Therefore,some urgent steps have to be taken if we can avert any escalation of this conflagration.Remember,military option should always be the last straw.We can always try other things to break the stranglehold of Pakistani extremists.Some of the points are summarised as follows(Some of the points have been taken from other sources):
1.Accept this fact,once and for all that Pakistan's sole aim is to destroy India.Even if we give it Kashmir on a platter,it will not stop its anti India activity.There is a saying in Afrikaans that if you dont know if a snake is poisonous or not,assume is as venomous;you will have better chance of surviving.Similarly instead of podering over if Pakistan is friend or foe simply assume it a foe for our own sake.Why are we simply asking the world for proof?Its for our own safety to accept that Pakistan will never relax until India is destroyed.Stop trusting Pakistan.
2.Recognise and treat Pakistan as a terrorist state. The state policy of Pakistan is terrorism and their single-point programme is to destroy India. This needs to be internalised by every filmstar,corporate baron,sportsperson,diplomat and should be applicable to each and every Indian.Its ridiculous to ask US to declare Pakistan as a terrorist state while we are maintaining normalcy with Pakistan.Let every Indian make it a point of duty and let it be made obligatory that no Indian should have any sort of dealings with Pakistan.
We should recognise that it is our war and nobody in the world is going to wage it on our behalf. What the Americans are thinking, or what the Britishers are going to do, will not help. A determined country should have a sense of dignity and independence to fight its war.
We should stop interviewing leaders from that country who mouth the same inanities that "you have not produced any proof." The Government of India should perhaps create a museum of proof between India Gate and North Block.
Its amazing that a country of a billion is required even to furnish proof. If one-sixth of humanity says that the terrorist state of Pakistan is the root cause of global terrorism -- it is factual. Let us not fall into the trap of providing proof to the culprits.
3.Ban all imports and exports to and from Pakistan.Indians invest considerably in Pakistan,notable among them is the entertainment Industry.Let every Investment to Pakistan be banned.For a Pakistani economy that is slipping,even a small measure like this can wreak considerable damage.4.Close the embassies and consulates to Pakistan.Stop Samjhauta express,bus service and close air space over India. Why should we allow our resources be used for a country that wants to destroy us??
5.We released Maulana Masood Azhar to save some 200 passengers of IC-814 in 1999,but that same man has been responsible for far more loss of innocent lives in India.So India should,like US and Israel,make it a point that no negotiations with terrorists in any manner be allowed.India should not deal with terrorists.A single terrorist released for whatever reasons,means loss of hundreds of lives.Are we ready for carrying the burden of the loss of so many lives just because we are a soft state?
6.We should categorically, unambiguously, unequivocally boycott Pakistan in all aspects for a decade or more. Be it art, music, economy, commerce, or other hand-holding activities. That army-controlled state has to realise that it has done enough damage to global civilisation.
7.There are three groups in India, who are obsessed with friendship with Pakistan. One is the oldies born in that part before partition and who are nostalgic about the Lahore havelis, halwas and mujras. The second is the Bollywood and other assorted groups, who look at it as a big market. The Dawood gang has financed enough of these useful idiots. The third is the candle light holding bleeding heart liberals (BHLs) who cannot imagine India doing well without its younger brother taken care of.
All three have been proved wrong hundreds of times, but they are also opinion makers. Shun them, avoid them and ridicule them.All cultural dealings with Pakistan,like their musicians and cricketers raking moolah in India or indian films releasing in Pakistan,be frozen.
8.We should double,or treble defense spending.For a country that has a trillion dollar economy,it sounds ridiculous that we spend only 27 billion on defense,especially when we live in a neighbourhood where 2 major countries-Pakistan and China-are openly antagonistic and others-Bangladesh,Nepal-are covertly antagonistic.With our ageing air fleet and outdated infantry we have no hope of being a major player in the world order until we modernize our defenses.It will have an added advantage of Pakistan doubling or trebling its defense spending to catch up with us.And when its economy is in doldrums,it cannot bear the strain of such spending and will collapse.
9.Annul Indus water treaty.For our country that is facing irrigation and energy difficulties,it is foolishness to leave the vast water resources of the Indus river for the exclusive use of Pakistan.Let us make a dam and divert that water for our usage.It may sound like we are using water as a political tool;but we have no obligation to care for our enemy when all it wants in mahyem in India.
10.India should join NATO.There will be elements in India who will say that Indian sovereignity will be lost,but that is a misconception.In such a hostile neighbourhood where we live,we cannot alone bear the cost of defense.In such a case an alliance like NATO will come handy;US will not give up such an opportunity of having a NATO ally which can help it in checking china.And no way our sovereignity be lost.Entire Europe is NATO ally;has it lost its sovereignity?NATO has a clause that an attack on one country amounts to an attack on all NATO countries.This clause alone will keep Pak or China on guard from making any antagonistic moves.
11.We should take a leaf from the cold war between US and the USSR, and prepare for any eventuality.Lets build nuclear bunkers and all sorts of defense mechanisms.Its only wishful thinking if we think that Pakistan is responsible enough to avoid nukes or prevent them from going to the terrorists.
12.Lets identify all items that are Pakistan's economic mainstay and try to kill that mainstay.Take textiles for example.Lets give our apparel manufacturers attractive incentives,tax breaks and promote them like any.Subsidise them so that to the entire world,Indian textiles and apparel are available of superior quality at lower prices.When such things happen,Pakistan's export industry will collapse and so will its economy.
13.When we have people like Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh manipulating Indian stock market and causing it to collapse,why can we send people like these to manipulate their stock,bond and monetary market and cause it to collapse there?
14.Remember that US and Europe are dictated by the multinational corporations,and for these corporations Indian market is the most lucrative market.Use this leverage and try to armtwist US,Europe and Japan into adopting a more anti-pakistan posture.For example,give tax breaks,increade FDI limit and tax holiday to every MNC that withdraws FDI from Pakistan and invests them in India.Similarly punish any country that adopts a pro Pakistani stand by making conditions more difficult for MNCs of that country to conduct business in India.Make Pakistan an unattractive destination for FDI.Tell American companies that for every 5% increase in FDI limit for them, their government needs to reduce equipping Pakistan by $5 billion. That is real politics, not whining. Let us remember that funds are in desperate search of emerging markets and not the other way about. Let us also remember that international economics is politics by another name.
15.Oppose tooth and nail all loans that are to be sanctioned to Pakistan from the IMF and the world bank.India becoming a leading player in the world,can surely muster some leverage and achieve some success!
16.Provide for capital punishment to those who fund terror and help in that. We have the division in the finance ministry to monitor money laundering, etc. It is important that terror financing is taken seriously and fully integrated into money laundering monitoring systems and this division is provided with much larger budget and human resources. And it should coordinate with RAW.
17.Pakistan always says show us proof show us proof.Lets beat them at their own game,or at least give it a shot.We know poor pakistanis turn terrorists because of economic issues.How about declaring a reward of 1 million dollars(say) for irrefutable proof of Pakistan's involvement in terrorism and 5 million dollars(say) for the heads of Hafeez and maulana Masood Azhar.There is a chance that some Pakistani will surely come forward to claim that reward-after all they know what hapens in their own soil.Give them amnesty and asylum with full protection.
18.We should realise that a united Pakistan is a grave threat to the existence of India. Hence, we should do everything possible to break up Pakistan into several units. This is required to be done not only for our interest, but for world peace.
19.If possible,conduct a few more nuclear tests in India.We know Indian nuke capabilities still have many glitches and they need to be rectified.Let us rectify them through those tests so that we have a perfect,glitch-free nuclear deterrent.If we do that,then Pakistan will be forced to do this also and we both will invite sanctions;but India is stronger now than it was in 1998 and Pakistan is weaker than it was in 1998.We will ride the storm;but pakistan,with its economy in shambles,will collapse.
20.Seal the border with Pakistan and strengthen BSF making it state-of-the-art.If we can reduce infiltration by increased vigilance,then we will go a long way in reducing terrorist attacks in India.
These methods may,or may not work,But we know that for 60 years the doves in India have taken the reins of power in their hands and have given us only bloodshed;its time the hawks took chargs.We need to discard the idealistic yet antiquated Nehru and Gujral doctrine and be more realistic and live in a real world.At least this will instill a sense of confidence in our own people and make them realise that India is a caring country which will not compromise with thhe lives of our citizens.
