Modi realigns South Asia. Keeps Pakistan at bay!

After the shameful attack by Pakistani terrorists on the Indian Army at Uri, Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, killing 19 Indian soldiers, India has retaliated by carrying out attacks that have been called as surgical strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). For some it may appear as an action that was delayed as India has been bearing the blunt of terrorist operating from the soil of Pakistan. This time there was an unprecedented public opinion for a punitive action. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi during his election campaign had assured making tallclaims to his chest size as “56 inch” and Indians now wanted him to do less of talking and do more action.

However, Prime Minister Modi was in a diplomatic offensive developing an opinion among world leaders that would isolate Pakistan. It delivered results. He made sure

Pakistan is not able to hold the next SAARC summit. Modi launched a psychological warfare by taking the issue of Baluchistan to UN. At the same time he reached outto  the Pakistani public by openly supporting the struggle of Baluchis; and differentiating between them and the perpetrators of terror.

Modi was candid when he said that there was anger in India over the Uri attack and the anger symbolized the national consciousness. He mentioned “I will just reiterate so that the guilty will certainly be punished”. After the surgical attack the spokesperson of the ministry was straight when he said, “The Army does not speak; the Army takes action, shows its prowess.” And the Indian Army has done exactly the same. These attacks were meticulously coordinated across the Line of Control (LoC), on eight targeted locations over a very wide frontage inside (PoK). India claims that 150 or so special forces troops, struck at these locations, seven of them being “launching pads” for Pakistan Army supported Pakistani terrorists, killing at least 38 terrorists and two Pakistan Army personnel as well as injuring 40 terrorists and nine Pakistan Army soldiers. An operation of such a kind could only succeed like it did with punctilious preparation involving real-time intelligence, meticulous co-ordination and well prepared troops with guts yet making the desired calmness.

Reactions from Pakistan only expose their state of confusion. Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif was prompt to strongly condemn “unprovoked and naked aggression” by India along the LoC, and said Pakistan’s armed forces are fully capable of defending the territorial integrity of the country. On the other hand, Pakistan Army denied the operation by the Indian Army. By agreeing to the surgical strikes by India, Pakistan would have only proved itself to be a country that is nursery for terrorists.

The operation by Indian Army has again exposed the Pakistan Army’s ineffectiveness and deception of supporting terrorists, quitecomparable to what happened after American Special Forces killed Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad.

As to the Pakistan Army responding with nuclear weapons, will it be brainless enough to do so? Will the Pakistan Army opt for full-fledged war? While it has immediately stopped its defensepersonnel’s leave, it does not seem to have that capability for full-fledged conventional war, which is why after the war of 1971 that crafted out Bangladesh, it switched to exporting of terror. If Pakistan resorts to limited war like Kargil in 1999, it will again get an appropriate response.

The strike by India is tactical that has a long term strategic action in mind. Isolation of Pakistan, opting out of Indus valley treaty, getting SAARC nations together to boycott the summit, India has opened flood gates for Pakistan. Modi has taken the diplomatic offensive to a new level, where nations would find South Asia united but Pakistan won’t be a part of it. India didn’t pull out alone from the forthcoming SAARC summit, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also did so, citing terrorism as the reason.  That was a significant step in that direction of regrouping. Prime Minister Modi may be able to give it an even better shape, when India hosts the BIMSTEC outreach summit. An initiative for Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal is expected to bring these nations together on transport, sharing of electricity and host of issues of common interest.

A situation, that India has crafted extremely well for the region to take note and keep Pakistan at an arms distance.