Editorials- Theater of action

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Theater of action (Sept 25)

As expected the theater of action has now shifted to Pakistan and India and there is a growing sense of apprehension amongst certain section of the people that Pakistan may have stolen a march over India in the post-terrorist strikes at New York and Washington on September 11.

Pakistan, a major breeding ground for jihads bowed to pressures mounted by the United States and agreed fully to the conditions laid down by the only super power in the world to ferret out prime suspect Osama bin Laden by launching strikes on Afghanistan. It is no secret that Pakistan has considerable influence over the Taliban, which has accorded "guest" status to the most wanted man in the US list and their turn around and agreeing to be part of the alliance to wage a war against global terrorism will certainly go down well with the Bush administration.

However this should be no ground to fuel speculations or even apprehension that Pakistan has stolen a march over India. What General Pervez Musharraf has attained is not anything remotely close to a diplomatic coup but has all the ingredients of frustration and desperation written over it. That the Pakistan President went on air to address the people of Pakistan and pick on India to justify his stand clearly rings out the message that in the present context the stakes are much more higher for Pakistan than India.

True, so far what Pakistan has been saying has been to the liking of the Americans but the point that should not over looked is that the war against global terrorism is not going to end with the hunt for bin Laden. This is the point India should particularly not overlook. Moreover ground realities have changed since the end of the cold war and apprehensions of a revival of US-Pak ties will be missing the point altogether.

Though the prospect of a full-blown war against Afghanistan is not at all
desirable, India should be very clear on one point. At the moment when the entire free world have allied to fight global terrorism, India cannot afford to play second fiddle or remain at the sidelines. This demands not indulging in a game of one manship with Pakistan but the willingness to shoulder major responsibilities in the war against global terrorism, which will be a protracted one at any cost. India has already scored a point or two by offering unambiguous support to the US in its hunt for bin Laden.

The war against global terrorism will not end with the attack on Afghanistan but will spill over the countries that are known to offer sanctuaries to known terrorists and the role of India on this front can only gain in importance with a little far sightedness.

Moreover India should work over time to make the world see the link between the strikes at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, Kashmir and the serial blasts that nearly paralyzed the financial capital of the country, Mumbai, a few years back. And the world knows where the prime suspects of the Mumbai serial blasts are presently ensconced. For India and the free world the universe would certainly be a better place without the likes of bin Laden and Dawood Ibrahim.

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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