I really like the attitude of Israel. One can argue that Israel has no right to occupy the Gaza strip. But, Hamas has not covered itself with glory with its activities either. Even Egypt does not support Hamas. The manner in which the Cease fire was brought to an end by Hamas would make anyone's blood boil. Israel warned them and retaliated for it considers Hamas as terrorists. Many in the world and in India may consider Israel as terrorists but that country has a history of survival against all odds. Israel obviously believes that for the survival of its citizens, anything is fair. In this thinking, the US has all along sided with them. May be it is because of the powerful Jewish lobby or the US self interest.
Israel has character. It has a single policy which it has not deviated. Israel does not ask for world opinion before it takes what ever action is necessary to protect its citizens any where. Chhabad House in Mumbai was taken over by the Pak terrorists and has been almost destroyed. Israel will rebuild it with vigour. That is the Spirit of Israel or the Spirit of Survival and one can understand this spirit because the Jews suffered and yet survived the holocaust. One cannot forget that horrible past so easily and it is because of this reason, Israel understands the value of human life of its citizens. It does not care for the innocent lives of its enemies.
You may say that loss of over 400 lives in Gaza is terrible, barbaric and unacceptable. To Israel, that is the price the people of Palestine have to pay for supporting a Government controlled by Hamas. Or Hamas has to stop firing the rockets and stop killing the Israelis. To Israel it does not matter that in the past six months, over 1400 Palestinians have died even though only three or four Israelis have died due to action by Hamas. The lives of only those three or four Israelis are precious. Very simple logic
Terrorists, where ever they may be, are just the same. They are and will be terrorists. One can compare Hamas with the terrorists living inside Pakistan with State patronage and who have unleashed terror both within and outside Pakistan. However, Hamas does not unleash terror on its own people, the Palestinians. The Pak terrorists have no love lost for their own people and do not shed any tears if their people are killed. This also helps the Government of Pakistan to claim that it is also a victim of terrorists. Never mind that these terrorists have Pakistan Government’s patronage.
Now let us take a look at India, the land of Ahimsa. We worry more for world opinion than the safety, honour and welfare of our people like Israel does. However, our political masters are sanitized to the levels of safety that even a mosquito cannot breech the security cordon around them. They lead a life of luxury and are considered honourable in the eyes of the public. Our political masters worry more about the opinion of the opposition parties than that of the people whom they represent. Unity for national cause is not the sentiment which our political parties, cutting across their party lines, believe in. They are keener to score brownie points over each other in the name of politics. Most of them have only self interest to either retain power or come to power. We make all sorts of noise in the world arena but end up with mud on our face. No one really takes us seriously for our record is poor. We are indecisive. We want the rest of the world to take up our cause and fight for us. We cry for world support and when nothing happens, we cry more.
It is one month since 26/11. After all the noise, jingoism and emotional outbursts which was manifested by lighting candles all over the country (even I lit one in Coimbatore), we have started to crib that the US has double standards for it has not done much to rein in Pakistan to stop its support to the terrorists nurtured inside their territory. We are more concerned about collecting proof of the Pak terrorist camps which is known to the whole world and, which Pakistan can never publicly admit. Yet we are collecting evidence to prove that these camps exist and demand that these must be dismantled immediately. We also know that Pakistan will not accept any proof even if the parents of the terrorists confess without coercion that their sons did the terrible act. Sadly the world also knows that and so nothing really happens on the ground. It will be status quo ante.
We should emulate Israel. Let us launch a few lightening strikes on these terrorist camps inside Pakistan. Let us be damned with the world opinion. The world will make noise. Israel knows that by the time the noise reaches its crescendo, they would have achieved their aim. The same thing will happen if we launch the surgical strikes against the Pak terrorist camps. Most of the countries will be happy with us if we strike these terrorists camps in Pakistan though publicly, they may make noise.
The Americans are worried that the Pakistan are pulling out their troops from the Afghan border to counter any Indian design, should the escalation lead to total war. In any case the Pak troops are doing nothing much in the war against terror. And as such pulling out these troops by Pakistan really does not matter. If we need to ensure that Pakistan cannot pull its troops from its Afghan border, let us talk to Afghanistan and the US and, move some of our troops to Afghanistan. This might cause more problems to Pakistan.
What would Pakistan do if we launch such strikes? They too will launch a few strikes. Let us either counter it or accept some casualties which would be much less than the causalities that we have suffered so far from terrorist acts from across the border. This would not lead to total war since war is a too costly a proposition for both the countries. This would not lead to a nuclear strike or break up of Pakistan for the nuclear weapons to fall into undesirable hands. This may lead to fragmented and uncontrollable Pakistan getting united, which is good in way for India. This would force Pakistan to come to the negotiating table since we will have concrete proof about these camps after their destruction.
This option if exercised would also show the UPA in better light in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. At least they can say that they have guts and can take strong action when our innocent Indians die because of Pak terrorists. It would be a win-win situation for the Congress and UPA.
Skeptics may say that comparing Palestine with Pakistan is wrong because Paksitan is strong militarily and is also a nuclear weapon state. So is India and we are much stronger than Pakistan. If you can keep some of the Pakistani troops confined to the Pak-Afghan border by moving our troops to Afghanistan, Pakistan will be in more trouble. In all respects, time has come for India to stand on its feet and do what it needs to and protect its citizens. No other country will protect us.
But the question is "will we or won't we?" Or will we continue to debate and make more noise and then go to sleep?"
If tiny Israel can do it why not mighty India? Think.
