Author: M.V. Kamath
Publication: Afternoon Despatch & Courier
Date: July 28, 2006
URL: http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=editorials&xfile=July2006_mediawatch_standard152&child=mediawatch
Introduction: No newspaper has the courage
to say that India must mount an attack on Pakistan even at the risk of a nuclear
holocaust
The July 11 bomb blasts in suburban passenger
trains in Mumbai significantly enough did not end up in communal riots, especially
considering that someone - everyone is free to guess who - sought to deface
the bust of the late Mrs. Thackeray. It may be taken for granted that there
is a clear connection between the two acts though the Shiv Sena wisely did
not take the second opportunity to initiate a communal riot.
That said, the media has no clue about the
terror released in Mumbai by unnamed terrorists but when Pakistan's Foreign
Minister Khurshid Kasuri links Mumbai attacks with lack of progress in the
resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the culprits can be easily identified as
Pakistani supported Islamic terrorists.
The editorials in most of the English media
are insipid though 'The Times of India' (July 13) gathered enough courage
to say that "New Delhi has to signal that if it gets no satisfaction
on sanctuary to terror groups (in Pakistan) it, in turn, is fully prepared
to exploit Islamabad's vulnerabilities".
'The Hindu' (July 13) ran a lengthy - full
two-column lecture on what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should do such as
leveraging "growing international outrage to compel Pakistan to deliver
on its repeated promises to end terrorism directed at India".
Futile lecturing
This kind of lecturing is futile. 'The Hindu'
later realised it when it wrote that "it is possible that no level of
international pressure will deliver the results India seeks" and that
"pro-jihadist elements in Pakistan's military establishment might believe
that the defiance of United States edicts by Iran and North Korea demonstrates
that there are limits to the West's coercive powers and that in any case the
jihad against India can be pursued at no great cost". That is the truth,
but then what should India do?
No newspaper has the courage to say that India
must mount an attack on Pakistan even at the risk of a nuclear holocaust.
Pakistanis understand only one thing: muscle power. One can't negotiate with
barbarians. Fancy the priests in Somnath Temple calling for a round table
conference with Ghazni Mohammad prior to his sacking the temple.
'The Times of India' said that first the government
"has to apprehend and punish those responsible for conceiving and executing
the crime" as if the criminals will present themselves at Esplanade Police
Court in Mumbai. Second, it said, it must stand fast against attempts at stoking
communal violence and lastly it added that Islamabad must be told that if
gruesome attacks like 7/11 continue, they would place intolerable strain on
the peace process. One would presume that he is not that stupid to realise
that.
'Deccan Herald' said that "surveillance
cameras must be installed in Mumbai's railway stations and other transit points".
How would that help?
'The Pioneer' (July 13) wanted to know whether
the UPA regime have the courage to confront jihadis. "Only an effete
and irresolute government will limply suggest that the people must fight and
win the battle against Islamic terrorism while those in power wring their
hands in abject despair". Well said.
Mumbaikars don't need Dr. Manmohan Singh's
advice. Said 'The Pioneer': "The general and foot soldiers of jihad know
that with a pusillanimous regime in New Delhi a government that believes its
policy of non-action against terrorism can be encashed for votes at the time
of elections, they are on a winning streak".
Obviously, in a secular country Pakistani
thugs and their paid agent in India can kill hundreds of people without fear.
Secularism is another word for cowardice.
The next day 'The Pioneer' told the Indian
government how Israel reacts when its security interests are at stake. But
what can one tell a secular government that secularism doesn't mean turning
a blind eye to Islamic terrorism? We follow a practice of political self defeat
said a lead article on 'Pioneer's edit page.
On July 15 'The Pioneer' had a lead story
on its front page that said that there were 24 armed 'fidayeen' engaged in
the crime and that seven well armed fidayen freely entered Churchgate station
within a short span of time.
Editorially the paper blamed the Congress
because it helped SIMI to recover and regroup. "The Prime Minister and
his Home Minister owe an explanation to the nation as to why the ban imposed
on SIMI on September 27, 2001 by the NDA government was allowed to lapse.
Worth reading is an article by Balbir Punj that appeared in 'The Pioneer's
edit page entitled 'Vadodara to Bhiwandi'.
A frontpage headline in 'Hindustan Times'
(July 13) said: "India growls at Pak, but won't bite". That said
it all. Editorially, the paper said: "These are times when you want to
say the hell with political correctness and demand an eye for an eye".
That, may it be said, is the demand of all decent Indians barring our secularists.
The paper added: "When you see your near
and dear ones blown apart, your fellow citizens killed or maimed for life,
praise for your spirit and sense of calm mean little. This is something the
government needs to understand clearly".
While all this is going on, Mr. Arjun Singh
is asking for reservations for Muslims. The man says the most atrocious things
but goes undisciplined. When will we get a government in Delhi which has courage
enough to tell Pakistan that its nuclear weapons notwithstanding, India will
react strongly if further mischief, howsoever minor, is repeated? But believe
it or not, all that Sitaram Yechury, the communist could say, also in 'Hindustan
Times' is to blame the BJP for "whipping up" communal passions.
Why doesn't he blame Vir Sanghvi, a secularist, for his editorial?
The other charge made by Comrade Yechury is
that the UPA government is changing India's independent policy to make it
"dovetail into the US's global strategic interests".
Comrades listening?
If that be so, why don't the Leftists withdraw
their support to the UPA government? The Communists want to have their cake
and eat it too. We are living in a world of sick politics. But we are now
told that the bombers and their backers have been identified. Joke. Does one
need to be told that it was the ISI that was behind the bombing and that the
operations were conducted by 'Indian operatives'?
How many more innocent lives need to be killed
for our secularists to wake up and assert India's self-respect? Israel knows
how to deal with thugs.
'The Hindu' (July 17) carried an Op-Ed article
by a Pakistani social science researcher called Foqia Sadiq Khan blaming India
for not breaking free of its "fossilised realpolitik" and effectively
addressing "issues of justice such as suppression of people in Kashmir".
So, as always, India is wrong.
