12-29-2007, 01:36 AM
xpost
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>A dangerous situation </b>
Pioneer.com
India shouldn't remain indifferent to growing lawlessness in its neighbourhood, says Jaswant Singh
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a matter of sadness to the entire region, not just Pakistan. She represented a great Pakistani hope, which has gone with her. She carried with her the aspirations of the new generation of Pakistanis who desired to see the construction of the semblance of a civil society. One by one, the elements within Pakistan are themselves destroying all the possible support systems of a functional state.
<b>It takes many years of struggle for a party or a country to produce a leader of her stature, but only a minute to destroy</b>. Voices have been raised publicly that the responsibility rests on the present regime in Pakistan. While it is premature to comment on that, it is largely true that they surely carry the burden because in the ultimate analysis, the Government of the day must take the blame for an assassination of this magnitude.
Under the present circumstances, no election would be possible in January. But President Pervez Musharraf should not try to extract satisfaction from the situation arising out of the elimination of a democratic alternative. <b>We, in India, cannot shut our eyes to the dangerous developments as we are uniquely placed -- in the centre of gravity as it were -- with respect to our neighbours. So, it is naïve to work on the basis that what happens in any one of these countries does not affect India.</b>
<b>It is unfortunate that the National Security Adviser of the UPA Government had recently gone on record with certain views about Bhutto to the effect that she could not be "trusted" by India. This amounted to trivialising the role she was playing. Moreover, the NSA had chosen a television interview to make public what I assume was his Government's "character certificate" -- such a casual attitude was regrettable. </b>
<b>What further underscores New Delhi's apparent insistence on diminishing its own importance in the world was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's refusal to appear personally in public with his condolences, which ever global leader of any significance has done. Instead, he chose to speak through an aide</b>. <!--emo&:thumbdown--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>This is but manifestation of the UPA's totally incomprehensible foreign policy.</b> As I see it, its global outlook stands on two legs -- timid inaction and utter subservience to signals issued by Washington.
The first is manifested richly in our own neighbourhood, where the UPA Government chooses either not to react or meekly hang its policy on to the hooks of individuals. So, much like the United States which has patented such an approach (especially in South Asia), New Delhi too ends up in a blind alley.
<b>In Nepal we have ended up totally misreading the situation and, therefore, misapplying our efforts, losing, in the bargain, sight of our original historical responsibility towards that nation.</b> In Pakistan's case, there was an uncanny resemblance between our policy and that of Washington -- to structure everything around the person of Mr Musharraf. In addition, domestic vote-bank considerations play an important part of the UPA's external outlook configurations, often at variance with national security interests.
<b>The effect of American interference on our dealings with third countries is also quite apparent. Take for instance, the State Bank of India's recent step to close down operations in Iran, when China, Russia and even the Gulf countries refused to toe Washington's diktat.</b>
Bhutto reminded us of the need to look at Pakistan in a larger canvas. <span style='color:red'>Traditionally, India's dealings with Pakistan were either about lighting candles in Wagah or an extension of Punjabi Papiya-Japhiya </span> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â <b>There is need to recognise the aspirations of the larger Pakistani nation comprising Sindhis, Baluchs and other ethnic groups. We should not lose sight of the fact that Sindh is home to the largest Hindu concentration in Pakistan. That's another aspect about her passing that would be difficult to fill.</b>
Bhutto's tragic end should also serve to end the complacency of those who had buried their heads under sand about terrorism. Like Frankenstein, terrorism is now turning on its maker, the Pakistani establishment. The US-led 'war against terror' lacks conviction as it has got grounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pakistan is today the crucible of terrorism. Much like locusts in desert regions, terrorism respects no international borders, moves from field to field destroying all. In India, our response to terrorism has become blunted by domestic political motives. We must recognise that India has got to devise its own response to this evil.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>A dangerous situation </b>
Pioneer.com
India shouldn't remain indifferent to growing lawlessness in its neighbourhood, says Jaswant Singh
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a matter of sadness to the entire region, not just Pakistan. She represented a great Pakistani hope, which has gone with her. She carried with her the aspirations of the new generation of Pakistanis who desired to see the construction of the semblance of a civil society. One by one, the elements within Pakistan are themselves destroying all the possible support systems of a functional state.
<b>It takes many years of struggle for a party or a country to produce a leader of her stature, but only a minute to destroy</b>. Voices have been raised publicly that the responsibility rests on the present regime in Pakistan. While it is premature to comment on that, it is largely true that they surely carry the burden because in the ultimate analysis, the Government of the day must take the blame for an assassination of this magnitude.
Under the present circumstances, no election would be possible in January. But President Pervez Musharraf should not try to extract satisfaction from the situation arising out of the elimination of a democratic alternative. <b>We, in India, cannot shut our eyes to the dangerous developments as we are uniquely placed -- in the centre of gravity as it were -- with respect to our neighbours. So, it is naïve to work on the basis that what happens in any one of these countries does not affect India.</b>
<b>It is unfortunate that the National Security Adviser of the UPA Government had recently gone on record with certain views about Bhutto to the effect that she could not be "trusted" by India. This amounted to trivialising the role she was playing. Moreover, the NSA had chosen a television interview to make public what I assume was his Government's "character certificate" -- such a casual attitude was regrettable. </b>
<b>What further underscores New Delhi's apparent insistence on diminishing its own importance in the world was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's refusal to appear personally in public with his condolences, which ever global leader of any significance has done. Instead, he chose to speak through an aide</b>. <!--emo&:thumbdown--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>This is but manifestation of the UPA's totally incomprehensible foreign policy.</b> As I see it, its global outlook stands on two legs -- timid inaction and utter subservience to signals issued by Washington.
The first is manifested richly in our own neighbourhood, where the UPA Government chooses either not to react or meekly hang its policy on to the hooks of individuals. So, much like the United States which has patented such an approach (especially in South Asia), New Delhi too ends up in a blind alley.
<b>In Nepal we have ended up totally misreading the situation and, therefore, misapplying our efforts, losing, in the bargain, sight of our original historical responsibility towards that nation.</b> In Pakistan's case, there was an uncanny resemblance between our policy and that of Washington -- to structure everything around the person of Mr Musharraf. In addition, domestic vote-bank considerations play an important part of the UPA's external outlook configurations, often at variance with national security interests.
<b>The effect of American interference on our dealings with third countries is also quite apparent. Take for instance, the State Bank of India's recent step to close down operations in Iran, when China, Russia and even the Gulf countries refused to toe Washington's diktat.</b>
Bhutto reminded us of the need to look at Pakistan in a larger canvas. <span style='color:red'>Traditionally, India's dealings with Pakistan were either about lighting candles in Wagah or an extension of Punjabi Papiya-Japhiya </span> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â <b>There is need to recognise the aspirations of the larger Pakistani nation comprising Sindhis, Baluchs and other ethnic groups. We should not lose sight of the fact that Sindh is home to the largest Hindu concentration in Pakistan. That's another aspect about her passing that would be difficult to fill.</b>Bhutto's tragic end should also serve to end the complacency of those who had buried their heads under sand about terrorism. Like Frankenstein, terrorism is now turning on its maker, the Pakistani establishment. The US-led 'war against terror' lacks conviction as it has got grounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pakistan is today the crucible of terrorism. Much like locusts in desert regions, terrorism respects no international borders, moves from field to field destroying all. In India, our response to terrorism has become blunted by domestic political motives. We must recognise that India has got to devise its own response to this evil.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->