No My War or Your War

April 2010

The terrorist attacks in Russia, particularly those of suicide bombers on Metro trains, is a continuity of the war Islamist International is waging on the civilised world. It is a reminder to both Government of India and Government of USA that a small signal of weakness, not to speak of  any concession, anywhere in the territories where Jihad is being waged, can lead to the flare up of Jihad all over.

The signals given by the Obama administration that it may come to terms with Taliban and eventually with Al Qaeda to extricate itself from the region has created an impression that Jihad is invincible. The weakness being shown by certain quarters of Government of India to come to some accommodation with the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir is undermining not only the national security but also does not augur well for the peace in the region .

For more than six decades government of India has pursued a policy of incremental concessions to the Muslim separatist politics in the State. The perceptions guiding the policy have underlined the necessity of compromises to douse the sentiment of separatism. With each concession the separatist sentiment  grew in strength in Jammu and Kashmir.

The model of engaging the moderate varieties of separatism and communalism over the years blossomed into underground Muslim separatism with an overgrond network of support structures preserved and perpetuated by the so-called moderates.

Americans seem to have adopted this model now in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As the Government of India abandoned all legitimately moderate forces on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir to win over the separatists, the Americans are abandoning everything in the region which can be genuinely their support, to salvage themselves.

For the time being Pakistani Army seems to be having its way. Its strategic perspective is being embraced by the Americans. Not only is its perspective on solution on Jammu and Kashmir being encouraged by the Americans, but also its views on Afghanistan are finding more resonance amongst the American planners of the present.

In an endeavour to douse the fires of Jihad, the epicentre of Jihad-The Pakistan is being promised both a forward movement in the east and a strategic depth in the west. More precisely the perception of the Al-Qaeda strategic planners, that Pakistan is a place of strategic depth for International Jihad is proving more correct than the assessments of governments in India and USA. With the strengthening of the strategic depth of Jihad, the global terrorism will only grow, as the events in Russia, Pakistan or even Jammu and Kashmir are showing.

Recognising the continuity of the Jihad waged by Islamist International and not compartmentalising it into my war and your war is the imperative necessity for the civilised world. Hitler rose to power in Europe because powers in Europe viewed his rise only in terms of my interests and your interests. What happened because of this attitude is History. Half of Europe including the great power of France was decimated. British escaped occupation only by quick of fate in the form of Dunkerk fiasco of Hitler.

A similar situation is developing in this region. India like Russians are fighting the grim battle for the defence of its fronters. Americans will commit a mistake if they think that Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan is only a strategic space which they can barter away for better interests. Americans are also fighting in Asia for the defence of its frontiers.