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Pakistan terror: Modi, don't forget your Lalan College speech

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Gaurav C Sawant
Gaurav C SawantMar 27, 2015 | 11:15

Pakistan terror: Modi, don't forget your Lalan College speech

As the anchor hosting the 67th Independence Day special on Headlines Today, I heard then Gujarat chief minister Narenda Modi at Lalan College, Bhuj in rapt attention. Wearing a traditional red printed Gujarati pagdi after unfurling the tricolour, chief minister Modi tore into then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s feeble and uninspiring Pakistan Policy. "What is the limit of our tolerance (of Pakistan sponsored terror)," he thundered. 

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Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at 7 Race Course Road and the question still hangs fire: What is the limit of our tolerance of Pakistan sponsored terror? 

On Friday, March 20, Pakistani terrorists crossed the international border and launched a terror attack at a police station in Kathua. Two CRPF personnel, one police official and two civilians were killed and 11 security force personnel were injured before killing two terrorists. The next day – Saturday, March 21 – two more Pakistani terrorists attacked an army unit in Samba. Fortunately both were killed before they could cause any damage. 

But barely 48 hours later, March 23, government deputed General VK Singh, now minister of state external affairs to represent the government of India at Pakistan’s National Day celebrations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. 

Prime Minister Modi tweeted: 

"I have written to Pakistan PM Mr Nawaz Sharif, conveying my greetings on the National Day of Pakistan. 

It is my firm conviction that all outstanding issues can be resolved through bilateral dialogue in an atmosphere free from terror and violence.

But do we have a terror- and violence-free environment today? Is Pakistan equally keen on better relations with India? Has the Nawaz Sharif government done anything to address India-centric terror? Has a single terror training camp been shut down? Has a single accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks been convicted? Has the Pakistan government reined in Hafiz Saeed or Masud Azhar? And in New Delhi, has the Pakistan High Commissioner accepted India’s new template of not engaging with the Hurriyat? If the answer to any or all of the above is a big no, then what has changed in this journey from Lalan College to Race Course Road?

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Did we need to send a minister of state to the Pakistan high commission? Barely 24 hours earlier J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammed Saeed blamed Pakistan for the terror attack. We could have either stayed away or scaled it down to keeping it at the level of diplomats on the Pakistan desk.

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Even if we did want to send a minister of state to follow protocol, did it have to be a former chief of the army staff? General VK Singh, according to sources was reluctant to go to the Pakistan High Comission. A suggestion was made to send Kiran Rijiju, MoS home instead, which was turned down. Could the government not have sent Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS PMO – could have also shown representation south of Pir Panjal or perhaps MoS Health Sripad Yesso Naik. Health is one area where India has gone out of its way to help Pakistani citizens get better healthcare.

With 42 years in uniform, the General has fought wars against Pakistan and strategised to give the enemy a bloody nose again. As Chief, he has had access to Pakistan’s continued evil designs to destabilise India. The General was my guest at the India Today Global Round Table session on Terror and Pakistan ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit. He made it very clear if Pakistan had a change of heart post the terror attack on Army Public School, Peshawar, it was not visible. Top government sources tell me even today, if Pakistan has had a change of heart, it is still not visible on ground. It was his duty to go and he did. Perhaps he should have put his foot down. He felt disgusted being in the company of people representing state sponsors of terror. But he was not the only one disgusted. After all, barely 72 hours earlier we lost three brave security personnel and two civilians in Pakistan sponsored terror. The widows and families are still in tears.

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11-year-old Alka, daughter of Colonel MN Rai who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir this week. This is her shouting the war cry of her father's unit (2/9 Gorkha Rifles) as she bids him farewell at his funeral today.

Perhaps not a single Indian has a dry eye thinking of 11-year-old Alka Rai who screamed her father Colonel MN Rai’s unit war cry as she bid farewell to his mortal remains in New Delhi. Col Rai fell to Pakistan sponsored terror in J&K in January this year.

The same minister of state General VK Singh will be representing India at Bangladesh National Day. Watch the difference. He had, as a young officer, fought alongside the Mukti Bahini and helped liberate Bangladesh from the bloody clutches of Pakistan. Perhaps there will be a marked difference in the body language then.

It is very noble to want good relations with Pakistan. From Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Manmohan Singh, several attempts have been made to start afresh without seeking closure to Pakistan’s past deeds. Pakistan sees this as India’s weakness. Despite that, Kargil Vajpayee called Musharraf to Agra, despite 26/11 and two attacks on Indian embassy in Afghanistan, Manmohan Singh called then Pak PM Yusuf Raza Gilani – a man of peace. Words do not bring peace. Strong action does. And that strong action is expected from a strong prime minister.

India voted for change. And that change must show in how we deal with Pakistan sponsored terror.

Last updated: March 27, 2015 | 11:15
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