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DELHI THE HINDU 8 EDITORIAL MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Lines being crossed The reasons behind India’s restraint after the 26/11 attacks are still valid today India. The second marked the year quences that follow such a step. on multiple targets in Mumbai city when India and Pakistan formally Any hope that international op­ (picture), in which nearly 170 per­ announced their emergence as nu­ probrium on Pakistan for the JeM sons were killed. Extensive discus­ The week after clear powers — leading to a kind of attack would deter Pakistan from sions were held at that time as to India must keep up diplomatic pressure stand­off between them. Between taking a retaliatory step for the at­ the possible actions that could be M.K. Narayanan 1971 and 1998, the South Asian re­ tack on Balakot needs to be taken against Pakistan, and many on Pakistan to act against terror groups gion witnessed the retreat from Af­ eschewed. ideas were considered — including ith India and Pakistan deciding to de­escalate ghanistan of Russian forces, and The reality is that while few that of similar pre­emptive strikes post­Balakot tensions, the focus has moved to he February 26 aerial strike the simultaneous emergence of would sympathise with Pakistan, on terror training camps along the Wthe diplomatic sphere. India’s strikes on a tar­ by India on a Jaish­e­Moham­ the phenomenon known as the well recognised as a country that LoC and beyond — and given up. mad (JeM) training camp in ‘Afghan Jihad’. The latter would harbours terrorists of every de­ The reality was — and this still get deep inside Pakistan were coupled with diplomatic T Balakot, located in Mansehra dis­ thereafter spawn radicalised Isla­ PTI scription, there are much larger is­ exists — that India did not possess manoeuvres that ensured no country censured India trict of Pakistan’s Khyber Pak­ mist violence across the entire re­ dlers in Pakistan. The radicalised sues at stake. There is the matter the kind of special forces (with the for the move. And in a turnaround for ties with the Or­ htunkhwa province, came hardly gion and even beyond, giving rise suicide bomber (Adil Ahmad Dar) of maintaining the sanctity of the requisite capabilities) that other ganisation of Islamic Cooperation after half a century, a fortnight after the Pulwama ter­ to organisations such as al­Qaeda was apparently spotted by JeM Westphalian Order, which has countries had, viz. Russia’s Spet­ External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was able to put ror attack on a Central Reserve and its acolytes. In Kashmir, it led masterminds in Pakistan many helped keep the peace across the snaz, Germany’s GSG­9, the U.S.’s the country’s case before the body, while Pakistan Police Force (CRPF) convoy on the to a shift in tactics, and the com­ months prior to the attack, and Pa­ world for centuries. This man­ SEALS and the U.K.’s SAS and SBS. stayed out. In recognition of India’s justification to act Srinagar­Jammu highway. The ter­ mencement of a more radicalised kistan controllers continued their dates certain rules and procedures It was felt at the time that it would ror attack was carried out by a JeM and militant phase of struggle. ‘handholding’ almost till the last as far as the conduct of interna­ not be possible in the circumstanc­ against an imminent terror threat from the Jaish­e­Mo­ suicide bomber, who rammed his Kashmir has never been the same minute. Pakistan’s fingerprints are tional relations is concerned. Vio­ es to carry out a pinpointed attack hammad, the U.S., the U.K. and France also moved in at explosives laden vehicle into the since. all over the Pulwama incident. lation of the territory of another on either the LeT or JeM head­ record speed to bring another listing request against convoy, killing 40 CRPF Pakistan was the main benefici­ India’s decision to carry the bat­ country, whether from land, sea quarters. Whether India should the group’s founder, Masood Azhar, at the UN Security personnel. ary of this. It gained control of the tle beyond the Line of Control and or air, whatever be the degree of violate Pakistan’s airspace was al­ Council’s committee for terror designations. There is a The Pulwama attack on Febru­ Taliban, which soon achieved as­ into Pakistan has several implica­ provocation, is generally per­ so carefully deliberated upon, but reasonable assumption that China will not block it this ary 14 was the deadliest attack to cendancy in Afghanistan’s affairs. tions. At its most basic level, it sig­ ceived as an act of war. Today, Rus­ wiser counsels at the time felt that time as it did during the last three attempts. There were date on security forces in Kashmir. Recruits and tactics from the Af­ nifies that in the battle against ter­ sia is being pilloried by the West this would be perceived as nothing other outcomes that defied the past. Although Islama­ It was seen as a message to India ghan Jihad helped intensify the ror, India is more than willing for the former’s annexation of Cri­ short of war. The failure to take ac­ that ‘Terror Incorporated’ in Pa­ struggle in Kashmir and tilt it in fa­ currently to side­step protocols mea. Russia is also being castigat­ tion is being reviled today in cer­ bad had spoken in the past of its abilities with “tactical kistan was upping the ante and vour of Pakistan. Terror, thereaf­ that dictate conduct among na­ ed for interfering in the U.S. presi­ tain circles, but it needs to be re­ nuclear devices”, there was no such mobilisation after taking matters to a qualitatively ter, became the strategic instru­ tions not officially at war. No dential elections in 2016. Yet, all membered that some of India’s India’s strikes. On the other hand, Pakistan was able to, higher level. That it chose to do so mentality employed to keep India amount of euphuistic chicanery al­ countries, including the U.S., have finest years were during the pe­ with its aerial response, also indicate that it was not when the general election in India in check. That is, until the Febru­ ters this reality. been reluctant to cross the Rubi­ riod 2009­2012. without non­nuclear options. Finally, indications that is around the corner further made ary 14 attack on the CRPF convoy We live in a highly disruptive con and enter into an open con­ the international community was involved in effecting a it an act of dare­devilry, almost in­ in Pulwama. world. Nations often find them­ frontation with Russia. Upholding India’s word breakthrough are clear. U.S. President Donald Trump viting India to retaliate. selves in a state of undeclared war. This should, hence, give us rea­ It may be said that having already A big provocation Tensions and provocations bet­ son to pause, and to debate wheth­ taken the step, there can be no go­ hinted at a breakthrough in talks hours before Pakistan Turning point Pulwama was the ultimate provo­ ween countries that share borders er the world could construe our ing back. India’s leaders, however, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the release of The aerial attack featured Mir­ cation. The suicide bomber deto­ — among the more prominent be­ action of violating Pakistani air­ need to be reminded that India’s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. age­2000 jets (designed to fly at nated between 80 and 90 kg of ex­ ing North and South Korea — often space, even if it is to carry out an restraint in responding to previous The government must, however, also assess what it speeds of up to Mach 2.2) fitted plosives, which experts have remain high. In the present in­ attack on a JeM training centre, as terror attacks is the crucial factor has actually achieved in strategic terms, and the conse­ with state­of­the­art radar and fly­ identified as RDX, categorised as a stance, a strong riposte by India justified or not. There is little giving India credibility as far as quences of the “new normal” it has sought to create by­wire flight control systems, car­ military grade explosive available was only to be expected, with the doubt that India’s policy­makers keeping commitments are con­ with Pakistan. Despite the strikes, it is far from clear rying precision guided missiles. with the armed forces. Prepara­ debate centring round the degree took the decision to carry out the cerned. It is important to recog­ Sukhoi Su­30MKI jets were stand­ tion for the attack suggests that it of restraint to be exercised. attack on Balakot — even if it nise in this context that India is that the capabilities of the JeM have been degraded to ing by, and early warning aircraft — was not a one­off event, and that Whether an aerial attack on a ter­ meant violating Pakistan airspace committed to‘No First Use’ in nu­ the point where it can no longer carry out attacks in In­ the Israeli Phalcon and the indige­ the planning had commenced ror target inside Pakistani territory — only after a great deal of deliber­ clear matters, and the world has dia. New Delhi must also track the JeM’s assets and abil­ nously built Netra — were also de­ much earlier. Preparing a suicide comes within the ambit of a credi­ ation, but it is still a highly debata­ accepted this guarantee purely ities within Jammu and Kashmir, as well as any intelli­ ployed.

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