VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF INDIA PAKISTAN CONFLICT
While the world media and Pakistan question the veracity of Indian claims of surgical strike inside the Pakistani border across Line of Control in Kashmir where two soldiers are reportedly killed, we know for sure that five people have died in police firing on protesters in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand where tribals were resisting the takeover of land for mining by National Thermal Power Corporation. Earlier 80 people were killed in Kashmir over two months in protests in the aftermath of killing of militant Burhan Wani and two people were killed in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand in protests against NTPC.
Modi has said that blood and water cannot flow together implying that Pakistan cannot expect unrestricted flow of water from rivers originating in India and flowing into Pakistan if it continues to support terrorists who target India using Pakistan as base. While it is true that terrorists have attacked army camp in Uri who came from Pakistan and earlier attacks have also taken place in Pathankot and Mumbai in which Pakistan’s involvement cannot be denied but how can we overlook the fact that blood flows in India because of Indian security forces too and not just because of Pakistani terrorists? The number of incidents of violence inside India by security force far outnumbers the incidents across the border with origin in Pakistan. Modi’s remark camouflages this sad reality and is thus misleading. It may appeal to blind nationalists but not to any rational thinking citizen.
We are apparently attacking Pakistan because we want to defend our motherland. But what are we doing with the motherland? Do people living over the land have right over it? If Modi government had its way, land rights will be taken away from people. It’ll no longer be necessary to ask people before the government will acquire land. Modi government tried thrice, fortunately unsuccessfully, to dilute the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act in the interest of private corporations. He had to ultimately give up in the face of stiff resistance from farmers and people.
The question is if the land is going to be taken over by the government to be handed over to corporations to make private profit, is not Narendra Modi violating the sanctity of the motherland and merely using people’s sentiments to rally them behind him projecting a potential war with Pakistan.
The sanctity of the motherland must not be just preserved against some foreign country but also against any vested interest which are out to acquire land on which the lives and livelihood of local people depend. When people defend their land against government takeover it is almost with same zeal, as they too are willing to give up their lives, as the soldiers defend the motherland against the enemy. For the people of Hazaribagh who were protesting against NTPC, Pakistan is a distant enemy but the immediate enemy is local police and administration.
The politics of nationalism has very cleverly mobilized people behind the government to defend the land of the country but its economic policies are heavily biased towards private sector. Modi government has opened the defence sector for privatization. Hence, we’re in a very peculiar situation. If the country goes to war, it may as much be to protect the motherland for the people as to cater to the interests of the private sector. The private companies selling arms to India stand to benefit from any war as India will place more orders with defense companies. Narendra Modi’s close friend Anil Ambani has already been the largest beneficiary of the deal with France to buy Rafale jets. Modi government is playing with the dangerous combination of nationalism and corporatization of defence sector. From now on the country will have to play the game of war to keep the defence sector alive and kicking. The media will go along with this as it stands to gain from any kind of sensationalism. In fact the media by playing up the sentiment of jingoism has created a war atmosphere which doesn’t actually exist in reality. It is thus doing a great disservice to the people of the country.
India must also reconsider its efforts to isolate Pakistan internationally. In spite of its best efforts the major powers are not willing to consider Pakistan the rogue state that India would like them to do. A possible reason is the human rights violations in Kashmir. India recently denied entry to the United National Human Rights Commission in Kashmir. On the contrary, Pakistan took international media to border areas after the Indian surgical strike. We cannot be blind to the issue of human rights violations in Kashmir and keep pointing out the atrocities committed by Pakistan from across the border.
India is also trying to review Indus Water Treaty signed with Pakistan in 1960. The deal allowed Pakistan to use waters of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab whereas India was free to use the waters of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. Even before India could consider revising the treaty, China has already demonstrated that it can do the same with India that India might consider doing with Pakistan. China has stopped the water of the Brahmaputra tributary. China doesn’t have a water sharing treaty with India like the Indus water treaty. So, while India’s possible act will be treated as illegal, China can get away without attracting any criticism.
How sensitive the water sharing exercise can be must be clear from the ongoing Karnataka-Tamil Nadu dispute. Had they been two countries they might have even gone to war over their respective claims on Cauvery water. The Supreme Court is best trying to resolve the issue which appears to be intractable. SC has at least directed the people using stern warning to refrain from using violence. SC has also taken the initiative of facilitating dialogue between the executive heads of two states with the objective of melting hostilities. Hopefully, the issue would be amicably resolved under the guidance of SC. It shows that all issues have potential solution and violence is no answer to any problem.
India and Pakistan should learn from the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu dispute. They should give up violence against each other and try to resolve their outstanding disputes through dialogue amicably.
By Sandeep Pandey
Vice President, Socialist Party (India)
Lohia Mazdoor Bhawan, 41/557 Tufail Ahmed Marg, Narhi, Lucknow-226001
Ph: 0522 2286423, Mobile: 9415269790 (Praveen Srivastava)
e-mail: ashaashram@yahoo.com
