Indian Army artillery wiping out at least three terror camps in Neelam Valley of PoK has been the breaking news in TV news channels and web-based news portals all throughout since Sunday afternoon. Official confirmation has also been received, clarifying that the action was engineered as a reply to cross-border firing by Pakistan, which was trying to infiltrate terrorists. By the volume of destruction inflicted, this edition of ‘surgical strike’ comes little near to the scale of casualties that had been witnessed through elimination of Jaish camp(s) in Balakot and in military context, it can only be termed as a medium level or even a less one. But its significance lies elsewhere since it is actually as a ‘strong signal’ by the Indian military establishment to the Pakistani counterpart that if their old game of pursuing the low-cost war through sponsorship of cross-border terrorism is continued any further, more of these retributions are in offing. It’s actually an oblique way of reminding Pakistan that things have changed since the inception of Article 370 in J&K and there is now a tectonic shift in India’s overall policy towards them. And it’s also sure that even if Pakistan will be taken aback initially, it will try to raise this particular issue at various forums in coming weeks with the ultimate intention of internationalising Kashmir issue once more in a more vociferous way and curry favour in the process.
Pakistan’s policy towards India has been to keep alive hostility at any cost and since its miserable drubbing by the Indian armed forces in 1971 war, it has chosen the path of abetting terrorism as an inexpensive tool to keep India on tenterhooks, along with its simultaneous build-up of all conventional forms of weaponry including nuclear warheads. Kashmir has proved to be a great dividend payer for them and emerged as a fertile ground of all sorts of terrorism and subversive activities. After the February Balakot action, it was presumed that, with such ‘hard lessons’ taught, Pakistan will dilute its coercive attitude at least to some extent. Nothing of that sort has happened so far and in September alone it’s drones had dropped packages containing items intended to harm civilians and there had been more than 2,000 unprovoked ceasefire violations resulting in 21 deaths. Last month’s 74th session of UNGA had also proved to be a futile platform for them to garner support on Kashmir issue and its nuclear war rhetoric has been viewed as an immature manoeuver.
Submerged with deep desperation over Kashmir and unsure of international support, it’s the Pakistan which Indian should ideally want. It’s thus the time opportune to send these ‘signals’ in more stronger and repetitive manners so that the neighbour gets more beleaguered, much to India’s delight. 

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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