India is putting sufficient diplomatic pressure on Pakistan and USA.
We have to wait and watch for their response. They have started acting
nearly to our expected level. Musharraf is now projecting himself
to be a moderate and sensible man. He has taken bold steps such as
arresting key terrorists, freezing bank accounts of banned terrorist
organisations, and cracking down on terrorist camps in spite of the
domestic pressures in Pakistan. The latest developments indicate that
United Nation and USA are indeed influencing Pakistan and Pakistan
seems to take at least the cosmetic actions to contain terrorism.
This is not sufficient and India wants some concrete actions from
Pakistan to prove that Pakistan is genuinely interested in eliminating
terrorism from the world and it is an active member in the world league
to fight against terrorism. At the time of writing this article, British
premier Tony Blair has landed in India to talk to Indian Government
and insist that Pakistan should be given time to establish its genuine
interest to eradicate terrorism. He is also visiting Pakistan on 7th
January 2002 to influence Pakistan President and make his see things
in its perspective.
Meanwhile people in both countries plead for preserving peace in
this region. There are groups in India and Pakistan who are involved
in the peace demonstration and are intensifying the campaign for peace.
Their action plan include organizing a meeting on "Peace Initiatives
between Indian and Pakistan" and attempts to contact leaders of political
parties to elicit their support for peace initiatives. Nobody has
a greater stake in fighting the scourge of terrorism than Indian and
Pakistani citizens. State-sponsored and militant-group terrorisms
have both taken a huge toll of their life and liberty. However, wars,
driven by devious or jingoistic agendas, cannot combat terrorism,
nor can draconian measures crush freedom. At the centre of the confrontation
is Kashmir. The problem cries out for a peaceful, non-sectarian, democratic
resolution through consultation with its people. South Asia stands
at a historic crossroads. If sanity and wisdom prevail, we could begin
a new humane era of cooperation, peace and prosperity. Or else, over
one billion people will become hostage to unending enmity and destruction,
even a nuclear holocaust. We all collectively should appeal to our
leaders to pull back from disaster's brink and act sensibly.
There was an anti-war demonstration in Mumbai on 31st January 2001.
With the clouds of war hovering over the South Asian sky the peace
activists met today at Churchgate (in Mumbai) to voice their fears
and to oppose it unconditionally. The demonstration was organized
by Sarvodaya Mandal, EKTA, Lokshahi Hakka Sanghtan, Muslim Intellectual
Forum and many other groups. The placards carried the slogans opposing
war, calling for restraint and warning of the dangers of escalation
of war into a Nuclear holocaust. The activists held the demonstration
in silence and talked to the people about the need for peace. It was
argued that as such war is a calamity by itself and the threat of
Nuclear weapons being used, makes it all the more imperative to call
upon both the Governments, Indian and Pakistani, to come to discussion
table and to democratize the violence torn region of Kashmir, to look
at it as a Human issue and not a communal one. Plans are afoot to
take up signature campaign to oppose the same. Similar demonstrations
and discussions are happening in Pakistan also in an effort to make
Pakistan government act sensibly.
We do need to eliminate terrorism, we do need to strive all the ways
to root out this menace by all the means except war, which will be
counterproductive and will be harmful to our own self. People from
both countries should call for dialogue and diplomatic offensive,
UN intervention to restrain the Pak inspired terrorism, and most importantly
stoppage of the war hysteria. There is no alternative to peace and
war is no solution. The war can only worsen the problems in the region.
Remember that India-Pakistan war will not be like US-Afghanistan war
as here both are almost equal powers and more importantly both have
nuclear capabilities. We should all shed jingoism and put pressure
on our governments to restrain from war. Let us think about our posterity
and keep this region safe from nuclear calamity. Our nuclear capability
should only serve the purpose of defending ourselves by frightening
our opponent and it need not and should not be put to use.
