Need, a strong reply!

What did the poor labourer from Bihar do that the I.S. agents killed him in cold blood? He is not alone. A dozen more have been selectively eliminated to cause a panic among the migrant labourers in Kashmir, predominantly consisting of Bihari and the U.P. poor. They do menial jobs in J & K, as in other parts of India, to eke out a meagre living.

It seems that the Islamic State fighters have exited Afghanistan for fear of reprisals and have taken shelter in Pakistan after the Taliban takeover. The gruesome plot to target and kill non-Muslim migrants in the Kashmir Valley could not have been hatched without the support of Pakistan, which is in deep economic trouble.

The financial woes of many countries toeing the line of China are not unknown. Pakistan’s coffers are empty, and so are Sri Lanka’s. Sri Lanka wants a US$500 million Indian soft loan for urgent purchases of fuel but continues to trade their crucial infrastructure to the Chinese to the detriment of India. I wish the Indian government would call the bluff and decline any financial support to Sri Lanka now.

Back on the killings, a pattern emerges in Kashmir and Bangladesh, choosing a crucial Durga Puja and Navratri festival time. Temples are vandalized, pandals burnt down, men assaulted and killed, and many women reportedly raped. It may be in the expectation of Indians polarizing on communal lines and rising in protest. Such unrest could be an ideal time for infiltrating terrorists via the eastern borders, which until now seemed quiet.

Nepal is beset with its governance problem and is aware of the retort of Madheshis. They are unhappy with India and will pounce with the help of China to foment trouble in the foreseeable future. The plan to encircle India, from the Pakistan side, from Arunachal, from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and Nepal could leave India a worse pain than facing only China in Ladakh borders.

Is Indian diplomacy failing? Despite the bravado on social networks and in noisy T.V. channels, the situation is not comforting. Even if it comes to a war, which I doubt at this juncture, the weakest point of India is its misplaced democracy and its opposition, finding fault with any and everything that the government does. The accountability and identification of the illegal migrants are seen as fallacious and undemocratic. The opposition did not waste time decrying Pulwama as a ‘selfie’ and Balakot as a hoax. One does not need an external enemy when we have too many amongst us.

The rise of India as a regional power is worrisome to many countries.  The country must send a strong demarche to Bangladesh to protest the attacks on its minorities and urge their government to provide security to the Hindus. Another surgical strike must teach the ever-recalcitrant Pakistan one more lesson to prevent such repetitive misadventures. Our strength must be proved repeatedly, more for the terror supporters within the country, many in the guise of political leaders.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix