Apropos the Hindu ediotral Stop baying for blood:
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About the Hindu Editorial and its four points on why India should keep taking the beheading from TSP.
Four propositions must be clearly understood.
OK bring it on.
First, ever since General Parvez Ashfaq Kayani took office as Pakistan’s army chief in November 2007, his covert services and armed forces have engaged in a carefully calibrated escalation of hostilities — hoping to roll back the détente initiated in 2003, but also seeking not to invite international condemnation.
Gen Do Nothing has been trying to escalate against India hoping to rally the many divisive forces inside TSP. It is not to roll back the so called "detente" which was established due to, the much reviled even by the Hindu, Operation Parakaram. TSP promised not to send terrorists and India promised not to invade them.
Second, India has few military options to address this situation. The potential costs of war, and the risk of nuclear confrontation, far outweigh those of the low-grade conflict India now faces. India has covert and conventional means at its disposal which have been exercised — and could be exercised to greater effect. However, precipitating a crisis serves the interests of Pakistan’s generals — not Indians.
Not true. India has a whole gamut of military options from local conflict, attrition war, to naval embargo among others, which do not cross the so called TSP nuke redlines. Its only shrill commentators working for US & TSP interests that raise the bogey of nuke crisis everytime in order to scare India into submission. The mentality is better to be alive as a slave and take the beatings than to fighting for what is right. Its contrary to the national motto of "Satyameva Jayate" :Truth is victorious.
Third, denying visas to elderly Pakistanis or stopping hockey players from participating in Indian tournaments will not make our borders or our civilians safer. This is the behaviour of a spoilt child, not a strategic actor.
The US boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to show their anger at the FSU invasion of Afghanistan. The reason is it is duplitious to engage in sports and frivoulous activity while you are at state of undeclared war. More over it demoralises your fighting forces.
Fourth, real gains have been made since 2003, not the least a ceasefire and de-intensification of cross-border terrorism which has saved the lives of thousands of Indian soldiers. Nothing ought to be done to jeopardise this.
It is not the ceassefire that led to the de-intensification of cross-border terrorism but the very real threat of repeat of Operation Parakram that would finish TSP once and for all.
It was the constant disarming of the Indian armed forces by delayed procurements and constant cancellation of deals in pipeline which have reduced military readiness that have inspired TSP to break the ceasefire repeatedly as the statistics show over the last few years.
Further the promotion of fifth columnists in the media and civil society who peddle TSP propoganda like grandmother's tales gives aid and comfort to the TSP hardliners in and out of uniform.
Not every malaise has a cure; some can only be managed better or worse, and certainly not through indiscriminate blood-letting. India’s relationship with Pakistan is one of them.
India's relationship with TSP is not a malaise without a cure. The cure is to show and provide more than disproportionate retaliation like Operation Parakram to convince the TSP they cannot indulge in terrorism as a political tool.
And turn inwards. It was the massive mobilzation of Operation Parakram that turned the jihadi wave inwards into TSP and made them introspect and come to terms with the monster they have raised.
