Aftermath of the Uri Attacks - What India expects from PM Narendra Modi
- In Politics
- 11:46 AM, Sep 20, 2016
- Hemant Karandikar
The unprecedented attack on our Army base in Uri has a triggered a tsunami of anger. Indians are angry like never before. Irrespective of their political leanings they are demanding solid action and not just condemnations. They are deriding 'कडी निन्दा' kind of expressions. There are demands for making Pakistan pay heavily, punishing the perpetrators, breaking up Pak, and even annihilating it. Even PM Modi's die hard supporters are restive and are asking questions.
A poll by ET.com says 58% of Twitterati says India should avenge Uri with surgical strikes inside Pakistan while 35% say that Pakistan should be isolated globally.
Seasoned journalists like Minhaz Merchant are demanding 'Let guns talk' . Tufail Ahmad asks ' What about declaring Pakistan a terrorist state? '
After PM Modi's gambit of putting Pakistan in dock over human rights violations in PoK and Baluchistan, the Indians' expectations about action against Pakistan had swelled. The Uri attack comes as a severe jolt to us. A tsunami of anger is sweeping across India.
PM Modi had explained his Pakistan policy logically (For example in the Times Now Interview with Arnab Goswami) but now Indians are not in the mood for just explanations. His impromptu visit to Pakistan and bonhomie with Nawaz Sharif are haunting us.
And the world is busy with Syria and ISIS, the Bomb explosion in New York and the Emmy Awards.
This is India's own war. But we know that our defense preparedness has been seriously undermined by scams like Augusta Westland, Scorpene data leaks , and Embraer deal during the Congress's long misrule. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. These can fall in hands of terrorist outfits and Pakistan Government is not beyond a nuclear misadventure if one goes by its Defense Minister's statement. Are we ready for a nuclear war? A first strike?
The US and much of the West are not likely to let Pakistan suffer, not yet. Whom can we count on? Russia? Israel?
Common sense tells us that a military attack should be launched at a time and in the theater that suits us. It also needs to surprise and to shock the enemy.
What are our non-military options? The mood of India is that we should declare Pakistan as a terrorist state, snap diplomatic relations with it, expel its High Commissioner Abdul Basit and cut trade & travel relations with it.
We can guess that Pakistan is in the throes of its endgame. But do we know what should we do now and what we shouldn't do?
As common citizens we don't know the full reality, nor do we have competence to evaluate options and advise the government. But that isn't our mood now. We want action.
Were Manmohan Singh under Sonia Gandhi's control at the helm, we wouldn't have expected much. We would have gnashed our teeth and wallowed in our anger. But from PM Modi and his government our expectations are sky high. This is natural.
It is tough being PM Modi. He will have to weigh options carefully and execute plans meticulously. He will also have to do considerable political management. This is PM Modi's toughest test. We hope that he succeeds. We need to stand united and we should watch for enemies within.
We should stay angry for a long time.
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