The present Indian government, which is a coalition of three extremist Hindu parties Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the major player Bharatya Janta Party (BJP), fanatically took the post-September 11 global conditions as the war against Muslims rather than against terrorism.

The extremist Indian rulers found the situation as an opportunity to launch a campaign against Muslims in general and against Kashmiris in particular to accomplish their fanatic manifesto. Even before the U.S. could ask India for help, India bluntly and unconditionally offered its bases and logistical support to U.S. 

The Indian government, consecutively, tried to publicise its internal calamities as terrorist acts by ISI of Pakistan, Kashmiri militants or Al-Qaeda and held Pakistan responsible for every chaos in India.

The Attack on the Indian parliament, bomb blasts on army personnel and Anti-Muslim ethnic violence in Gujarat were proclaimed by the Indian leadership as a result of cross-border terrorism by Pakistani backed Islamic militants and ISI.

While U.S.-led forces countering terrorism around the world – which has yet been an operation only against Muslim extremists around the world – the Indian Hindu government seemed it as an adventurous epoch to instigate its uni-focused agenda of suppressing the voice of those who are resisting for their civil liberty in so-called secular India. Taking advantage of post September 11 global torments on Islamic activists by the U.S. and its western allies the Indian government’s intentions are crystal clear.

(1) Eradicate Kashmiri freedom fighters on the name of combating against terrorism
(2) Suppress the voice of the Indian Muslims - the largest minority - by banning Islamic groups, institutions and missionaries running in India
(3) Exploit Pakistan’s situation on its western border – accuse Pakistan of being involved in cross-border terrorism and harbouring terrorists - pressurise the world powers to force Pakistan to withdraw from the support to the Kashmiri freedom fighters.

However, looking into the upshots of Indian blinkered policies one can boldly say that Indian policy makers botched in accepting realities even-handedly. For example; judging the outlined Indian goals with the outcome India is gaining, one can easily reach the conclusion that narrow-minded decision-makers in the Indian government could not analyse the facts that any action which will spoil Pakistan will not be appreciated by the western capitals, at this stage.

The reasons are pretty simple that:
(1) the US and its allies would not be in a position to take one sided stand on Kashmir as long as they are engaged themselves in Afghanistan (especially) when Pakistan is their key-player in the Afghan operation
(2) Indian hostile action against Muslims could bring ghastly image of India particularly in the Arab (Muslim) world from where India earns substantial amount of its foreign exchange through Indian labour
(3) As long as the U.S possesses its interest in the region due to many simple reasons, the U.S. can not show its back to Pakistan.

India's dreams are broader. India keeps ambitions to grant a seat in Security Council, enhance its relations with the U.S, thrash China in the region and be recognised by the international community as a Chief of the South Asian region. Of course these dreams require the demonstrations of a great deal of responsibility, peace making efforts for the safety of the region and providing security to the other nations in the region. Contrary to what India needed; the present Indian government has come out with a rigid and hostile approach on its internal, territorial and regional issues.

Introducing POTO (Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance), ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), uncountable arrests of Muslim activists throughout India and in Kashmir are the series of acts of the present Indian government where the leadership openly blamed Muslims and used US-style hostile language accusing Islamic groups and machineries as terrorist organisations.

Pravin Togadiya, the secretary general of the extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) party said in a statement:

‘The Muslims have to be taught a lesson, once and for all.’

In addition, the attack on Indian parliament was also added into Pakistan ’s account with the demand of handing over a number of Islamic activists, objectively to prove to the world that Pakistan is a country breeding terrorists. Likewise, any logical mind can also understand the reasons of India ’s hysterical loudness on international forums accusing Pakistan on cross-border terrorism.

Indian policy makers comprehend that Osama Bin Laden, Mullah Omer and other Al-Qaeda & Taliban activists are still hiding somewhere in tribal territory on the western border of Pakistan. This could be the best time for the world to believe India's accusation on Pakistan being involved in exporting these elements into Kashmir. To further pressurise the world powers India has made a blunder in its game by deploying its half a million force alongside Pakistani border and started threatening to launch an attack on Pakistan. Yet, Indian plots could not get success in its goals.

The politics based on radicalism or fanaticism or on aggressions may lit up the fire within no time and heat-up the average minds hastily but can never flourish long and cannot survive in today’s integrated world. The world has seen incredible demonstration of emotional support to Osama throughout the Muslim world - and then what happened – when the bubbles settled down he could not find any room for his support in the world politics. Even now Bush is unable to retain the support from its coalition partners when he planned to launch an unjustified attack on Iraq.

The politics is a game of chess where one has to be well prepared for an attack and counter-attack. The high-pitch drastic and hostile statements from the responsible leadership, threats of attack on Pakistan, deployment of dangerous military arsenals with half a million armed forces , continuous gunfire on the line of control, yet could not frighten Pakistan instead brought the attention of the world powers on the alarming situation in the region. The entire drama made the situation favourable for Pakistan to engage the international community. That is exactly what Pakistan needed. Pakistan has been waiting for this so long to somehow involve the international community to resolve the Kashmir dispute on the basis of UN Security Council’s resolution. Pakistan knew that once the international powers would involve in the dispute, eventually, they will know the ground realities – it doesn’t matter how India propagates the issues at present.

Even the Indian opposition and the leftist are strongly condemning the ruling BJP and openly blaming the present government degrading India’s image internationally and providing more projection to the Kashmir issue as being an international issue.  

In April, the European Union (EU) has made a public declaration on Gujarat ’s anti-Muslim violence. The declaration said that:

“the carnage in Gujarat was a kind of apartheid...and has parallels with Germany of the 1930s”.

The declaration carried 15 signatures, including those of the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Belgium.

[object removed 8th October 2002]

On the top of Indian government’s wrong-track policies, India has consecutively been flattened by Musharraf’s visionary diplomacy on every front. India faced the first shock when Musharraf decided to be a part of the US-led coalition and Pakistan received high price from the world powers on Musharraf’s government positive steps on the crises with monetary and political gains.

Contrary to Indian hostile attitude, the international community has been observing the positive, co-operative and sensible attitude of Pakistani leadership from Agra summit to SAARC conference in Kathmandu and now in Almaty.

At the same time, Musharraf is keeping, very ingeniously, his offensive attitude on Indian threats to retain the dignity and support of its nation. Internally Pakistani leadership is getting unanimous support on dealing with India contrary to disparities within the Indian political elites and in the public. The recent 3-day demonstration of different range of nuclear capable missiles by Pakistan watered on Indian threats of war. Whenever Musharraf talks about peace and dialogue with India he also asserts to teach a lesson to India if war is thrust on Pakistan.

In his recent statement in Almaty conference, Musharraf said:

"We have stated repeatedly that instead of accusations, threats and dangerous escalation, India should return to the path of dialogue and negotiations, which is the only sane option, especially in the dangerous environment of South Asia . However if war is thrust on us we will respond with utmost might".

Today, India is  found in too much pressure internally and from the international community. The pressure of international community on India can be estimated by looking the recent conflicting statements of Prime Minister Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes. In Almaty, Vajpayee proposed the idea of a joint-patrolling on the LoC in Kashmir. Rapidly, Fernandes disagreed with the idea by manipulating Vajpayee statement, he said, "It's not that the prime minister has made the proposal. He has only said "India would have to look at it”. 

The entire political game of India against Pakistan has brought India into a horrendous situation and has found itself trapped in its own plots.

Now:
(1) India cannot afford to attack Pakistan as the international community has already put-up so much pressure on India. The deployment of half a million arm forces for the last five months is already costing India enormously. The tourist and other foreigners are also leaving India which would damage India’s tourism industry very badly 

(2) India always refused to have any arbitration involving 3rd party mediation for the dialogue between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute. Now India's own strong supporter Russia is also pushing India to have dialogue with Pakistan and offered its mediation on the dispute – For which Musharraf very diplomatically accepted unconditionally.

(3) India always declined to allow international monitoring agencies and observers in Kashmir but now the threats of war - initiated by India - put huge pressure on India to open the channels for international observers. These have made-up the things more complicated for India.Whatever India sow for others it is now reaping for itself. 

Syed Atiq ul Hassan
Freelance Journalist / Political Analyst.
Phone: 61-2-9707 1535, Fax: 61-2-9709 4867
P.O. Box: A1113, Sydney South NSW Australia.

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