not allowing Paki scum to come to India.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-bu ... tan/262648

kapilrdave · Post by **kapilrdave** » 22 Jan 2013 18:23

Congoons are surely upto something. They are not letting this "Hindu Terror" thing to cool down. They are even more vocal than the BJP/RSS. The original statement itself was untimely and uncalled for. Wonder what they want? Or are they going to break some bad news soon? Sir Creek? Or may be as CRamS says, they want communal riots in the country.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Jan 2013 18:29

CRS, first GoI planted stories through its sarkari journalists to malign our own army and now it has used the next higher asthra, that of Hindu terrorism. The consequences of this in the context of TSP are going to be enormous for us. Not only this GoI but also future governments will be like emperors without clothes. The desperate INC is behaving extremely tactically like the US without realizing the consequences. Of course, for a country that practises hard realpolitik like the US, such a behaviour might not matter, but that is not the case with Indian leaders or p-secs or Indian liberals or WKKs or journalists because they will continue to insist on moral equivalence and concede all the advantages we have had. There is a serious attempt to undermine Indian advantages vis-a-vis TSP both internally (through Indian agents of a foreign power or other Indians who want to destroy a particular community in India) and externally. This is the only way a mouse and an elephant can be made to appear similar. And, these forces are furiously at it because the US plans in Af-Pak and the INC's plans for the 2014 election dovetail nicely.

We will restrict ourselves here to aspects involving TSP only.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 22 Jan 2013 20:41

I'd suggest reading the following timeline - interesting read, and seems fairly thorough, although I would have liked a better account of Saikat's and Praveen's articles.

Blog: The LoC incident - The back story

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 22 Jan 2013 21:31

The consequences of this in the context of TSP are going to be enormous for us. Not only this GoI but also future governments

Absolutely true Sridhar Ji. I cannot but imagine how much damage this will cause in the future wrt TSP. The first is that now the plank that we are concerned about terror emanating from TSP is over and out as far as diplomacy closed door or open door is concerned. Any pea brained Paki ( i know it's an Oxymoron, but anyway Anup Ji pardon me for that) will rattle out the retort that please first eliminate the terror cells your main opposition party is running all over India before giving us the sermon that we harbor terror. There is NOTHING any Indian diplomat or person can say to that. Zilch. There is nothing i can say to another Paki, if that is is told to me. There is nothing i can tell an American if they talk South Asia is a place where Islamist and Hindu terror go together. (Note Islamist not Muslim). But the direct y linkage of Hindu and Terror has been done by this Idiot.

I can also see a massive campaign now to disassociate Terror and Religion in internal debates as a favor of == towards yes Hindu's being doled out in domestic debates. In the future it will be impossible to link up religion and terror in this country for sometime to come. This utter idiot of a home minister is however in bliss. I bet he has no inkling to the amount of damage that he has caused.

I do have an antidote to this, but anyways that will be OT here..

AbhiJ · Post by **AbhiJ** » 22 Jan 2013 23:26

Islamic IEDology injures 4 Ghazis

Officials said the army vehicle was travelling from Spinwam to Mir Ali when it was targeted with a remote controlled improvised explosive device (IED). The officials added that the military vehicle was “badly damaged” in the blast and confirmed that four soldiers were injured in the explosion.

The injured were shifted to the hospital and security forces launched a search operation in the area soon after the explosion.

North Waziristan, which is close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is one of seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), governed by tribal laws.

An extremist insurgency led by the Pakistani Taliban plagues the region while the area is said to be infested with militants, including the al Qaeda, Taliban and other armed extremist organisations. {PA is a Peaceful Uniformed Nationalist Force }

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 22 Jan 2013 23:30

I request all forum members to report the Paki news properly.

For example, "Hindu terrorist attack injures 4 Ghajis in Mir Ali" is the appropriate heading for above news.

Taliban are Hindu fanatics in disguise only.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 22 Jan 2013 23:39

Please no tailoring the facts in this thread.

Headlines will not be altered.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 Jan 2013 00:03

Officials warn Kashmiris of possible nuclear attack
Pindi Xhana Discharge

SRINAGAR: Officials in Indian-controlled Kashmir are warning residents to build bomb-proof basements, collect two weeks’ worth of food and water and be prepared for a possible nuclear war.
Local officials did not answer calls asking why they were suddenly concerned about a nuclear attack in the region, repeatedly fought over by nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan. However, a series of deadly skirmishes along the cease-fire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between the two countries.
The notice, published Monday by the Kashmir police in the Greater Kashmir newspaper, advised people to build toilet-equipped basements large enough to house the entire family for two weeks. If there is no basement, residents should construct bunkers in their front yards, the notice advised.The shelters should be stocked with candles, battery-operated lights and radios and nonperishable food and water that is regularly replaced to ensure it is fresh, it said.During an attack, it advises drivers to dive out of their cars toward the blast to save themselves from being crushed by their soon-to-be tumbling vehicles. It also warns residents to keep contaminated people out of their shelters.“Expect some initial disorientation as the blast wave may blow down and carry away many prominent and familiar features,” it advises.While authorities did not return phone calls for comment, Yoginder Kaul, inspector-general at the civil defense and state disaster response force, told the newspaper that it was a “normal exercise to raise general awareness among (the) public about disaster management.”“It has nothing to do with anything, and it should not be connected with anything,” Kaul said.oth India and Pakistan claim the divided Kashmir region in its entirety and h

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 Jan 2013 00:19

RO Matt Chup Kar Naa;Mai Hoon Tera Baap, Tu Mera Munna
US Ambassador Richard Olson reaffirmed the importance of a strong US-Pakistan security relationship.

Both sides affirmed their mutual commitment to a strong defense relationship which they agreed should focus on achieving common objectives. Ambassador Olson and the Air Chief Marshal reviewed the Pakistani F-16 program and visited the home of Pakistan’s F-16s at PAF Base Shahbaz.
“This visit, and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 program itself, represent concrete examples of US-Pakistan cooperation to support our shared security goals and to promote peace and stability in the region,” said Ambassador Olson.Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt welcomed Ambassador Olson and said, “Ambassador Olson’s visit is important because it focuses on achieving common objectives and it shows the US and Pakistan working together to strengthen cooperation to support each country’s security interests.”The PAF has been flying F-16s since the early 1980s. In 2008, the PAF bought the advanced Block 52 model using their national funds, which provides all-weather day/night precision targeting capability.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Jan 2013 00:22

Jhujar, Please post the headline as the paper reports it.
Thanks, ramana

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 23 Jan 2013 01:10

Apparently two Canadians led the recent Algeria hostage taking. They also demanded afia siddiqui be freed. Put two and two together and wait for a few days for conformation.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Jan 2013 01:12

Pakis can't be too far behind.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Jan 2013 02:04

Mullah Fazlullah gets droned?

Nandu · Post by **Nandu** » 23 Jan 2013 02:25

"The Algerian premier said the Canadians were of Arab descent"

http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/inside ... z2Ik0qp4Z7

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Jan 2013 02:35

Anujan wrote:It is nearly certain that APHC met Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin in Pakistan. Multiple confirmations from several sources.

Wonder if they were discussing their fondness for chai biskoot.

From J&K thread dated 17 Jan, 2013

http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewto ... 4#p1394974

They did meet those guys under guidance from massa.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 23 Jan 2013 04:13

Difficult to make this stuff up...

Italy: Paki asylum seeker attacks fiancee

It happened in Ragusa, in Sicily, a city classified as part of global heritage by UNESCO thanks to its baroque architecture, and which distinguished itself especially in history by chasing out the Arab occupiers in 1090, with the aid, according to legend, of Saint George descended from the sky.

On Wednesday night, a woman, described by local journalists as "a 32-year-old Ragusan" received a visit in her home from her "fiancé", Amran Jhah Syed Ali, a 23-year-old unemployed Pakistani asylum seeker. The Paki had arrived with a friend from Chad to watch a film on the television. They took advantage of the opportunity to empty a bottle of vodka between them.

This touching scene of multi-ethnic fraternisation was brutally interrupted when the Italian woman pronounced the name of Allah in vain. Her "fiancé" then attacked her after having broken the vodka bottle in fury. The Chadean, who tried to calm him down, was injured in the hand.

The woman took refuge in her bedroom, where she locked herself in and called the carabinieri for help, at around 1 am, while the fiancé tried to break the door down.

When they arrived, the carabinieri noted that the two immigrants were in a state of intoxication and that the furniture in the flat had been devastated. The Paki had also injured himself in the hand, either when breaking the bottle or punching the door. An ambulance took him to the emergency ward with the Chadean. The Italian woman, still in shock, went to stay with a friend.

But the night continued to be agitated for everyone. Once his had been treated, the Paki then started looking for his fiancée. He went to the house of the friend where his shouting forced the carabinieri to intervene again, at 3 am. "A patrol brought the individual, visibly agitated and still under the effects of alcohol, to the asylum seeker community centre".

"But this second intervention still was not enough to bring the foreigner to his sense," who went to the friend's house again and smashed in the front door with a large rock. Two cars of carabinieri came to the rescue. The Paki was finally arrested, not without difficulty, and he was placed in handcuffs, after which he attacked one of the officers and fought to the ground with him. He was placed in provision detention in Ragusa prison.

Amran Jhah Syed Ali was charged with resistance and violence to an agent of public order, assault and wounding, aggravated threats, damage to property.

Among the local newspapers, the Gazetta Iblea had the headline : "Paki handcuffed in the name of Allah". The Corriere di Ragusa is more descriptive : "He attacked his fiancée who pronounces the name of Allah in vain". Insula Report (screenshot above) is more balanced and without doubt more exact: "Rage in the name of Allah and vodka"

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 23 Jan 2013 07:51

Anujan wrote:Apparently two Canadians led the recent Algeria hostage taking. They also demanded afia siddiqui be freed. Put two and two together and wait for a few days for conformation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/ ... 3820130122

In the past, small numbers of Canadians or Canadian immigrants from North African and South Asian backgrounds have been linked to operations or factions connected to al Qaeda or its affiliates.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 Jan 2013 09:20

PBUK

Target Killing: PML-N leader among 17 killed in Karachi

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh’s joint secretary Mian taimoor and his father Mian Arbab were shot dead in Defence phase VI area of Karachi, Express News reported.They were brought to a private hospital in Defence phase I, where they succumbed to their injuries. Police and leaders of OML-N are present in the hospital.According to witnesses, unidentified men riding motorcycle and a car opened fire on Taimoor’s car from both sides.The motive behind the shooting is still unclear. Police said that the initial finding suggests that it could be an incident of targeted killing.Sindh hospital MS shot deadA former medical superintendent (MS) of Sindh Government Hospital and a former SHO were among three people shot dead in separate targeted attacks in Karachi on Tuesday night.Former MS Hassan Alam was shot and killed near UP Mor in North Karachi. He was on his way home from his private clinic when two unidentified men riding a motorcycle shot him once, killing him on the spot, according to police officials.

disha · Post by **disha** » 23 Jan 2013 09:50

pgbhat wrote:...http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/ ... 3820130122
In the past, small numbers of Canadians or Canadian immigrants from North African and South Asian backgrounds have been linked to operations or factions connected to al Qaeda or its affiliates.

Hindu terrorists. Wahan bhi pounch gayein!

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 Jan 2013 10:52

Ajai Shukla-ji conforming that the Track-2 is going well for him:

Mapping the changes in Pakistan

During my travels in Pakistan last week, I could hardly miss the stark difference between Indian and Pakistani reactions to the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K. Oblivious to Indian jingoism, the Pakistani press covered, minute-by-minute, the Anna Hazare style reality show that was Canada-based cleric Tahir ul-Qadri’s challenge to that country’s political establishment.

This is a metaphor for a changing Indo-Pak dynamic. For decades, India looked inward while Islamabad tom-tommed the looming India threat. Today as Pakistan, while lurching toward a form of democracy focuses mainly on its burgeoning internal challenges, India increasingly obsesses about the terrorist threat from across the border. This even as the tide of Pakistan-fomented violence recedes and Indian police and intelligence officials shift focus to disaffection within the country.

But the fortuitous outcome of Pakistan’s single-minded focus on Tahir ul-Qadri’s so-called Long March was that New Delhi’s tough response to brutality on the LoC went almost unnoticed in Pakistan, allowing Islamabad (which has little appetite for roiling the waters) to settle for a pro-forma response. This avoided an acid exchange of tit-for-tat statements that would have united Pakistan’s divided anti-India constituency.

But that was luck, not design. New Delhi, which views Pakistan in the context of an outdated and intellectually lazy narrative of implacable hostility, needs a clearer understanding of a rapidly changing Pakistani playfield. The most important transformation relates to Pakistan’s most powerful organisation, the army; and the evolving relationship between Pakistan’s five key institutions, viz the army, the polity, the judiciary, civil society and the media.

This apprehension provides a crucial window for an Indo-Pakistan dialogue on Afghanistan. While both sides regard Afghanistan as a zero-sum game that has no winners, this gloomy outlook on a post-2014 Afghanistan could be brightened through a political initiative, preferably through back channels, to address both sides’ concerns. An agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad could backstop a mutually beneficial stabilization of Afghanistan.

Interestingly, even as Pakistan’s military dims its public profile, New Delhi has taken to citing the Indian Army as the basis for its policy positions. In choosing not to sign a Siachen Agreement (wisely, but that is another debate!), New Delhi holds up the army’s objections as a fig leaf. In hardening its condemnation of Pakistan after initially soft-pedalling the recent LoC incident, the government took its cue from the army. A disempowered Indian military probably basks in this show of concern, but it would do well to remember that in the aspects that really matter --- e.g. long-term strategic planning; equipment modernisation; and soldiers’ welfare --- the military remains out in the cold.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 23 Jan 2013 11:11

Interesting to see to opposite viewpoints of "snake-oil " Singh's "tough guy" attitude.A former diplomutt in the Hindu writes that he has been tough and drawn a line in the sand (accompanying cartoon) on several occasionss,keeping a firm grip on security and foreign affairs.

In the New Ind.Exp though,the promise of the ig-Noble prize is the holy grail of "statesmen" who want posterity to remember them! The mendicant of snake-oil is allegedly one among many who want the prize and has been playing for the same.

http://newindianexpress.com/opinion/article1431427.ece

The Nobel Prize syndrome

By T P Sreenivasan

23rd January 2013

When politicians grow into eminent statesmen, they develop an intense desire for immortality. Their place in history becomes more important than solution of mundane issues of the day. Their world expands to embrace universal objectives that transcend national aspirations. Some of them step on to the world stage and make outlandish proposals at the United Nations for international peace, disarmament and development. Proposals for bringing celestial bodies and even Unidentified Flying Objects within the purview of the United Nations have originated from the seekers of global fame. The more ambitious among them go on a quest of the Holy Grail, the Nobel Peace Prize.

India-Pakistan relations are so complex that anyone who can assist in normalising them is likely to be honoured by the Norwegian Academy. The acquisition of the nuclear dimension to the quagmire has made peace imperative between them in the eyes of the world. Many consider Kashmir a global hotspot, which deserves a global solution. Even President Bill Clinton had eyed Kashmir as a potential road to the Nobel. In India, Morarji Desai, (he even tried to dilute India’s opposition to the NPT), Inder Kumar Gujral and Atal Behari Vajpayee had developed such ambitions. What held them back was the pressure of public opinion. Their efforts were also thwarted by the duplicity of Pakistan, which gained benefits, but refused to accept matching obligations.

The signs of the Nobel Prize syndrome gripping Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have been visible since the Havana Declaration, which, for the first time, conceded that Pakistan too was a victim of terrorism. The Sharm el-Sheikh statement remains the only document in which Balochistan came within the purview of bilateral relations. India gradually relaxed the conditions it imposed on Pakistan to deal with the schemers and perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The tough line on terrorism withered away as the peace process gained momentum. The invitation extended to Pakistan home minister Rehman Malik and resumption of sports and cultural contacts were also part of ‘the extra mile’ theory. However, none can point to a single matching initiative on the part of Pakistan. They appeared to respond to the friendly moves of India, but plotted, at the same time, to undermine the Indian state covertly and overtly. The most blatant was the intrusion in Kargil, coming as it did close on the heels of the Lahore bus yatra. Making the border soft resulted only in more intrusions and arrival of more terrorists.

The desire to build on the gains of the peace process was the sentiment that determined initial Indian reaction to the events of January 8. The tame response at the official level left the field open for the Opposition to claim to know the pulse of the people and to project public opinion. If only the prime minister had spoken of “no business as usual” within hours of the report on killing of two soldiers and beheading of one of them, he would have retained the initiative in his own hand. If he had promised firm action, the baying for 10 heads for one by Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj would not have resonated so well within the nation. She would have sounded irrational if the peace process was halted on the first day. Each day lost added fuel to the fire of public opinion and Pakistan exulted in its denial, without any fear of retribution. They knew well that the image-makers of the prime minister would turn the other cheek. When he finally spoke up, Pakistan had no choice but to budge and agree to commit itself to observe the ceasefire.

The ‘peace industry’ in India with Pakistan has done more damage than good to India-Pakistan relations. South Block is constantly at pains to satisfy the peaceniks and many fall prey to the attractions of the industry, like fully paid trips not just to Pakistan, but also to more attractive destinations. Since the army is recognised as the real source of power in Pakistan, it has become fashionable to invite former generals to these parleys. Many of them masquerade as the civil society in Pakistan, but make no impact on public opinion within Pakistan. On our side, however, the pressure mounts for a soft approach to Pakistan each time a Track II exercise throws up solutions. The shrill clamour for finding solutions to issues like Siachen and Sir Creek is raised from time-to-time, raising false hopes that these can be resolved. Siachen has been described as the only substantial military gain that India has made and the call is to throw it away unilaterally. Shimla’s lessons have not been learnt.

The truth that Pakistan’s existence itself is conditional to its differences with India should be remembered every time we deal with Pakistan. It has no compulsions to make peace with India. By paying a small price, Pakistan has acquired equal status with India in the minds of people across the globe. The peace process gives Pakistan a benign image even as it schemes to undermine the Indian state through infiltration and terrorism. Even when blatant violations of ceasefire take place, the ‘peace industry’ is willing to ask whether, after all, India had pulled the trigger first. It is willing to close its eyes to the fact that the latest incident was not just a case of ceasefire violation, but a highly humiliating act that would demoralise our fighting forces.

The call on India is often to do everything possible to strengthen democracy in Pakistan. Even if the theory that a strong and prosperous Pakistan is in the interest of India is accepted, India can do little to strengthen democracy in Pakistan. Looking for democracy in Pakistan is like looking for the proverbial non-existent black cat in a dark room. Successive democratic governments in Pakistan have either been facades or apologists for the army. Pakistan has only denigrated Indian democracy and not tried to learn from it.

The lessons of the past dictate that our Pakistan policy should be based strictly on reciprocity. Unilateral concessions have never yielded benefits in the past and will not in the future. If we relax on past crimes, new crimes will follow. In the recent case of beheading, Pakistan is guilty of a multitude of crimes, which should be accounted for. Any misguided forgiveness will only encourage the Pakistan Army to commit worse atrocities.

Indian reluctance to call a spade a spade is not on account of fear of conventional nuclear war. We have always believed that the most inextricable of issues can be resolved through negotiations. In the case of Pakistan, final solutions may not be possible for any of the problems that bedevil our relations for another generation. Our best hope is to mange the relations in such a way that our vital interests are protected. Strict reciprocity is the only strategy that will work with Pakistan.

T P Sreenivasan is a former ambassador of India and
governor for India of the IAEA.

E-mail: tpsreenivasan@gmail.com

And here is the Hindu's columnist,rising to the defence of "all b*lls" Singh,the tough guy of India who makes Pakis tremble at the sound of his squeak! No coincidence this piece,as the media and TV in particular has lambasted the PM for his non-appearance and silence on the G-rape and the behadings.The spion doctors are trying their best to paint him as an Indian version of Rambo and the Terminator!

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/de ... 333216.ece

Decoding Manmohan Singh’s red lines
Sanjaya Baru

Despite political constraints, the Prime Minister has jealously guarded his turf on foreign policy and national security

Many eyebrows were raised in Delhi and around the world when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that “it cannot be business as usual” with Pakistan after the recent incident on the Line of Control (LoC). Merely because these remarks came after the National Security Adviser briefed Opposition leaders about the government’s approach to the issue, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha took credit for the Prime Minister’s tough stance, while welcoming it. That Dr. Singh adopted a more nuanced approach and not the sledge-hammer response that the Bharatiya Janata Party and hotheads in the media had sought has since become clear.

‘Uncharacteristic’ toughness

The many expressions of surprise, accompanied by gratuitous remarks about Dr. Singh’s ‘uncharacteristic’ toughness, ignore the fact that on vital national security and foreign policy issues, the Prime Minister has always drawn red lines and stuck to them. These red lines have been drawn both with respect to political parties and ministerial colleagues at home and foreign governments. When it comes to foreign policy, Dr. Singh has jealously guarded Prime Ministerial turf and defended the national interest.

In India’s federal, parliamentary, cabinet form and now coalitional government system, foreign policy remains, as it always has been, the prerogative of the Prime Minister alone. Fully appreciative of the limits within which a Prime Minister could function in the kind of set-up that he had inherited, Dr. Singh was quick to draw red lines at home, as his first Foreign Minister, Natwar Singh, discovered early during his term in office.

On occasions when Dr. Singh has had to yield space to his critics, both within and outside the government, he has either stooped to conquer or stepped back to once again sally forth. And, when he has been unable to achieve his objective with either strategy, Dr. Singh has imposed a cost on his critics and adversaries. He has, however, rarely given up pursuing a stated objective. One can give several examples in support of this assertion.

The most dramatic event occurred when the Left Front government informed the Centre that it would not be able to ensure law and order at the Kalaikunda air force base where a group of CPI(M) protesters had planned to gather to disrupt joint air exercises between the Indian Air Force and the United States Air Force. Reminding Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya that no State government can prevent the Centre from conducting defence and foreign policy, Dr. Singh threatened to impose President’s rule in West Bengal if the State government failed to discharge its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order, especially near a defence installation. Not only did Mr. Bhattacharya fall in line, the CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat called on Dr. Singh and gave his personal assurance that there would be no disruption of the exercises.

More recently, there was a comment that the same Dr. Singh failed to impose similar discipline on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when she blocked a bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh on Teesta river water sharing. Here too the fact remains that eventually the government of India was able to implement a large part of the understanding with Bangladesh, but Dr. Singh also ensured, over time, that the Trinamool Congress had to pay a price and was ejected from the United Progressive Alliance, much like the Left Front. In both cases, the message was that State governments cannot cross certain red lines on matters of national security and foreign policy.

One can give several other examples where Dr. Singh may have initially stepped back in the face of opposition at home but eventually walked the talk. Faced with criticism at home, even from his own party, for the famous India-Pakistan joint statement at Sharm-el-Shaikh, in July 2009, Dr. Singh not only defended his initiative twice in a month in Parliament but also continued his dialogue with his Pakistani counterpart.

The last word

Indeed, even when UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote an ill-advised letter to Dr. Singh expressing concern about the India-Asean free trade agreement, Dr. Singh chose to stand his ground. When her letter was leaked to the media by a party functionary, Dr. Singh did not mind his reply being released to the media. The message once again was that on matters of national security and foreign policy, the Prime Minister would have the last word.

Externally also, Dr. Singh has not shied away from drawing red lines. When President Barack Obama sought to send Richard Holbrooke to India as a special envoy to discuss Kashmir, the U.S. was told in no uncertain terms that Mr. Holbrooke would not be welcome.

On another occasion, when the Chinese government publicly warned India against permitting the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Dr. Singh made bold to let China know that it cannot dictate which part of India the Dalai Lama can or cannot travel to. A similar red line was drawn on the issue of the attendance of the Indian ambassador at the ceremony where a Chinese dissident was to be awarded the Nobel Peace prize and on China stamping its version of India’s map on Indian passports.

Any analyst of foreign affairs can list several such examples, based on media reports, where Dr. Singh has jealously guarded prime ministerial turf and the national interest in the conduct of foreign and defence policy.

It is understandable that this toughness is not always evident in the handling of domestic political issues. But then, over the past two decades, successive Indian Prime Ministers, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had discovered the limits to their political power at home given the nature of coalition politics.

While many of Dr. Singh’s critics imagine that he pursued the civil nuclear energy agreement with the U.S. in the face of Left Front opposition because he was being adamant, or “soft” on the U.S. and so on, an important reason, apart from his conviction about the merits of the agreement itself, was his resolve not to allow domestic politics to limit prime ministerial prerogative in the conduct of foreign policy and national security.

As he then famously asked his own party’s leaders, which head of government would take the Indian Prime Minister’s word seriously in any international negotiation if he cannot stick to that word.

With Pakistan, Dr. Singh has adequately demonstrated his ability to overcome domestic opposition to his peace initiatives. If the Pervez Musharraf-Manmohan Singh dialogue reached a dead end it was not for want of resolve on Dr. Singh’s part. Rather, it was because of the turn that the domestic situation in Pakistan had taken in 2007. Despite the November 2008 attack in Mumbai, Dr. Singh has shown consistency and determination in taking the dialogue process forward.

But, even Pakistan has to respect Dr. Singh’s red lines, just as President Obama and President Hu Jintao were required to. That thinking appears to have triggered the ‘no business as usual’ remark and it has had the intended impact.

(The writer is Director for Geo-economics and Strategy, International Institute for Strategic Studies and Hon. Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Jan 2013 11:24

Philip wrote:Decoding Manmohan Singh’s red lines

Sanjay Barua, above, is confirming exactly what we have been saying here for some years now. He has not listed one imcident where Man Mohan Singh has taken a tough stance with Pakistan. Sanjay Barua has quoted Kalaikunda (he batted for the US though he was absolutely right on that occasion), the Nuclear Deal, PRC's demarches etc, but zilch on Pakistan. Even an ardent Man Mohan Singh fan is unable to refute the accusations against this Prime Minister as far as TSP goes.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 23 Jan 2013 12:32

Today is the birthday of Hindu terrorist Subhash Chandra Bose.

negi · Post by **negi** » 23 Jan 2013 12:41

Sir above can be even posted in Indian interests thread; GoI's stand kind of resonates with that.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 Jan 2013 12:54

Anujan wrote:Today is the birthday of Hindu terrorist Subhash Chandra Bose.

For congress he was literally no less than a terrorist.

partha · Post by **partha** » 23 Jan 2013 12:54

http://tribune.com.pk/story/497805/japa ... -projects/

Japan may provide ‘yen loan’ for Thar power projects

What's the Japanese word for denied?

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 Jan 2013 13:01

Sanjay Barua singing Man Mohan chalisa. But I agree on one thing. Pakistan perfectly knows MMS red line. That is why they did 26/11 and got away with it.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 23 Jan 2013 13:13

partha wrote:http://tribune.com.pk/story/497805/japa ... -projects/

Japan may provide ‘yen loan’ for Thar power projects
What's the Japanese word for denied?

I think Japan must ask Pakistan to take a clear stand favoring Japan on certain disputed Islands in the Pacific in return for a small loan off whatever price which can be negotiated with the Pakis.

My my no loan from tallen and deepen than friends or Al Saud?????

The H&D devastation to Chinese drones will be devastating.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 23 Jan 2013 13:36

Anujan wrote:Today is the birthday of Hindu terrorist and fascist extremist leader Subhash Chandra Bose.

There, corrected.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Jan 2013 13:43

Anujan wrote:Today is the birthday of Hindu terrorist Subhash Chandra Bose.

A few days back it was Swami Vivekanand's and the self-proclaimed National newspaper, which is in the forefront of establishing the moral equivalence through beheading, printed an utterly despicable article that accused the Swamijii of displaying a masculinity that is the root cause of rapes in our country today. We have to develop a unified field theory correlating such abject depictions of a great Hindu and nationalist leader, repeated attempts to appease Pakistan, unwillingness to protect Indian sovereignty and now the mantra of moral equivalence on terrorism. There is certainly an underlying thread running through all these.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 23 Jan 2013 16:05

Ss please include the ram is a myth court declaration and the Stalinist rapist goons attempt to take down Ramdev with false allegations of adulterated medicines...

It fits a pattern...what we are witnessing is nothing adjust of a pogrom to destroy India by destroying dharma...

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 23 Jan 2013 18:13

Pakistanis coming into India should not only be vaccinated for polio but for the entire suite of vaccines. This should be either done at airport before departure or via selected doctors / hospital within that country no other proof should be accepted.

Punjab measles death toll rises to nine

The outbreak of the disease in Punjab comes as Sindh continues to battle the epidemic which has claimed over 200 lives in the southern province.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 23 Jan 2013 18:15

yeah right inflation is the top problem. Killing of few hundred pakis everyday is just a sideshow
inflation-top-problem-of-pakistan-survey

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 23 Jan 2013 19:04

With all due respect to MMS's side-kick Sanjau Baru, MMS has no red lines. As I mentioned the first day MMS took office several years back, he has a "South Asian" vision, not an Indian vision. So his so called red line looked at from India's PoV is non existant. I like SreenivasnJi's analysis on current TSP game plan (which we know on BR), look benign through this piss process, but continue its scheming under a benign cover. The other thing he decodes well is this subterfuge that many India peddle that there is any difference between so calleed TSP civilians and army when it comes to India. They all have a visceral hatred as even a pathological WKK as Outlook's VinodJi admits.

So where do we go from here? Like SSji, I am very pessimistic. Only a true nationalist govt, and a people showing some pride can reverse the course. But the deck is heavily stacked against a nationlistic India: TSP, its 3.5, WKKs, RNIs, and above all a population in India that is trying to make ends meet and hence cannot come around to accepting that some sacrifice is needed to take on this terrorist state.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 23 Jan 2013 19:52

Officials: Polio virus found in Egypt linked to Pakistan

Two sewage samples from Cairo were analyzed and found to resemble a recently discovered strain in the Pakistani city of Sukkur, a joint statement by health officials, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said.

Rajdeep · Post by **Rajdeep** » 23 Jan 2013 20:33

Raja Bose wrote:
Anujan wrote:Today is the birthday of Hindu terrorist and fascist extremist leader Subhash Chandra Bose.
There, corrected.

You are missing the word Zionist onlee

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 23 Jan 2013 20:35

SSridhar wrote: We have to develop a unified field theory correlating such abject depictions of a great Hindu and nationalist leader, repeated attempts to appease Pakistan, unwillingness to protect Indian sovereignty and now the mantra of moral equivalence on terrorism. There is certainly an underlying thread running through all these.

SSridhar garu,

Rajiv Malhotra and others have laid the foundations for such a unified field theory. His focus is more on social and philosophical aspects of the assault on India, but the framework he has generated is very robust and certainly applicable to political situations as well. I would say it's worth building on in this direction.

If you have not already done so, I strongly recommend reading his books "Breaking India" and "Being Different", and perhaps viewing some of his videos on the breakingindia youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/BreakingIndia?feature=watch

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Jan 2013 20:43

Rudradev, thanks. Will do.