Daily Times

India’s secular mask was ripped off with the slogans used in the 2014 Indian election campaigns, which resulted in the win of Narendra Modi, the hardcore Hindu nationalist of the 2002 Gujarat riot fame, supported by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a shadowy and violent Hindu organisation with umbilical ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is viewed as emblematic of India’s unfair treatment of its minorities.

Since assuming power, Modi has made certain decisions that have exposed his perilous stance towards Pakistan and his plan for a future course of action to deal with the Muslims of India. India under Modi is evolving a new security doctrine that abandons the peace dialogue with Pakistan at every level and emboldens India’s army to indulge in more brazen provocations. The recent violations at the Working Boundary and Line of Control (LoC) by Indian forces and the subsequent killings of innocent civilians are indicative of the dubious aspirations of the Modi sarkar (government).

Amidst tension on the border, India is all set to play a dangerous game in Kashmir. The BJP is campaigning to abrogate Article 370 that gives a special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir (JK). Such a move will not only translate into a volatile outburst from within Kashmir but will also send jolts through the peace corridors across the border.

The notion that is being discarded is the old perception that we will take any provocation lying down in order to signal our peaceful intentions. While some doves in our intelligentsia think it was a good gesture by Nawaz Sharif to exchange saris and mangoes with shells and bullets, the fact is it gave our archenemy the impression that we are weak-kneed. On top of that, the recent political crisis in Pakistan has given rise to an opinion in India that our state fabric is tattered by internal conflicts and we cannot come out forcefully against Indian aggression on any international forum.

The fact is that a nuclear Pakistan and a motivated army backed by the unity of the nation is a guarantee that India can never dare go for an open war. War propaganda by India can evaporate if governments have a clear, firm policy backed by the unity of the people. While it is too early to say how the hardline approach on Kashmir by our political and military leadership is going to work, there is absolutely no doubt that the old stance of hope for peace has been a big failure. India must realise that the old tactics of winning wars by cultural invasion or by buying certain segments of the media and intelligentsia will not earn it anything. Indian jingoism, prejudice against Pakistan and double standards against their own Muslim population have become open secrets in today’s globalised world. Behind the thin veneer of Indian secularism is hiding an ugly face of Hindu majoritarianism.

In the leadership of Modi, India is treading on the dangerous path of state-sponsored extremism. Exempli gratia, in an unprecedented move by India’s state-run television channel Doordarshan, a live speech by Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the RSS, was aired. He advocated the most lethal ideological narratives of the Hindutva doctrine. The anti-Pakistan stance of the RSS is no secret to anyone. To understand the enormity of this move, one can assume that it is similar to giving airtime to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chieftain Mullah Fazlullah’s speech on Pakistan Television (PTV). The pressure from the government was such that some conscientious employees had to resign in protest.

Modi’s shenanigans with Pakistan are synonymous to playing with fire. Shelling across the border will never find him a long lasting resolution to the Kashmir issue nor will adopting the ostrich strategy on human rights violations in Kashmir get him the status of a world leader, which he is lobbying for. To India’s discomfort, Pakistan will further up the ante over Kashmir on all fronts. It is time for a certain section in the Pakistani media and some over optimistic peaceniks in our government to accept that India is not looking for peace.

The responsibility of the Wagah border attack is yet to be determined. However, it has exposed the lack of responsibility our government has shown to protect its citizens. It is too soon to say that the attack in the provincial capital has its tentacles leading to our neighbour. If, at any stage, any trace of foreign involvement is tracked down, the question will arise: who is the bigger security risk?

The writer is an ex-army officer and is a freelance writer. He can be reached at majyaminbutt@gmail.com