The IAF air strikes

Why did the strikes happen?

In response to the Pulwama attack for which the terrorist outfit JeM has claimed responsibility, the Indian government has taken a pre-emptive action and so a non-military operation. This is a new doctrine of security that India has adopted, also in line with its diplomatic standpoint that the attack was to eliminate the terrorist outfit and not Pakistan. It is only working to support the categorical commitment made by Pakistan in 2004, when then President of Pakistan made to the then PM of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the sidelines of SAARC  summit.

It comes across as a befitting reply to Pakistan and to its notion that India would not strike against it as it had the No First Policy. No nation can sit quietly in the face of repeated terror attacks.

What can be the consequences?

As famous journalist Swati Chaturvedi puts in her blog – 

“The Mirage jets returned to India within minutes but have changed India's security mindset and doctrine forever.

Pakistan now has to make the hard choice of trying to make peace with India or indulge in ever-escalating stand-offs. It can no longer get away with farming out its battle to "jihadis"like JeM Chief Masood Azhar.”

Also war doesn’t seem to be the final solution to the Kashmir issue as the four previous wars that of 1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999 - failed to yield a lasting solution.

What is the stand of Pakistan?

Pakistan held one of the IAF pilots captive. But Pak is also stressing for talks, not accepting the fact that it is in fact sheltering the terrorists or in any way showing its readiness to take action against them. As is obvious, its hands are tied and it cannot work tangential to the consent of international community.So in its PR effort, it spread the videos of giving hospitable treatment by the Pakistan Army to the Abhinandan Varthaman, the captive pilot.

Pakistan has been using terrorism as an instrument of state policy through non-state actors/criminals (who portray to be Kashmir’s freedom fighters), to avenge themselves of the 1971 Bangladesh war. They even traumatized Punjab in their ploy for carving out Khalistaan but it led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi. So how far they can go with their morally abhorrent policies is yet to be seen.

What is the stand of other political parties?

So the reprisals (retaliation) were welcomed across the various political parties.

What is the stand of other imp. Countries?

UK, US and France has asked UN to declare Masood Azhar as international terrorist. China too supported India in a way that it did not mention India entering into Pak’s territory but in fact called for both the countries to consider “restraint”.

What should be the solution?

Though the ‘josh’ amongst the Indians is high, many of us do not want this to spiral into an unprecedented conflagration. We are seeing ‘saynotowar’ hashtag doing the rounds and I really like Prashant Kishore’s take on the tag as one of his tweet reads –

“#SayNoToWar is not cowardice. The father of the nation was opposed to any war and he certainly was no coward. In fact he was one of the bravest that humanity has ever seen. Social media jingoism and mindless warmongering should not be mistaken for bravery!!

The aftermath of a nuclear war would only take us 20 years back and the effects would be long lasting not only in infrastructure, environment, food resources but for both the nations and apparently for other neighboring countries in terms of mental and physical health.

Aslo, it’s disheartening to know that there have been reports of physical abuse on Indian Kashmiris In some parts of the country. We cannot ignore the fact that the suicide bomber in Pulwama was an Indian Kashmiri who had been indoctrinated, like many other young Indians by JeM and other similar operatives. We need to feel their sufferings and understand their helplessness and frustrations as a consequence of the incapability of the two nations to arrive at a decision regarding Kashmir.

We cannot only claim the land of Kashmir as ours and alienate the people, but also understand the trauma of our Kashmiri Brethrens.

In the words of Shobha De - 

"Questioning security lapses is asking for trouble. Declaring yourself a ‘peacenik’ is as good as confessing you are a deshdrohi. Despite this realisation, I still feel what I feel. And that does not make me a traitor, any more than it makes patriots out of those spewing hate. Death and destruction are the only winners in war. There has to be a better solution. A less savage one. We are all a part of the problem, and it is up to us to find that elusive solution. Nobody can afford a war. Nobody. That is the reality."