Last night was turbulence galore for me. I always enjoy such moments when one is under pressure of professional work. Let me explain. Dainik Bhaskar already had my first draft of the article which appeared in some of its editions today. Then I was with Barkha on the NDTV program at 9 -9.45PM. While driving back (45 minutes) I was rung up by the DB Editor to request a short updated draft on the Peshawar Attack which they could use either separately or in combination with the article already lying with them. Dinner had to be set aside so that 300-400 words could be quickly drafted and forwarded to DB before they went to the press. The DB staff worked overtime to do the needful and combined the two drafts to produce an updated article in some of their editions. The short draft on the Peshawar Attack, in English is placed below for reading pleasure of Friends. The English version of the original article on J&K is being separately posted. It can be confusing, isnt it. But that is the fun of it because you so mentally alert. PESHAWAR : A HUMAN TRAGEDY PAKISTAN MUST LEARN FROM Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain The entire day of Vijay Diwas (16 Dec) was spent watching the horrific images from Peshawar, of the attack on the Army Public School. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) appears to have chosen the softest of targets to send home its message to the Pakistan security establishment, of its ability to target at will and avenge loss of lives in Northern Waziristan, as it has claimed. It was also to counter the wave of positive publicity that Nobel Laureate Malala Yusufzai has generated and remind Pakistan that it needs to be rooted to the Fundamentalist Islam as it existed in the Seventh Century. The last message from the event appears to have been the adoption of the doctrine of the Islamic State of which the TTP is now a virtual surrogate, after it swore allegiance to it and supported its notion of the Caliphate. This doctrine is about the use of cruelty and depravity, virtually as a principle of war. What is expected as the aftermath of this event and how must India respond. Firstly, big ticket events have a way of triggering change. We sincerely hope that the sheer madness of this event will force Pakistan to comprehensively examine its policy of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds. It can no longer be in a state of denial and of being at the receiving end because of the skewed policies of the past which continue to the day. Secondly, it cannot distinguish between good and bad terrorists. If it wants the sympathy of the world and its support to force out the scourge it has to act comprehensively responsible. The Punjab based Jihadi groups may appear today as strategic assets against India; such assets have a way of turning on the masters when they go out of control The recent rally of Hafiz Sayeed at Lahore indicates just how far out of control these groups are. It is yet not late. Perhaps Pakistan’s virtual 9/11 will force a societal review and pressure on its security establishment. We, in India need to sympathize and empathize with the Pakistani people for loss of innocent lives and join our Prime Minister in condemning this dastardly act. Yet, we need to be realistic and appreciate the fact that things in Pakistan are unlikely to change overnight. Contingent upon Pakistan’s attitude towards change, we still have a long haul towards putting an end to terror in the subcontinent.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:18:33 +0000
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