India has a history of meddling into affairs of its neighbors

Asif Haroon Raja

India is the largest and militarily and economically strongest country in South Asia. Diplomatically it is well placed in world comity and enjoys best of relations with world powers as well as Muslim world. Till 1990 India was strategic partner of former Soviet Union and after its demise, it became strategic partner of USA and continues to maintain best of relations with Russia. It had strained relations with China with which it went to war in 1962 but of late has warmed up its relations after pushing border dispute on back burner. India has also developed special ties with Israel. It has made its standing because of its geo-strategic importance and huge economic market.

In marked contrast to its high standing across the globe where it shows its humane face, India does not enjoy good reputation within South Asia where its interests clash with neighboring countries. It has a tainted history of meddling into affairs of all its neighbours. It was the first country in the region to plan the dismemberment of its neighbour Pakistan and carried out massive cross border terrorism to fulfil its sinister objective in 1971. It has all along striven to force South Asian states to accept Indian hegemony and never hesitated from resorting to naked force or economic strangulation or indulging in Chanakyan tactics to achieve its nefarious designs.

Rather than acting as a big brother and winning over militarily and economically weak neighbors, it has all along adopted a hostile posture to make them subservient to its wishes. Besides adopting coercive tactics, it’s infamous RAW has been indulging in covert means to destabilize South Asian states. Each of its neighbors has been subjected to Indian machinations. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh in particular have suffered a great deal at the hands of India. Pakistan is chief rival of India since it refuses to accept India as regional hegemonic power. Creation of Pakistan from within womb of Indian Union was biggest shock inflicted upon elites of India from which they have not reconciled with even now. Its survival and progress traumatize them and to lessen their anguish, they find ways and means to impede and possibly block all avenues of progression and keep looking for opportunities to deliver a death blow. India has gone to war with Pakistan five times including two limited conflicts in Rann of Katch and Kargil. Several times the two armed forces came close to a major clash with nuclear overtones. 

Indians after succeeding in breaking away eastern half of Pakistan in 1971 were of the view that remaining part of Pakistan was down and out and it would crumble in next 20 years. With this wish in mind, RAW was tasked to subject Sindh to subversion on the pattern of East Pakistan. One reason of picking up Sindh was critical importance of Karachi with lone seaport which is economic hub of Pakistan. Although Pak-US closeness in 1980s due to Afghan war upset Indian timeframe, it continued with its covert operations in rural and urban Sindh and succeeded in accentuating antagonism between old and new Sindhis. Side by side, India continued to modernize and expand its military capability with emphasis on mechanization of ground forces and up gradation of its air and naval arms with the help of former Soviet Union.

With eyes on Sindh, apart from mechanizing infantry, artillery and inducting tracked logistic vehicles, road and rail infrastructure was improved and forward logistic bases were established. Five RAPIDs were formed particularly for desert operations. Exercise Brass-tacks in 1986 was primarily focused on Sindh where Pakistan has its soft underbelly in Reti-Rahimyar Khan sector. Within this narrowest waistline, road and rail communication run perilously close to the border and its interdiction severs Sindh from rest of the country. In December 2007 military standoff which continued till May, bulk of Indian strike formations had assembled in areas opposite to the waistline. Although Pakistan army has put up a massive defensive effort to offset the vulnerability, it remains an attraction for the aggressor.

Strategic alliance with USA helps India in fulfilling its grandeur plans to become regional and world power. In 1971, Soviet Union had helped India in truncating Pakistan. Indians now hope that America would help in fulfilling their dream of either reducing Pakistan into an Indian satellite or removing it from the face of world map.  Indo-US-UK-Israeli-Afghan nexus has been formed in Kabul primarily to harm Pakistan. Apart from covert means, Indo-western media has embarked upon a malicious campaign to besmirch reputation of institutions of Pakistan and project it as a failing state. All sorts of fairytales are fabricated and pasted in leading newspapers and magazines controlled by the Jews. Deadlines are given and each time the given date expires uneventfully; a new cut-off date of collapse of Pakistan is given with a heavy heart but with renewed hopes. Several scenarios are in circulation ranging from truncation to break up in small quasi states. Independent Balochistan and Pashtunistan figure high in their whimsical plans. Each of self-perceived scenario is linked to Islamic threat in northwest of Pakistan.

To give concrete shape to the chalked out plans, the said nexus unfolded a comprehensive subversive plan in January 2002 to systematically destabilize Pakistan. Unrest was stoked in interior Balochistan and in Fata and fuel was constantly sprinkled to let flames of insurgency engulf whole of Balochistan and NWFP. Southern Punjab and Karachi was to be inflamed in the final phase to spread anarchy throughout the country. By end 2009, it is planned to disable our nuclear weapons and clear the way for India to launch its military instrument.

Baal Thakeray head of Shev Sena is renowned for fanning hatred against Muslims and for indulging in subversive activities. He has urged Hindus to prepare suicide bombers to challenge Islamic extremism. Sangh Parivar patronised by BJP, Avidhar and serving and retired Indian army officers are involved in almost all terror acts in India including demolition of Babri mosque in 1992, Samjhota express bombing and bomb attacks in Muslim heavy Magalaon in which Pakistan was blamed. Sangh Parivar runs training centres in Gujarat and Maharashtra in full knowledge of all concerned. Maharashtra anti-terror squad Chief Hemant Karkare had broken this network and arrested Lt Col Purohit. The accused had confessed his crimes and his trial was in advanced stage but before he could be indicted Karkare was murdered.

Pakistan has on number of occasions gone out of way to throw away baggage of animosity with India and make a fresh start. Ignoring wrongs of India, Quaid-e-Azam had made an offer to live as peaceful neighbors and to jointly work towards improving quality of life of common people. His offer was spurned and India grabbed Kashmir by force. Ayub Khan made an offer of joint defence to Nehru but it was also brushed aside. ZA Bhutto agreed to Indian suggestion of bilateralism but India exploited it by putting Kashmir issue on back burner. Gen Zia offered umpteen proposals to make South Asia nuclear free zone but India paid no heed to any. Benazir went to the extent of providing list of Sikh leaders engaged in Khalistan movement but failed to appease Rajiv. Like his predecessors, Nawaz too tried hard to find an amicable solution to Kashmir dispute and to improve Indo-Pak relations but made no headway.

Gen Musharraf crossed all limits to appease India but instead of reciprocating, India stabbed Pakistan in the back. President Zardari is religiously following his predecessor’s policy of appeasement and is going an extra mile to keep India in good humor but it has brought no change in attitude of Indian leaders. They refuse to resolve long standing issue of Kashmir which is root cause of antagonism between India and Pakistan and also do not desist from meddling into affairs of its neighbors.