Ashok Sarraff wrote:Going by how Modi operates, its not that Doval/Modi have been befooled--they are far too smart and experienced for this. It's more likely that they want to give a fair chance to Pakistan to mend its way before it is 'disciplined' by an external force.
We should understand this. It is certainly not that NM and AD are giving a 'fair chance' to the Pakistanis. This is an expected reaction, if at all it is true.Mind you, these recent revelations in the Indian MSM are attributed to quotes made by "sources" to Paki media. Hear-say whole squared!! And couple it with the state and questionable journalistic tradition of the Indian MSM of late!! It IS NOT an official statement. Be that as it may, even if this ends up becoming the official position, you can be rest assured this is one of the expected outcomes. And remember, there is another person playing this out besides NM and AD. Jaishankar. Do not forget him. And there are, I am sure, a few more - who cannot be named. That is all I have to say. [Added later: It IS A GIVEN that the Pakistanis WILL NOT change their ways. There is too much at stake for them in this, for them to change]
I have said this before and say this again: the invitation of the PJIT to Pathankot was not because NM and AD lost their spine somewhere along the way. Take that for what it's worth.
And please understand this: These are people (I am referring to NM and AD) who are not wet behind the ears and are certainly not newbies to political play. You HAVE to be seen to be doing something while some other things happen unseen. I am not talking about some super-hero escapades in the background or to some 'chanakyan theory'. It is the way the cookie has to crumble; is being made to crumble.
We, members of this august forum, wax eloquence about "strategy". Pray, tell me, when is 'strategy' ever a straight line between Point A and Point B?? The simplest analogy I can think of: Many of you, I presume, have played chess. From your opening move until check mate, how many of you play a game without losing any of your pieces?????? Sometimes you lose a rook or a horse, other times you lose a pawn. But the one thing in your mind is: the end game. The check-mate.
Would it be too much to ask if I were to ask you to look at this as a chess game? Multiplied exponentially because of the many other state interests involved in this; the U.S and the whole three-and-a-half (BRF nomenclature) lot. Where some of the pieces that you move impact pieces outside of your board..and the pieces that move in some other person's (in this case, a state's) board impact your moves!
I am sure some of you manage lines of business in the domain you are specialists in. How many times have you personally experienced your own strategy as a straight line from Point A to Point B? And when you took decisions, be it lay-offs or walking away from a deal (how so ever such a temporary move hurt you personally), how would it feel if your team just lampooned you, walked away in a huff or talked you down in front of the C-suite?
Don't get so dis-heartened and assume that the short term moves are the longer term trend. Stay the course. The end game is what is important. We will encounter losses on the way. But in the larger interest of securing this civilisation, and this nation, it is but a small price to pay.
