| Categories | ||
  POLITICS & GOVERNANCE[2001 onwards] POLITICS & GOVERNANCE[1996-2000] MOVIESMUSICSPORTSBUSINESSNATIONAL SECURITYINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSINFOTECHSOCIETYSTYLELIVETRAVELSCIENCEELECTION'99ELECTIONS '98 | ||
'It is time for India to get tough with them'
Bram : is it possible for them to withdraw troops from
Siachen? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : Greetings. We can begin the chat, folks. Brahma Shiva : Dear Mr Chellaney: Why are u alone opposing Musharraf's visit? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : India is an emotional society. Gushy expectations and wishful thinking have blighted Indian foreign policy from Nehru years onwards. That is the reason why, to quote Nehru's statement the day China attacked India, we get "evil for good." We need to be realistic. Dialogue is fine, but dialogue with realism is a route to disaster. How often in the past two years alone has Pakistan returned "evil for good" to India? Kargil, IC-814 hijack, qualitative escalation in terrorism are just some of the examples. Chidambaram : Mr Chellaney: Why are u opposing Hurriyat tooth and nail when they are the sole representative of Kashmiri people? Can u throw some light on them? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : The Hurriyat is an organization that India has lent credence to. These guys are just mohalla dadas or plain criminals. As the JKLF said yesterday, the Hurriyat is a puppet of Pakistan, dancing to Islamabad's tune. India has been very indulgent with the Hurriyat, pampering those folks and providing them security cover. It is time for India to get tough with them. Prashant : Chellaney: Is there any alternative to peace with Pakistan? How long can we go on with them like this? We took Siachen, they took Kargil. We won Bangladesh war, they won by sending their men to Kashmir for jehad. AFter all, how long will this continue? Please tell us. Has peace any alternative? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : Like motherhood, no right-thinking person can oppose peace. We all want peace. But we will not get peace just by asking for peace. To get peace with a recalcitrant neighbour, you need realistic, goal-oriented statecraft. And you need leverage. At present, Pakistan thinks it can continue to bleed India without India daring to impose any retaliatory costs. Pakistan sees the Vajpayee initiative as another indicator of Indian fatigue in fighting its jihad. Does this help the search for peace? The problem is that India does not maintain any policy on Pakistan for more than six months. Rapid swings in policy are detrimental to Indian interests and suggest lack of a strategy to deal with Pakistan. We need both a short-term and a long-term approach to deal with the Pakistan problem. Sridhar : Mr.Chellaney, it seems that India is bending over backwards in aanouncing unilateral measures. However, we see no reciprocity from our neighbour. All we see is Vikas Singh being released and it is getting wide publicity as though it is something extraordinary. Where are we heading to ? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : The unilateral "goodwill gestures" announced by India last evening are indicative of the wishful thinking that characterizes Indian foreign policy. While we have plenty of Indonesian, Burmese, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and even Thai fishermen in Indian jails, the Coast Guard has been directed not to arrest Pakistani fishermen entering Indian territorial waters! What has Pakistan done to deserve such special consideration that we do not bestow even on our friendly neighbours? sagar : Musharraf appears to be stern while making press statements, while on the otherhand we see Vajpayee taking a soft line ... do you agree ..... Do you think we are going too overboard with the Musharraf visit? Aren't we focussing on unnecessry things like where he visits, stays etc. than on the real issues? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I agree with you. We are indeed going overboard. We need to be reasonable and firm and yet balanced in our approach. topgun : Mr. Chellaney can we expect another Kargil after the forthcoming talks???? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I don't know whether Pakistan will do another Kargil. Pakistan likes to spring a surprise on India. The next time it takes India by surprise, it will be a very different operation. We should understand that Pakistan will not survive as a nation-state if it gives up its congential hatred of India. That hatred is the only element defining Pakistan's identity. Without the Kashmir issue and the underlying antipathy toward India, Pakistan will become a battleground for its five feuding tribes. ArunK : I think we have to draw a line in the sand as far as Musharaff meeting the Hurriat is concerned. I think we should make it quite simple to him and give him two choices: Vajpayee or Hurriat. What do you think? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : Given the repeated flip-flops of the Indian government, I don't think New Delhi is willing to draw any line in the sand. In fact, on the Hurriyat-Musharraf meeting issue, expect another U-turn by New Delhi. VenkatMullur : Mr. Chellaney, Should the talks focus on Kashmir, or the inherent hate perpetrated by the Jehadis in Pak. Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I think we should be willing to discuss all issues, including Kashmir. But we need to be clear about our interests and concerns. Pakistan needs to be put on warning that India cannot any longer tolerate its "war of a thousand cuts" without imposing retaliatory costs on Pakistan. Only when Pakistan begins to bear the pain of what it is doing to India will it stop its covert war. Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : Anis : What is your assessment of Vajpayee-Advani duo and their handling of the Kashmir issue?Isnt it the most spineless and confused exhibition of foreign policy we ever had?I dont think it can get any worse than this. Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I am amazed how a team (Vajpayee-Advani-Jaswant-Brajesh) committed strongly to national security operates at times on gushy expectations. These are good people but, unfortunately, their record in power has been hardly impressive. I guess one reason is that they have not worked as a team. Rather each pursues a highly individualistic approach to issues. And each has its own favorites. Mangesh : Bramha some analyst say that the reason India dd U turn on foreign policy is that US feared another coup in Pakistan against Musharraf from pro-china lobby..what do u think? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : Yes, there is some grain of realism in those fears. Musharraf is constantly looking behind his shoulders at the other generals in his military junta. He faces a threat to his position and to his life. But is he a friend of India? And is it India's business to try and rescue him (this rogue general-cum-usurper president) from the other wolves in his junta? venky007 : How is peace possible with a country whose very existence is on an anti India premise. Reading Pakistani newspapers gives me an impression that India has to be curtailed for pakistani survival. Do you really think that Kashmir is the issue ? Isn't it more fundamental ? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : The Kashmir issue is the consequence, not the cause, of Indo-Pak conflict. This is something that Musharraf himself publicly acknowledged before he seized power in October 1999. p_gade : Dont you think that if opposition and Sonia play some role, it will help India. Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I think it is India's misfortune that the opposition is moribund. Sonia has been the best gift for the Vajpayee government! sameer : SIR, DON'T YOU THINK INDIA IS SOFT STATE. SHOULD'NT WE ACT AS ISREAL? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : There is a popular feeling in India that this country is a weak, soft, corrupt and pusillanimous state. This feeling has become particularly strong in recent years, ironically under the government of self-proclaimed nationalists. Common citizens had expected the Vajpayee government to be different. Rather this government has shown that the only prime minister who had a strategic mind and was strong on national security was Indira Gandhi. rsajan : What role does the international drug mafia have in Kashmir? Are they not the ones keeping the issue alive now? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : The insurrection in Kashmir, as you know, is tied to the narco-terrorist forces operating in the Pak-Afghan belt. The Taliban has been fattened by heroin trade. So also the Pak military establishment, including the dreaded ISI. hithere : Sir, do you think that China is a greater threat to India than Pak?? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : Your question can be answered through a counter-question: Would Pakistan be able to sustain its belligerence against India without the reliable, sustained support of its patron, China? HoHo : Mr Chellaney, Consider the case of Siachin, where Pakisthan has no troops. Still Opinions come in Indian news papers that troops should be withdrawnfrom Siachin and it be converted to peace park. Isn't some people hereare involved in dis-information campaign ? How to stop the disinformation ?Shouldn't they talk on stopping terrorist camps in POK ? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I am surprised by the ill-informed stuff in the media on Siachin. Our media folks don't seem to know that (i) the entire glacier is under India control; and (ii) withdrawal from there could invite another Kargil-like clandestine encroachment. Withdrawal from Kargil would leave the topmost strategic belt vulnerable to Pak-China occupation. It will facilitate Pak troops joining up with Chinese troops at the Karakoram Pass. vikasipm : brahma-they meet in agra,have photos,shake hands,share sweet nothings and its bye bye.That in sum is going to happen. Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I agree. The official spin will be heavy. High in hype, and low in substance. That is my prediction. AdityaC : Mr. Chellaney, is there any likelyhood that Nobel-seeking Vajpayee will choose to throw away national security and WITHDRAW from Siachen glacier, leaving it open for the Paks to perform Kargil II? Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : We should remember what Nobel laureate Mikhail Gorbachev did to the superpower Soviet Union. Brahma Chellaney, Defence Analyst : I am sorry I have to go. Will chat again. Thanks for joining in. And apologies to those whose questions I couldn't answer because of lack of time. Cheers
|
