By Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain
Parochialism at the level of media discourse and policy making has a potential of pushing the subcontinent into the era of stone age.
Wikileaks claims to be an international non-profit media organisation that publishes otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous news sources and leaks. Whole of the world has been overtaken by a controversy relating to secret US foreign policy communications exposed by Wikileaks. Apart from the issues, whether these leaks are authentic record of American foreign policy documents or concocted accounts to mislead the world.
Deliberate fabrications to convey covert messages to allies and adversaries or part of foreign policy to rectify the imbalances created by formal foreign policy postures assumed by the US administration at official level?
Whatever be the background or the reasons for the leaks, they have conveyed certain startling information about the mindset of US foreign policy makers. While on one side these pricked the balloon of much drum beaten US support for Indian membership to the privileged club of VETO holders’ at United Nations by depicting India as self appointed candidate for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
On the other hand the leaks have dissipated any doubts about the reality of a nuclear confrontation within the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The leaks have made it obvious that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal if not superior is definitely a match to Indian nuclear weapons. The leaks have portrayed without any iota of ambiguity the limits of US influence over Pakistan in relation to its policy towards non state actors pitted against India on account of its own compulsions and dependence on Pakistan for concluding or continuation of its military misadventure in Afghanistan.
Having got a precise message of the strategic quagmire within which India remains trapped, the leaks needed to be deliberated seriously for reorienting the Indian foreign policy. Unfortunately, instead of using the leaks as an avenue for a serious foreign policy re-evaluation, Indian media seems to be using them for unleashing another campaign of jingoistic discourse.
Seriousness of the situation and dissipation of illusions demanded taking cognizance of realities as they are, acknowledging them and developing an attitude of caution and considered foreign policy formulations. An attitude of recognition of realities and urge for reconciliation with these too remains indispensable need of the hour.
What we see on contrary is a barrage of irresponsible statements coming not only from policy makers but also from retired defence and foreign policy experts. Responding to a question relating to Indian response to existence of huge nuclear arsenal with Pakistan, a retired army official responds on News X that we may not say it but definitely we do have preparations for launching a similar expedition against Pakistani arsenal as was pursued by Israeli’s against Iraq.
The naive statement overlooks the fact that Iraqi nuclear facilities were in the stages of infancy, whereas Pakistan is a declared and acknowledged nuclear weapon state. Through nuclearisation, Pakistan has achieved long sought parity with Indian state according to former Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh.
The fact that India planned ‘Operation Cold Start’ against Pakistan and abandoned it only after Americans warned them about a possible nuclear retaliation from Pakistan makes it clear that the jingoistic attitude is not only confined to media discourses but percolates deep to the level of policy and decision making.
The scenario exhibits an alarming situation. With subcontinent sitting over a devastating nuclear stockpile of arms and jingoistic minds still kidding with adventures that have a potential of triggering a nuclear war with catastrophic ramifications, it is high time for saner elements within India to become pro-active.
The illusion of superiority has to be replaced by the strategy based on objectivity. Aggressive posturing has to be substituted by a will to reconcile with realities and settle the issues which have a potential of pushing the subcontinent into a nuclear nightmare. Americans who otherwise remain aggressive and non-compromising did nothing apart from proceeding for using Chinese influence while responding to recent North Korean artillery barrage against South Korea.
Reason for this soft response was nothing other than the fact that North Korea has formally tested its nuclear weapons. What holds true about North Korea, same has to be emulated by Indian policy makers in context of Pakistan? The fact that Operation Cold Start was planned in context of Kashmir makes it all the more indispensible to address Kashmir dispute.
It has reaffirmed Kashmir connection of sub continental nuclearisation established by Prime Minister Vajpayee by associating Farooq Abdullah with his Pokhran visit. The only chief mister taken to Indian nuclear experimentation site along with prime minister was Abdullah.
The root causes of Indo-Pak strife and friction of which Kashmir happens to be the foremost need to be addressed urgently. The jingoism at the level of media discourse and policy making otherwise has a potential of pushing the subcontinent into the era of stone age.
Whatever be the background or the reasons for the leaks, they have conveyed certain startling information about the mindset of US foreign policy makers. While on one side these pricked the balloon of much drum beaten US support for Indian membership to the privileged club of VETO holders’ at United Nations by depicting India as self appointed candidate for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
On the other hand the leaks have dissipated any doubts about the reality of a nuclear confrontation within the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The leaks have made it obvious that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal if not superior is definitely a match to Indian nuclear weapons. The leaks have portrayed without any iota of ambiguity the limits of US influence over Pakistan in relation to its policy towards non state actors pitted against India on account of its own compulsions and dependence on Pakistan for concluding or continuation of its military misadventure in Afghanistan.
Having got a precise message of the strategic quagmire within which India remains trapped, the leaks needed to be deliberated seriously for reorienting the Indian foreign policy. Unfortunately, instead of using the leaks as an avenue for a serious foreign policy re-evaluation, Indian media seems to be using them for unleashing another campaign of jingoistic discourse.
Seriousness of the situation and dissipation of illusions demanded taking cognizance of realities as they are, acknowledging them and developing an attitude of caution and considered foreign policy formulations. An attitude of recognition of realities and urge for reconciliation with these too remains indispensable need of the hour.
What we see on contrary is a barrage of irresponsible statements coming not only from policy makers but also from retired defence and foreign policy experts. Responding to a question relating to Indian response to existence of huge nuclear arsenal with Pakistan, a retired army official responds on News X that we may not say it but definitely we do have preparations for launching a similar expedition against Pakistani arsenal as was pursued by Israeli’s against Iraq.
The naive statement overlooks the fact that Iraqi nuclear facilities were in the stages of infancy, whereas Pakistan is a declared and acknowledged nuclear weapon state. Through nuclearisation, Pakistan has achieved long sought parity with Indian state according to former Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh.
The fact that India planned ‘Operation Cold Start’ against Pakistan and abandoned it only after Americans warned them about a possible nuclear retaliation from Pakistan makes it clear that the jingoistic attitude is not only confined to media discourses but percolates deep to the level of policy and decision making.
The scenario exhibits an alarming situation. With subcontinent sitting over a devastating nuclear stockpile of arms and jingoistic minds still kidding with adventures that have a potential of triggering a nuclear war with catastrophic ramifications, it is high time for saner elements within India to become pro-active.
The illusion of superiority has to be replaced by the strategy based on objectivity. Aggressive posturing has to be substituted by a will to reconcile with realities and settle the issues which have a potential of pushing the subcontinent into a nuclear nightmare. Americans who otherwise remain aggressive and non-compromising did nothing apart from proceeding for using Chinese influence while responding to recent North Korean artillery barrage against South Korea.
Reason for this soft response was nothing other than the fact that North Korea has formally tested its nuclear weapons. What holds true about North Korea, same has to be emulated by Indian policy makers in context of Pakistan? The fact that Operation Cold Start was planned in context of Kashmir makes it all the more indispensible to address Kashmir dispute.
It has reaffirmed Kashmir connection of sub continental nuclearisation established by Prime Minister Vajpayee by associating Farooq Abdullah with his Pokhran visit. The only chief mister taken to Indian nuclear experimentation site along with prime minister was Abdullah.
The root causes of Indo-Pak strife and friction of which Kashmir happens to be the foremost need to be addressed urgently. The jingoism at the level of media discourse and policy making otherwise has a potential of pushing the subcontinent into the era of stone age.
Published in Rising Kashmir dated 08 Dec 2010
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