Author: Editorial
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: October 17, 2001
The 'punitive action' taken by the
Indian army against Pakistani positions in Kashmir shows how the wheel
is coming full circle in the region. Although the shelling by the Indian
side cannot be put in the category of 'hot pursuit', an idea which has
long been aired on this side of the border, it nevertheless underlines
how India's patience is wearing thin. This is for the first time since
the beginning of the proxy war by Pakistan that the Indians have decided
to hit at the staging posts on the other side of the Line of Control. It
undoubtedly represents an escalation of sorts and one hopes that the government
has taken into account all the implications of the move. The provocation
apparently was the infiltration of terrorists in the Mendhar sector. But
whereas India has preferred till now to deal with the subversives after
they had entered, it has now evidently decided to target those Pakistani
positions which help the militants to cross over.
Considering that even during the
Kargil conflict, India had resisted the temptation of crossing the LoC,
confining even the air attacks to our side of the border, the latest action
denotes a dramatic departure from past policy. What may have paved the
way for it is the belief that, notwithstanding Pakistan's preoccupation
elsewhere, it will not desist from persisting with its proxy war in Kashmir.
As much was evident from the fidayeen attack on the legislative building
in Srinagar by the Jaish-e-Mohammed. What is more, the links between this
terrorist outfit (now banned by the US) and the Al-Qaeda have since come
to light. The revelation that one of those released by India at the time
of the Kandahar hijack had sent money to Mohammed Atta, who was involved
in the attack on the twin towers in New York, emphasised how wide the terror
network is.
Evidently, India can no longer afford
to make it easy for the terrorists to enter Kashmir at will because of
our respect for the LoC. The need to remind Pakistan that, in future, it
will have to pay for its abetment of terrorism has become all the greater
after the Al-Qaeda included Kashmir as one of the areas on its agenda.
For Pakistan, the cosy period when it coddled the Taliban and fomented
trouble in India is clearly over. As the religious extremists turn on their
former patrons in Pakistan, the Musharraf regime must realise that it cannot
pretend to oppose terrorism in the West while encouraging it in the East.
To save itself from the monster which it has created, Pakistan will have
to disown - in word and deed - the proxy war it has waged in Kashmir for
over a decade. Otherwise, its present internal difficultiesc will be compounded
by external factors.
