I realize a lot of people are upset because of prior incidences, particularly the Kargil war. Rest assured, i personally ascribe to the theory that the best predictor of the future is the past. However, we have to realize a few things here.
1. We have to make peace with Pakistan. Pak has been a burden to us for 60 years now. And if we have to make a few concessions here and there then so be it. We have more pressing concerns. Futhermore, we have to see Pakistan's point of view on this too. Making peace with us and riding the coat tails of our economic success is integral to their survival of the near future. If they don't do this now, they are finished. Musharraf himself has realized that fighting India is a lost cause especially as we get more powerful by the day.
2. Let us not confuse compromise with complacency. Even if we demilitarize Siachen, we better keep a very close watch with our satellites, UAVs and recon aircrafts. We see so much as a twitch on the other side we should move in lock stock and gunbarrell. And I hope we stay vigilant. That imho is the most important lesson we should learn from the Kargil war. Let us not get caught napping, and this time around if we do have to seek a military solution, it should be done with the assistance of the airforce and laser guided technology from the get go so as to minimize our casualty rate.
But for now, I say we put our pride aside and do what is best for the country as a whole.
RE:Objectivity
by Setu Madhavan on Feb 09, 2007 11:00 PM Permalink
Aditya, you say 'we have to make peace with Pakistan' - that unwittingly gives away 'our subservience' to Pakistan. Remember 'they should also feel the need to make peace' with India.
They only evidence of sincerity from pakistan would be something 'concrete' in return. I am sorry kind words like 'we shall live happily ever after' make good fairy tales - just not in the context of Pakistan's intentions!
So how about getting them to move things on the ground - instead of just their tongues. Since our netas, babus and even thinkers like you who believe in 'give and give' and then use satellites to see how good pakistanis are, I have a few suggestions to make that we must GET from Pakistan before we GIVE an inch:
1. How about 'Handin over Dawood Ibrahim'! If we were not 'give and give rashtra' but the 'take and take' USA, they would bomb first and talk later.
2. How about Demolishing terrorist camps in POK. This is where we should use our Satellites pictures to get pakistan - show them the POK terrorist training camps (that Mushy calls 'Strategic assets of Pakistan') and tell them that till we are able to get pictures of demolished camps from our Satellites we will not pull one Jawan from Siachen. This is a better approach than running to USA and crying with them Satellite images in hand. After they demolish the camps any withdrawal from Siachen is not going to be unilateral, but conditional on NO Terror training camp ever coming up anywhere on Pakistan soil. The day we see any terror training in Pakistan is going to be the day we go back to Siachen - has to be an iron clad clause in Siachen. This way those Pakis have something to lose by training terrrorists.
3. How about returning our soliders captured during 1971 wars that are still languishing in Pakistan prisons. Remember because of the 'We have to make peace with Pakistan' mentality we gave away 93000 Pakistan soldiers without getting one in return in 1971.
4. Because Pakistan is a histroy sheeter, it can not be trusted. There fore using some diplomacy to get its big brothers like US to stake their reputations as well. Get an assurance that for India's kindness ' of getting to vacate' Siachen ( even after Pakisatn has agreed to our conditions) we want a commitment from Nations giving aid / arms to Pakis, that any future trangression into Siachen or any support to terrorism in any form - should necesarily stop the aid to pakistan from USA / Japan and other nations. This serves three important purposes - A. Greater leverage, or pressure over, pakistan to honor its commitments. B. We have greater bargaining power over those countries like US / Japan in future. C. More importantly, when it is time to hit back at Pak position in Siachen (Kargil2) or on terror camps in POK, these other countries will not be able to say NO to India.
