By Syeda Mazhar
The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Our mornings lacked promise. Soldiers bled, bodies shoved aside, newlyweds widowed and fetuses became orphans. Such were the days, the sun rose to, during the tragic events of 1971. When in East Pakistan, the combined efforts of Mukti Bahini and the Indian government fueled the riots in East Pakistan and caused its separation. For over four decades, records accused the Indian Army of illegally funding the riots and facilitating the rebellion in East Pakistan in 1971. However, just recently, Indian Prime Minister Modi openly confessed to the ‘important role played by the Indian government’ for the ‘freedom’ of Bangladesh from West Pakistan.
The Indian Prime Minister, who has a history of a staunch anti-Pakistan stance, has made several hate speeches in the past. The intense emotional negativity was also explicitly apparent in Modi’s speeches during his election campaign. He assured the masses, a tough stance against Pakistan if his party wins elections. He promised and he delivered. Despite repeated attempts of defusing the tensions by Pakistan, Indian Sarkar kept on propagating the animosity on media to the point of threatening Pakistan. Most pundits attribute this aggressive Indian posture towards Pakistan to several factors that relate to Indian political dynamic, its growing international clout and Pakistan’s current weaknesses.
Warm reception by the capitals of various sovereign states including Washington, after his convincing victory in elections, has further inflated his arrogance. The leadership further emboldened seems to have stepped up their anti-Pakistan rhetoric. Modi recently executed a pre planned game of instigating the people of Bangladesh against Pakistan. Sadly so, Modi specifically targeted the Bengali youth to poison their minds with his anti-Pakistan venom. In his hour long speech, addressing the students of the Dhaka University, he unambiguously called Pakistan a terrorist state and accused Pakistan to aid terrorism in the region resulting in the prevailing insecurity in India.
Modi blamed Pakistan for spreading terrorism and fear in India, saying “every now and then Pakistan keeps disturbing India, creates nuisance, promotes terrorism and such incidences keep repeating”.
The agenda for the recent visit to Bangladesh was to sign 22 agreements to link the two neighbors’ economies. However, Narendra Modi used this opportunity to fan hatred against Pakistan. Following the Prime Minister’s footsteps the issue further aggravated when the lower cadre of Modi’s government started to challenge Pakistan’s integrity through their provocative statements. The Junior Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said during a press briefing that, based on intelligence, they will carry out surgical strikes at the place and time of their own choosing. He further emphasized that “western disturbances will also be equally dealt with”. Similarly Manohar Parrikan was also one of the ministers to readily jump on the train of threatening Pakistan subtly indicating to crush any power that threatens the sovereignty of India. The statements came after the minister landed the Indian Army and Air Force for their operation in Myanmar that killed 20 suspected militants last Tuesday.
Analysts say India continuously called on proxy wars. Rajyavardhan’s statement was an open threat to the Pakistan Army. These inflammatory statements against Pakistan by the Prime Minister and his ministers sparked the atmosphere in Pakistan. Both the National Assembly and Senate interrupted their budget debates to unanimously adopt similar strong worded resolution, accusing Indian leaders of trying to destabilize Pakistan at a time when it was fighting a war against terrorism and urged the International community, especially the United Nations, to take notice of the situation. Pakistan highlighted the potential of these provocative statements as a threat to the regional peace and socio-economical and political instability in the region. It was also brought to attention that Indian provocations which undermined Pakistan’s anti-terrorism campaign were also aiding and abetting terrorists fighting in Pakistan.
Both resolutions were passed a day after top Pakistani government officials, including Interior Minister Chaudary Nisar Ali, spoke out against the recent Indian statements. The resolutions were clear to state that the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with their armed force and Pakistan’s stance on India’s negative role against a sovereign neighboring state. In addition, Pakistani leadership further criticized India’s endeavor to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council while it continues thwarting the UN Charter by carrying out Human Right violations in Kashmir.
Chaudary Nisar said, “Pakistan should not be mistaken for Myanmar”, adding, “Our armed forced are fully capable of responding to any foreign aggression and Indian leaders should stop daydreaming”. Rightly so, People of Pakistan and the armed forces are capable of protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and would not refrain from giving a befitting response to any threat from India.
Pakistan and India relations are through testing times since Modi took control of the office. The tensions between the two neighbors are on the rise. The can be credited to the aggressive and belligerent posture against Pakistan and the Hindu national roots. India, which has never accepted the validity of the Two Nation Theory, plans to slowly break down Pakistan to be able to gain its territory.
The confession of aiding the separation of Bangladesh and then signing a land swapping agreement with Bangladesh is the evidence of India’s cunning intentions behind the development camouflage. When signing the agreement, an enlarged image of the moment of surrender in 1971 where Gen. Abdullah Khan Niazi was signing the surrender treaty before the Indian Army General Jagjit Singh Aurora was presented as an emblem of Indian support during the “trying” times of Bangladesh. The dark scar of Pakistan’s history was symbolized at the meeting as it is a reminder of India breaking the Pakistani land into two.