During the past year Indian Army has been inflicting heavy casualties on Pakistan's border forces

by Brig Arun Bajpai

Army Chief Bipin Rawat is very right in his statement, given recently in a special interview, that to stop cross border terror, more pressure must be created on Pakistan. It needs to be understood by all; especially Indian netas and Babus that we cannot expect America and other countries to keep on sanctioning Pakistan without us doing anything in this context.

In last one week or so, Army Chief Bipin Rawat has given three specific statements on Pakistan which are of great relevance. First. He said that if to deal with Pakistan we are told to cross the border, we will not tell the Government that since Pakistan has nuclear weapons we will not cross the border. This statement had so angered Pakistan that their army spokesperson Major General Asif Gafoor started rattling their nuclear weapons with them. This is normal practice with Pakistan. Second .he said that in terms of enemy we must shift our focus from Pakistan to China. This is very true, because Pakistan is a small fry now. What we should be worried about is China and its arrogance. In any case now after America stopping all aid to Pakistan, measuring almost 2 billion dollars, China is the only back up left for Pakistan, which is busy converting Pakistan as its own colony. Third. Now Army Chief has said that more pressure must be applied on Pakistan to make it shun Cross border terror.

There are reports that today 15 Jan 2018; India has hammered Pakistani Army by killing its seven soldiers. This is in reply to Pakistani Army killing one Indian soldier, day before, in sniper firing. Today only, five Jaish Mohammad jehadis have been killed by Army in Kashmir Valley where they were trying to cause damage to an Indian Army convoy. Army Chief is right in saying that we must create more pressure on Pakistan by thought and deed to make it believe that this time India means business under Modi Government. For almost a decade after 2004 NDA rule ,during the time of Congress led UPA rule of 10 years, India followed a weak policy with Pakistan of not doing anything despite provocations. Even the military modernisation and acquisition of weapons was put on back burner, thanks to Congress Defence minster AK Antony, who did nothing else except blacklisting foreign arms manufacturing giants on slightest whiff of suspicion of corruption, instead of setting his own house in order. All this did not go unnoticed with china and Pakistan. 

Even in the current Modi Government rule, while armed forces have been given much more latitude in dealing with Pakistan, nevertheless a clear cut direction to deal with Pakistan as enemy and China as neither a friend nor an enemy is missing. Modi Government must come out with clear cut Pakistan policy which must be pro active and not reactive. Every time Pakistani Army sponsored jehadis cross borders to attack targets in J&K, let us also cross 778 km long LOC, at the time and place of our choosing to kill Pakistani Army soldiers and not jehadis. Jehadis are cannon fodder to Pakistani Army but when their soldiers start getting killed they will think twice before attempting cross border jehad by their paid jehadis. Similarly when Pakistan, for more than a decade has denied us the Most Favoured Nation status on one pretext or other, why are we maintaining this MFN status with Pakistan? Withdraw it. Also this nonsense of cease fire violation on LOC now has no takers. Pakistani Army has violated cease fire along LOC, 821 times in 2017. So let us give decent burial to it.

Finally the Pakistan favouring Indus Water Treaty of fifties, Thanks to Nehru’s short sightedness, that allows six river waters of India to flow in Pakistan while we feel a pinch, must now be reviewed. The point is that we are not stopping water to Pakistan but are only going for equitable distribution of water. Our fear that if we do this China may do same to us on Brahmaputra waters and other rivers flowing from Tibet to India are unfounded. As clarified earlier we should go for equitable distribution and not stopping water to Pakistan. We also must stop all the buses and train services to and fro from Pakistan. We should also reduce our embassy staff from Pakistan and no medical visa please. Time has come for tough measures. No Chalta Hai Concept. Similarly instead of looking at US and other nations to set right Pakistan let us develop spine to do it ourselves. Our Netas will have to be bold and forthcoming. They must develop political will.

Brig Arun Bajpai (Retd) is a distinguished Defence and Strategic Analyst. Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IDN. IDN does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same