The nationis rightly outraged at this morning's Uri Brigade Headquarters terrorist attackin which, so far, seventeen soldiers have been martyred and many otherscritically injured. While the identity of the four terrorist perpetrators, whohave all been killed, has not been established as yet, there is no doubt that theycame from across the border.
The timingof the attack makes it amply clear that it is the work of the official Pakistani agencies, and is designed to coincide with the beginning of the 71stsession of the United Nations General Assembly. It is meant to attractinternational attention to the situation in the Kashmir valley while avoiding the opprobrium over civilians being killed.
Worldleaders gather at the start of each session in New York; Pakistan PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif is leading his country's delegation and has reached thecity. Pakistan has already announced that he will raise the Kashmir situationat the UN, and also in his bilateral interactions with his international peers.
Through this attack, Pakistan hopes that he will taken more seriously when hecalls on the UN to intervene in Kashmir, both to address what Pakistan claimsare human rights violations as well as the dangerous situation that isdeveloping there between India and Pakistan.
- Uri attack designed to coincide with the beginning of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
- Uri attack meant to attract international attention to the situation in the Kashmir valley and at the same time avoid opprobrium over civilian deaths.
- International community recognises the realities of the Kashmir problem and its inextricable linkage with Pakistani-instigated terrorism.
- Indian official responses need to be measured and sober, not shrill and heavy on rhetoric. That will put the pressure on Pakistan.
- PM Modi made a statement of intent that India will act deliberately at a place and time of its choosing.
Also Read: Live Updates on the Uri Attack
Uri Attack is Pakistan's Follow-Up on Burhan Wani Protests
The fact isthat in the ten weeks since the Hizb-e-Mujahidden terrorist Burhan Wani'skilling, Pakistan has tried its best to project the protests as a spontaneousintifada undertaken by stone-pelting youth who are calling for freedom fromIndia. Its propaganda machine is pushing the idea that the protests arepeaceful in nature but that India is responding with brute force.
Nawaz Sharif haswritten to the UN and world leaders, sent out political envoys to majorcapitals, and even dedicated this year's Eid-e-Zuha to the Kashmiris tohighlight the so-called Kashmir cause. However,all this has not even remotely evokedthe response that Pakistan had hoped for.
The international community recognises the realities of the Kashmir problem and its inextricable linkage with Pakistani-instigated terrorism.
It also knows thatthe Indian security forces have essentially responded with restraint to controlstone-pelting crowds. The failure to move international opinion has beenacknowledged by Pakistani analysts, including diplomats and commentators.
In a recentcolumn in a respected Pakistani daily, Ashraf Jahangir Qazi, who has served asPakistan' s High Commissioner in Delhi lamented Pakistan's failed India policy. Specifically, he noted, “There arehardly any international takers today for Pakistan's case on Kashmir”. He alsounderlined the international community's “indifference” to the human rightssituation in the valley.
This marks a severe indictment of Pakistani effortsled by Nawaz Sharif himself in internationalising the Kashmir situation. Onerespected Pakistani journalist went to the extent of advising the Kashmiris ina recent article in an Indian daily not to raise the Pakistani flag for, “Theworld simply looks away when a reference to Pakistan crops up”.
Will Pakistan's Uri Gambit Succeed?
Will the international community now begin to pay greater attention to the Kashmir situation and be more responsive to Nawaz Sharif's call for a scrutiny of India's human rights record and the right of self-determination in Kashmir?
It is unlikely that any major power will seek to alienate India on this issue, though some may call for an India-Pakistan dialogue to reduce the temperature of the relationship. However, this is the time for smart Indian diplomacy, especially over the next few weeks.
This does not imply that India should not show firmness in its dealings with Pakistan in the wake of the attack. There is no contradiction between a firm resolve to safeguard India's security interests, not merely restricted to words, and the practice of smart diplomacy.
The latter means that Indian official responses need to be, among other diplomatic steps, measured and sober, not shrill and heavy on rhetoric. That will put the pressure on Pakistan.
Also Read: Defensive and In Denial: How Pakistanis Reacted to the Uri Attack
Also Read: Experts, Ex-Servicemen React to Deadly Terror Incident
PM Modi Has Put His Credibility on the Line
In thisperspective, the Prime Minister's comment, “I assure the nation that thosebehind this despicable attack will not go unpunished” is very significant. Itis a statement of intent that India will act deliberately at a place and timeof its choosing. Modi has put his credibility on the line for no other IndianPrime Minister has been so explicit. The international community will take noteand countries such as the US may counsel India to be restrained and at the sametime put the onus on Pakistan to rein in the terrorists.
One lastthought: the Indian army has acted in Kashmir with dedication and valour indifficult circumstances. They have earned the nation's gratitude for theirsacrifices and the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in Uri did so inthe tradition of the army.
However, a question has to be asked of the armyleadership: how did the terrorists enter the camp? Was there laxity onsomeone's part? Answers will have to be given to the people.
(The writer is a former Secretary [West], Ministry of External Affairs.)
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