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Is war the only option to deal with Pak?
Is war the only option to deal with Pak?
By: Chandran Iyer
Date:
2008-12-04
Place: Pune
Former vice chief of Army staff Lt General (retd) Moti Dhar, who is part of the India-Pakistan Soldiers' Initiative for Peace, tells Chandran Iyer the options available with India
TOUGH TALK: Lt Gen (retd) Moti Dhar. PIC/ANIL NAIK
IN early 1999, to build a climate of peace between India and Pakistan and bolster people to people effort, a group of retired Indian armed forces personnel formed India-Pakistan Soldiers' Initiative for Peace (IPSIP).
One of the active members of IPSIP was former vice chief of Army Staff Lt General (retd) Moti Dhar met the then Pakistani President General Musharraf several times and discussed the Indo-Pak peace initiatives.
After the recent terrorist attack on Mumbai, war clouds are once again hovering between the two countries.
Dhar talks to MiD DAY's Associate Editor Chandran Iyer on various issues plaguing the two countries.
Is India becoming a soft target for terrorists? India has been facing terrorism since the last 25 years and it is progressively escalating. We have problem in the east, some of which we have controlled like in Mizoram, but it is still alive in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur. We face Naxalite threat in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and up to Nepal borders. Out of 600 districts in India, 60 districts are in the grip of Naxalite violence. Then we have insurgents in Kashmir. In the last 25 years nearly 62,000 people have died due to terrorism. Terrorism is not a new phenomenon for India.
What are the options before India? In my opinion India has three options. Attack Pakistan Going into war with Pakistan is easy considering that we are militarily superior. But the flip side is that Pakistan is a nuclear state. It knows very well that it cannot face the might of India. In desperation if it uses the nuclear option then the consequence could be devastating. Though India may be greater nuclear power, but if the battle escalates into nuclear war, then it could be catastrophic for both the countries. Tit-for-tat approach The intention of Pakistan has always been to bleed India because it knows that India is far superior in conventional war. So it has always been the policy of Pakistan army to attack India by sponsoring terrorism and insurgency. We can apply similar approach. Remember that there are lot of people in Pakistan who have open sympathy for India. This is especially true of Baluchis, Sindhis and also people from Pak-Occupied-Kashmir. But the danger in adopting this strategy is that it can also create a Frankenstein which can turn on us. Economic help There could more confidence building measures and India could help in development of Pakistan as their economy is in tatters. A destabilised Pakistan poses more danger to India than a stable one. It is for the policy makers to decide which option is better.
When you say Frankenstien, does it mean the one US created out of Osama? Yes. This is what happened when US supported Mujahideens and Taliban. They used them in Afghan war to destroy the erstwhile USSR. When the purpose of US was served they dumped the Mujahideens and now the latter are one of their biggest enemies. Osama Bin Laden is a product of the US. Same is the case in Pakistan, the army under its then president Zia-Ul-Haq used insurgents Mujahiddeens to create terror in Kashmir and now the same Islamic fundamentalist pose biggest danger to them. China also play an important role. Geo-strategically it suits China to have Pakistan as a countervailing force to India. This is why they assisted Pakistan get nuclear weapons.
How do you see the recent attack in Mumbai? You have to understand the military policy of Pakistan. It feels India has cheated them on the issue of Kashmir. It is also nursing a grudge against India after the creation of Bangladesh. It also knows that it cannot match India in conventional war. So its state policy has been to make India bleed. This they are doing it by sponsoring insurgency and terrorism.
Do you attribute the infiltration of the terrorists with sophisticated arms to intelligence failure? Politicians in India have damaged the intelligence agencies. Instead of using the intelligence agencies to gather information on terrorists and subversive elements, the service of agencies is used to spy on rival politicians. One of the reasons for the rise of terrorism is definitely failure of grassroot intelligence.
Why do you think five star hotels were targeted? The economy of Pakistan is in shambles, whereas India is becoming economically stronger. Mumbai being the financial capital of India and the five star hotels representing affluence, the terrorists might have targeted them.
But isn't it a fact that the problem of Islamic terrorism is more in India than Pakistan? No. The number of suicide attacks in Pakistan is much more than that in India. Terrorist groups that they nurtured have now spun out of their control. It was the Pakistani army that gave them arms to create problems for others. Having tasted blood, now they are uncontrollable. Terrorism is not only a challenge for India, but Pakistan also. See what happened to Benazir Bhutto. The number of Fidayeen attacks in Pakistan are much more.
What role is Pakistan playing to promote terrorism? Pakistan has been the fountainhead of terrorism all over the world. Most of the Islamic terrorism is coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan. That is why US army is sitting in Afghanistan. Our policy makers have to keep all these angles in their perspective before deciding any plan of action in the wake of terror attacks.
