1 week Ago By Dr Qaisar Rashid
War is fought in the mind and not on the battlefield. This adage kept clinging to the thoughts of mortals for a long time, until a new phrase was popularised: It is not the soldier that fights a war, it is the economy that battles. The Pahalgam incident is condemned.
On 22 April, it was a massacre of twenty-seven innocent tourists who were on a sightseeing visit to the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, situated in the Indian-administered Kashmir. Reportedly, some organisation called The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the assault. In the incident, India sees a hand of Pakistan, which dismisses the allegation.
Tensions were bound to escalate and they did. In the heat of fury, both neighbours forgot that they could make a joint investigation team to find out the suspected terrorists. Sounding the trumpet of war may serve to soothe the anger, but it may not work for a long time.
Another such incident would bring both the countries again to the verge of confrontation. Leghari terms India’s Indus Water Treaty suspension statement childish, illegal The point is simple: guns are expensive to buy nowadays. The cost is paid by the economy.
Pakistan’s economy is in the doldrums, overly relying on foreign loans. On 30 September 2024, Pakistan’s total external debt and liabilities reached US$133.455 billion, as per the report of the State Bank of Pakistan.
Nobody knows how these will be paid. The written ceasefire agreement of November 2003 between India and Pakistan over the Line of Control (LoC) and the working boundary has been a blessing for Pakistan to find a reason to curtail running expenditures. Pakistan relocated its army to the western border.
Now, if the agreement is annulled, the mere movement of troops – not to say fighting a war – from the western to eastern border would cost Pakistan a lot financially. On the other hand, though India has gathered substantial foreign currency reserves over the years to sustain a war, any limited conflict is bound to take a toll on its financial reserves. India’s economy may suffer a setback, if missiles are exchanged.
Gas blast claims one life, five injured It should not be overlooked that the haste and hubris with which events flew on 5 August 2019 spoke volumes for the future of India’s part of Kashmir. Since 1947, Kashmir had been enjoying the status of a disputed territory recognised by the United Nations (UN) under various resolutions and also by India under the Simla Agreement of 1972. These were all slighted by just one stroke of the pen which annulled Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution.
By so doing, India consumed the autonomy of its part of Kashmir, and violated the conditions laid down in the Instrument of Accession. Was it fair to the Kashmiris, for whom India contested a case in the UN? Whether or not Pakistan was party to the dispute, India overlooked the fact that it disrespected the people of Kashmir. India desecrated the sentiments of the Kashmiris.
India betrayed them. That is, in an effort to discourage Pakistan, India condemned the Kashmiris. Hence, resentment was bound to fester amongst the Kashmiris.
Risk of heat stroke increases due to severity of weather No doubt, the perpetrators of the Pahalgam incident must be apprehended and handed down an exemplary punishment, but India must address the concerns of the Kashmiris. Interestingly, amongst the Kashmiris (as a broader identity) are the Muslims who were mostly the political followers of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who gave India a foothold in Kashmir. By preparing the ground for upending the Dogra monarchy, by rejecting the two-nation theory, and by attending India’s first Constituent Assembly, Abdullah helped Jawaharlal Nehru secure the will of the Kashmiris.
Speeches of and documents signed by both Abdullah and Nehru, who were conjoined twins by their shared Pandit ancestry, are testaments to the bonhomie. Unfortunately, by its actions, the incumbent political leadership of India has disrespected both Abdullah and Nehru. The point is simple: Delhi shirks following principles, but it asks Srinagar to be a conformist.
From the womb of this uneven relationship, the rise of disgruntled elements offers little surprise. DC Khanewal says maintaining cleanliness, hygiene is district’s top priority Years ago, there used to be a concept of Kashmiri nationalism (Kashmiriyat) which was dipped in secularism, and which was opposed to the idea of Muslim separatism. This concept even kept the Kashmiri Muslims aloof from Pakistan.
Against the background of the Pahalgam incident, India must look into the reasons for the vanishing spirit of Kashmiriyat, which had otherwise transcended all religions. Today, India enjoys an international clout bigger than Pakistan’s. The size of India’s economy may accommodate war.
India has also invested heavily in its part of Kashmir. Nevertheless, India must think where it has failed to win over the hearts and minds of the local Kashmiris. What makes them estranged and unvocal? Unfortunately, India is quick to blame Pakistan.
India has also announced plans to rescind certain bilateral agreements with Pakistan. A wise India could have asked Pakistan to extend a helping hand to investigate the Pahalgam incident jointly. By not being wise and by being harsh, India has invited an unnecessary problem not only for itself but also for Pakistan.
The politico-economic cost of India’s indiscretion will be borne by the people of both countries. India has unwisely empowered such incidents to dictate their terms to bilateral relations. DC directs strict crackdown against overloaded vehicles in City The Pahalgam incident oozes a heart-wrenching story.
Assassinating innocent tourists in cold blood requires considerable savagery. Pictures of certain youth, purportedly assassins, are making the rounds. The youth cannot be so callous and indurate.
India must also investigate: what has made the youth resort to such butchery? Dr Qaisar Rashid The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at [email protected] Tags: fighting war a.
