It appears Pakistan is dead set not to relent in shelling and firing across the LoC and IB in J&K. There are no signs of any change in its policy of creating tension on the border. Obviously, the jihadi groups in Pakistan, basking in the sunshine of her army’s patronage, want to give tough time to the civilian Government in Islamabad at a time when the US-NATO forces are heading towards drawdown in Afghanistan and Chine is trying hard to fill the vacuum there albeit with covert support of Pakistan.
Pakistan has another reason to accelerate hostilities along the border in Kashmir. The coalition Government in Srinagar is gradually and sensibly heading towards matured mutual understanding and keeping clear of contentious issues that are likely to whip up emotions. It has to be recalled that Pakistan was dismayed with the separatist chapters in Kashmir for not making boycott call of elections effective. Having eaten the humble pie once, Pakistan tried all it could to scuttle the parleys for forming a coalition Government between PDP and BJP. Sane and matured statesmanship on both sides put cold water on Pakistan’s nefarious conspiracies. Having failed in misleading the people through these antics, Pakistan has now raked up the issue of rehabilitating the Kashmiri Hindu IDPs in clusters back in the Valley. We understand that Pakistan wants to add fuel to volatile situation created by the separatists in the valley by raking up the Kashmiri Hindu issue.
It is now clear that Indian Government has made some tactical change in its border policy in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the 50th year of raising the Border Security Force celebrations, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that our country will not be the first to fire a shot across the LoC or IB and that India will never provoke a conflict. However, he was quick to add that India would retaliate befittingly. This is to make clear to the world community that India is not at all interested in spoiling peace along the LoC and would never take any step that would disrupt peaceful life. This is an assurance India wants to convey to Pakistan and the ball is in their court.
However, elucidating his point the Home Minister made it clear that while India would not be the first to fire a shot, she will not back out when a challenge is thrown to her. By and large this has been the policy of our security forces deployed along the LoC with Pakistan. The point is that Pakistan has unleashed proxy war. At the same time she calls her jihadi infiltrators as non-state actors meaning that they are private individuals who have undertaken to sneak into Indian side and unleash terror at police stations or sequestered military formation. They want to gun down as many police and army personnel as they can, steal their arums and uniforms and then use these items in their subsequent intrusions. As these tactics are going to stay for a long time, our security forces need to acquire capability of responding very adequately to the antics of Pakistan. As the Home Minster said, we shall have to upgrade all areas of border security like training of BSF, modernization of weaponry, improving social and economic canards of our jawans, accelerate vigil on the border and never be provoked easily unless situation slips out of their control.
We have two hostile neighbours who are knit into camaraderie of sorts. They work in tandem to reinforce hostility towards India. Therefore we have to take serious measures of protecting our country both on land and on sea. While vigil and defensive-offensive preparedness has to be there on the western and eastern frontiers, our country has to take care of riverine security because of a long coastline from Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean to the Bay of Bengal. This is the reason why the Home Minster is thinking of sanctioning nine new ‘floating’ border posts to the Border Security force. These will be monitoring Indo-Bangladesh coastline and also Indo-Pakistan coastline.
The Home Minister finds more dimensions of border firing issue. He has said that the Government is seriously considering that the civilian population living along the LoC or IB is facing much hardship owing to relentless firing and shelling of Pakistan. Obviously, one of the aims of Pakistan is to scare away the civilian population living along the border so that the path is cleared for jihadi intruders to make easy forays into India side. The BSF and the army operating jointly in forward areas will foil all such activities of Pakistan. The Government is seriously considering how the border population can be secured against Pak perfidy and how their losses will be compensated.
We appreciate the clear cut policy of Modi Government not to provoke conflict and not to be the first to fire a bullet. But at the same time remain prepared for meeting any situation created by Pakistan through their conduits in the valley. It is tooth for tooth and eye for eye. Pakistan does not understand any other language and as such let us talk to them in the language they understand.
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