Round The World

New Delhi, 2 May 2025

Pahalgam & Pakistan

CONNECTING THE DOTS

By Prof(Dr) D.K. Giri

(Professor of Practice, NIIS Group of Institutions) 

In a conference in Hyderabad on 24 and 25 April, I was asked by a fellow academic from Japan, if India was going to retaliate against Pakistan. I asked her a counter-question if some innocent tourists were killed anywhere in Japan by terrorists, what would have Tokyo done?  She was evasive. But she seemed to persuade me that New Delhi should not take military action against Pakistan. That apart, to attack or not attack is the question I wouldlike to evaluate here. 

The issue of military confrontation is engaging the thinking of the Indian strategists, observers, onlookers and world leaders. The last segment of stakeholders is concerned mainly because of the perilous prospect of use of nuclear weapons possessed by both countries. Let us evaluate this option or threat already issued by Pakistani media and leadership.  

Since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki episodes, nukes have not been used by any country for over seven decades. Use of nukes spells disasters for the entire world including those who unleash it. So, nukes were conceived as deterrents, not for actual use in years. Now, since the applicability of nukes is the remotest, even the deterrent effect is minimal. But one cannot rule it out by megalomaniacs, autocrats, rogue states and suicidal and self-destructive forces. One could rely on the collective wisdom of the world leadership, at least in their self-interest, to prevail upon the nuclear powers to desist from its use. If, in this case, the world leaders fail to prevent their client states, and allies, may God save this planet. 

That said, what should New Delhi do? Should it take on Pakistan! But let us refine this formulation and make it politically correct. That is, India is not declaring a war on Pakistan. India has never invaded any country. The Prime Minister had urged the Russian president that he should negotiate with Ukraine as it is not the age of war. What he meant was that there are other options and organisations that can help resolve conflicts without resorting to war. At the same time, he supported the right of Israelis to protect their citizens even if it meant going after Hamas wherever they are and destroying their terrorist infrastructure. This is the fate and option that have befallen India. 

Many may contest the parallel between the 22 April massacre at Pahalgam and 7 October mayhem by Hamas in Israel. It is just because of the history of the controversial conflict between Israel and Palestine. But if you look only at these two pathetic events, the action-reaction continuum in both cases is comparable. New Delhi has the right and legitimacy to hunt down the terrorist manufacturing agencies and infrastructure in Pakistan. Pahalgam is not one-off incident, there has been a history of Pakistan sponsoring terrorism in India. Not only that, Pakistan is also the terrorist hub of the world. Former President General Musharraf had openly admitted that numerous terrorists of all shades operate from Pakistan. Osama bin Laden was sheltered there. 

Unless the Pakistani army dismantles the terrorist infrastructure and transparently delinks from terrorism, Pakistan is a target. India has been impressing upon the world that Pakistan should be pressed to stop breeding and harbouring terrorists. But the world leadership has not responded as they should have asked no country could be immune to this menace. On the contrary, vested interests like China have shielded Pakistan and its terrorists. 

So, what should New Delhi do? It has to do the cleaning up on its own. Israel did not wait for World support before it went after Hamas. Why should New Delhi wait? Yes, we have a big adversarial neighbour, China who is building up Islamabad to needle India. It is an open secret. But China dare not support Pakistan in a war situation. Beijing is too shrewd to that. Also,Beijing is capable of betraying anyone. Unlike the USA, China's strength is its world economy role not military. It did not support Russia, its for-ever-friend. 

New Delhi will have to take on Pakistan at all fronts including military to cut off its tentacles tainted with hatred, deviousness and terrorism. New Delhi need not work hard to prove that Pahalgam bloodshed was engineered by Pakistan. 

On the other hand, the nasty narrative propagated by Pakistan is that it is the handiwork of the BJP government to consolidate Hindu votes. It is a travesty. But if the BJP government does not take retaliatory action, the allegation may stick, especially when some Indians also have attributed it to a electoral strategy. 

Finally, India sits on a high moral ground, uses an ethical compass to navigate in global geopolitics. That will still be intact if it goes after terrorists who spill innocent blood. So, it is time the elephant shows its wild side to terrorism. 

Having said that, like Lord Krishna advised in Mahabharata, that the war should be the last resort. One should try all avenues prior to lifting the gun. India's immediate purpose is to get Pakistan to agree to stop sending terrorists to Indian soil and then consistently denying its hand. Why Islamabad is not clamping down on terrorist outfits. So, if New Delhi can force Pakistani hand to withdraw from terrorism, and violating the ceasefire, and to forgo adventurism like Kargil, then military action may not be necessary.  

The war cry in the country as "yudhamDehi (we want war) is emanating from exasperation and frustration with the Pakistani army and the government. The Indian public is more understanding and accommodative. This agitation will subside if Pakistan is brought around. Pakistan should be made to forget Kashmir and return POK. This is indeed a big ask. But this is the only way to peace and stability in the region. 

Admittedly, Pakistan will not give away POK. And Pakistan does not exist without lighting and stoking the fire in Kashmir. Pakistani leadership vows 5000 years of conflict with India on Kashmir. So, India is back to square one. Make diplomatic moves to counter and isolate Pakistan. Tried, tested and exhausted. There will always be leaders like Xi Jinping and Erdogan who will prop up a failed state like Pakistan. So, India has to carry its own cross. Cowing down Pakistan to stop its nefarious actions against India is New Delhi's call. It is the call of Atmanirbhar Bharat.---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)