War rhetoric

To an extremist mindset like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hubris comes easy, as illustrated by the incredible remarks he made at a recent event. Speaking at a national cadet corps ceremony on Tuesday, he claimed that in the case of war Indian troops would not need more than "a week or 10 days" to defeat Pakistan. Such earlier boasts were effectively punctured by this country when last February Indian air force planes dropped bombs near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And in a swift response, Pakistan had downed two Indian fighter jets and captured one pilot, bringing New Delhi to its senses. So who is capable of achieving what has already been demonstrated. It needs to be said though that war-making is an uncivilized enterprise and needs to be shunned as far as possible.

Predictably, the Foreign Office in Islamabad has issued a statement rejecting Indian PM's "irresponsible and war-mongering remarks." And putting his provocative statement in the right perspective, it added "these remarks are another reflection of India's incurable obsession with Pakistan, and the BJP government and leadership's desperate attempts to divert attention from growing domestic and international criticism of their discriminatory, anti-Kashmir and anti-minority policies." Modi, who has made a career out of Pakistan and Muslim bashing, successfully using that card in his two national election campaigns, is now caught in the web of his own malicious policies. More than five months after the annexation of occupied Jammu & Kashmir, the disputed region's eight million people continue to be put under siege for fear of an uncontrollable backlash. Meanwhile, people all across the country are up in arms against two discriminatory anti-Muslim laws: the Indian citizenship law and National Register of Citizens. He badly needs to distract attention from his troubles; and the only trick in his repertoire is belligerent rhetoric against Pakistan.

Desperate situations lead to desperate actions. Modi may resort to some false-flag operation to turn the focus away from the humanitarian crisis in occupied Kashmir as well as angry protests inside his country. As Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly been warning the international community, any miscalculation on the part of New Delhi could lead to a full-fledged war between the two nuclear-armed nations. And that there is no way of knowing where and how it would end. It could culminate in disastrous consequences not only for the two countries but the wider world. No one would like to see this happen. Before things come to such a pass, India's influential friends, such as the US and its European allies, must instill some sense in the mind of that country's ultra Hindu nationalist leader. He needs to be told that for the sake of regional peace and stability and welling-being of his own people, he must take the path of negotiated resolution of all outstanding issues of conflict, especially the core issue of Kashmir.