The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, has stated that war between India and Pakistan should only take place if it is unavoidable. He is absolutely right, even though he may have political reasons to say so. Pakistan needs to be punished but there is more than one way of doing so without collateral damage. In fact, the BJP leaders criticising Siddaramaiah should remember what Prime Minister Modi stated not so long ago – “this is not the time for war” – in the context of the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine.
It should not be that five terrorists have the power to trigger a war between two nuclear armed neighbours. Pakistan has to be punished for using terror as a weapon against India but in an effective and clinical way. India has already been implementing a strict policy that has hurt Pakistan in numerous ways. It must continue with these successful tactics, even enhance them – as has been done with the ‘abeyance’ of the Indus Water Treaty. The government is also using the fallout of the incident to crack down hard on over ground activists in J&K in ways that would have been difficult to adopt in normal times – such as demolition of terrorists’ homes. The Pahalgam incident has evoked a strong sentiment within J&K against terrorist acts and that, too, should be utilised to build up resistance against Pakistan’s misdeeds and propaganda.
The first priority is to track down the perpetrators of terrorism and identify their Pakistani sponsors. It is they who must be made to pay. In this context it may be noted that, according to some reports emanating from Pakistan, the families of senior generals, including that of the Army Chief, have already been sent off to the UK and USA to escape a possible war. Those responsible for putting Pakistan in jeopardy are thereby admitting their guilt.
After punishing the perpetrators, the next goal should be that of awakening the people of Pakistan to how they are being exploited by the elite, particularly the military establishment. It is not that they are not aware, but they should experience the pain that continuing down the present road will eventually cause. This requires a nuanced approach from India and, at some point, if it requires an armed conflict, so be it. But it should not be just because emotions are running high and need to be vented. Remember, “Revenge is a dish best served cold!”
