Back on March 28, 2009 we had written in our Do Wolves Attack Sheep? article:
- “The only way to break this cycle is for India to go on the offensive and begin cross border limited attacks against terrorists in Pakistan. … Wolves are very smart animals; they never attack when they face a dangerous enemy and they always run away when they feel they are weaker. But, this is only possible when Indian society wakes up or a leader emerges in India that wakes up Indian Society from its sheep-like passive state“.
Last week we had written in our article Is PM Modi a Different Leader?
- “Is Narendra Modi this new leader? We think so.”
Today, we know so. For the first time since 1971, India has acted offensively in a measured way. And in this case, in pleasantly stark contrast to 1971, India has been supported by the world for its offensive orientation. Some of it is due to perception change about NaPakistan in America & Europe. But most of it is due to the brilliantly mature, steadfast & determined foreign policy posture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has been diligent in communicating to the world what he stands for and what his India will become in a few years. He has been brilliantly deft in building a strong relationship with America while maintaining the traditionally strong relationship with Russia in defense. He has kept his cool and managed to strike a smart deal with France on fighter planes. The entire world understands that Prime Minister is smart, mature & he will take India to a globally strong & responsible position.
He has been just as diligent in India’s neighborhood, something previous leaders neglected. Muslim Bangladesh is now an ally and Muslim Afghanistan is indeed an ally. Even Sri Lanka is now acceding to the obvious in contrast to its posture after the November 2008 attack on Mumbai. The neighbors trust PM Modi and want to be a part of India’s growth & power.
The near far of India is also in India’s corner including the two sworn enemies of each other – Saudi Arabia & Iran. PM Modi has deftly worked with both and leveraged his position as the largest buyer of energy in the world today. He has built a defense relationship with United Arab Emirates, traditionally India’s gateway to the Middle East.
This week he leveraged what he has done so far to completely isolate NaPakistan in the world. He achieved the cancellation of the Indian Subcontinent summit that was to take place inside NaPakistan. All other members – Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka – cancelled their participation after India announced its cancellation.
And all this was after he instructed the Indian Army to launch retaliatory & pre-emptive strikes on terrorist camps across the line of control into territory held by NaPakistan. This was similar to & different from the cross-border raid on terrorist camps inside Myanmar. It was similar in political determination, military execution, and success. But India took pains to tell the world that the strike inside Myanmar came with the permission of the Myanmar government.
This time India made it clear that the raids inside NaPak held territory were against & inspite of the support provided by NaPak military to the terrorists. The scope of the raids was measured in its scale and a one-off event in retaliation to the attack on Indian military base in Uri. India also made it clear that it was ready to meet any escalation by NaPak.
This entire political-military exercise was smartly conceived & so superbly executed that the only alternative left for NaPak was to deny the raid had ever taken place.
Despite all the above, PM Modi has not burnt the bridges he has tried to build with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of NaPakistan. In fact, the cross-LOC strike might end up giving Sharif a stronger hand against the rogue NaPak military-ISI complex. Both Sharif & NaPak rogue military know that they cannot survive against Indian military especially if they are politically & diplomatically isolated from the world including the Sunni Muslim middle east.
Now imagine if the next President of the United States decides to allow Indian military to operate from Jalalabad & Bagram air bases in Afghanistan. And imagine if PM Modi inspires or encourages Iran to conduct their own cross-border raids into Baluchistan to take out anti-Iran terrorists operating from there. This is unlikely now but quite possible in the next 4-5 years especially if Indian economy remains the largest growing economy in the world and so an attractive investment opportunity for American, European & Saudi-Emirates-Kuwaiti capital.
All the above is due to Prime Minister Modi. But it isn’t enough & it could prove fleeting unless Indian society changes.
1. Will Indians Change?
The sad reality is that Indians are selfish, self-centered and do not care much about anything else. The old tenet is that every Indian family wants their neighbor’s children to become fighter-leaders for India but insist on their own children being government servants. That is why artists, cricket players & other businessmen from NaPakistan find it ridiculously easy to come into India, make money in India & still remain totally supportive of terrorism against India.
We were delighted, therefore, to see the Cricket Control authorities in India refuse to play NaPak cricket team either bilaterally or in global tournaments. This is a huge step because India-NaPak cricket matches have been a huge draw for people on both sides. So this step by Indian Cricket Board is against their own financial interests. But it is a principled, smart & correct stand.
And it is more likely to turn public opinion inside NaPak against their support of terrorism. A cricket match between India & NaPak is the ONLY vehicle for the common people in NaPak to get some self-respect. If the world cricket body isolates NaPak cricket team, it would be a devastating blow to their psyche. But that can ONLY happen if the Indian people stand up with their Cricket authorities & say no to any cricket relationship with that terrorist regime.
To do so would also require Indians to stand up against the most pro-NaPak entity in India – Bollywood. Contrary to popular belief, Bollywood is not really Indian; it is culturally anti-Indian & pro-Napak. The language of Bollywood is still Urdu-dominated Hindi, Urdu, an Iranian derivative, being the official language of NaPakistan. Already, some Bollywood stars have come out in support of NaPak artists & cricket players working inside India & making money off of India.
It is important to understand a complete boycott of everything associated with NaPak is not only critical for India but actually beneficial for the people living inside NaPak. Because they are the ones held hostage by the rogue NaPak military. As the saying goes, other countries have militaries, but in NaPak, the military has a country. In other words, the officer class of NaPak military has mushroomed into a military-business complex with a stranglehold on that nation’s income and assets. It is actually a mini North Korea without the single family rule.
But we are not sure that the Indian people are either smart or determined to understand & achieve the isolation of NaPak. And unless they become so smart & determined, the efforts of PM Modi are unlikely to deliver the success they should.
So watch whether Indians as a society refuse to play cricket matches with NaPak and secondarily whether Indians as a society start boycotting the pro-NaPak elements inside Bollywood. If you see that, then you know Indian society has turned the corner from the past 1,000 years of servility.
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