By Sushil Kutty
The more the three armed forces’ chiefs sit on a decision to strike at Pakistan with uncommon force, the more the chance Pakistan will escape with inconsequential punishment. Point being made is that in the Indian context, a decision on whether or not to go to war is taken by the civilian leadership, but if the civilian leadership says it has left the decision to the armed forces, it’s a slip of the tongue!
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a history of slip of the tongue. Modi’s flip-flops can fill an NCERT book. Modi did the Pran Pratistha at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, but can he be Lord Krishna with the Gita? Has he convinced the three ‘Arjunas’ to go to war? Time is slipping out of hand with people and countries having second thoughts.
United States President Donald Trump is as much an image-shifter, never sure except in being unsure. Trump started with wholesale support for Modi, saying India and Pakistan were “close” for the two countries to sort themselves out of the “1500-year-old” standoff!
Today, United States Sec of State Marco Rubio wants Modi to scale down on the “unimaginable punishment” and Modi cannot do so because of a ‘big mouth’. Rubio asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate and suggested cooperation against terrorism, also calling for joint investigations.
If that isn’t putting Modi in a most awkward hole, what else is? Modi’s pal Trump doesn’t think much of Modi, does he? Trump and Rubio have bracketed India and Pakistan in the same Third World club and Modi’s brag is “fifth largest economy!”
The Pahalgam terror attack took 26 ‘Hindu’ lives with Pakistan squarely to blame and yet Trump wants Modi to forget and forgive and cooperate with Pakistan in investigating the attack! Talk about convoluted thinking and talk about wasted hugs! The Modi regime should forthwith tell the United States to mind its business.
A hug doesn’t mean selling off India’s interests to Trump’s MAGA and ‘USA First’. President Trump might be the world’s deal-maker, but he should take his ‘Trump Tower’ someplace else! Also, Prime Minister Modi is in no position to de-escalate. Modi wasn’t elected thrice in a row to play second fiddle to Trump. And Greenhorn Marco Rubio still has to go some distance to ask seasoned S Jaishankar to back-off.
Shehbaz Sharif and Rubio laid a trap for Jaishankar, talking about “cooperation with India” and “investigating the unconscionable Pahalgam attack.” But Rubio was also talking of “nuclear-powered neighbours”, proof that he was being schooled by Pakistan. Thankfully, Jaishankar didn’t fall for the trap: “Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with US @SecRubio yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice.”
That leaves only Modi to do a flip-flop. Jaishankar is not taking any chances, though! The EAM reached out to counterparts from eight non-permanent member nations of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The reports are that the eight, which include Denmark, Algeria, Greece, Guyana, Panama, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Somalia, have understood India’s point of view in its totality.
Pakistan is also a member of the UNSC, but that shouldn’t come in the way. India’s promised severe punishment to “those involved in the Pahalgam terror attack” hasn’t come up against any serious opposition from the world community, so far. Now, it is for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to play spoilsport. Modi is bound by his statement, this is an “era of no wars” and there’s still the lure of the Nobel.
The fact is, Prime Minister Modi has put his external affairs establishment in a fix. The demands on the external affairs apparatus are too many. Pakistan is acting holier than thou and the Trump administration seems to be getting around to Pakistan’s viewpoint. Gen Munir and President Trump will soon raise a toast to the “Hindus are cowards” legend written on stone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always backed off from promises, starting with his election promises to the BJP’s Hindu vote-bank. Raising hands in surrender is a Modi-thumbnail. The three farm laws are fresh in memory. Modi’s promises are seldom kept! The UNSC will discuss ‘Pahalgam’ again and “warmongering India” is not on a strong wicket. Modi’s promise of “unimaginable punishment” sounds like Aurangzeb on steroids!
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tried dissuading India but Jaishankar told the UN Chief the perpetrators, planners and backers of this attack would be brought to justice. On April 26 Modi gave the armed forces “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to Pahalgam.”
On April 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “perpetrators and conspirators” of the Pahalgam attack will be “served with the harshest response” and that it was the “national resolve.” Question is, will Modi stick to his word? Prime Minister Modi is forever running in circles on this and that issue. (IPA Service)
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