‘Is there any denying that Pakistan is a laboratory for radical Islam? Or that it’s in cahoots with our other neighbours?’
‘Our other neighbours? Aren’t you getting a bit paranoid?’
‘Are we?’ Narayan came smoothly to Rao’s rescue. ‘China would love to see a weak, tottering India. It could then retain topdog status in Asia and remain the world’s fastest growing economy and the first choice for foreign investments.’
‘And how exactly is China planning to do us in?’
‘Planning to?’ Narayan’s grim laugh was neither pleasant nor polite. ‘They’re already doing it. India is possibly the only country with whom they’ve made no real effort to resolve border disputes. They have supported Pakistan with military hardware which they know will be used against us. And they’ve blocked every move within the UN to ban Pakistan-based terror groups like the Jamaat-ul-Dawa... and of course, we all know who has been helping Pakistan with testing and developing nuclear weapons.’
‘As for our other neighbours,’ Rao took over again, ‘Nepal is firmly in the grip of the Maoists. They favour China and will follow its dictates since the Maoists receive extensive moral and material support from China. And Bangladesh marches to much the same beat as Pakistan.’
‘I fully endorse that,’ Narayan said. ‘All these countries pretend to work in isolation, but the subtle alliance between them has tied up India’s security forces in knots all these years and cost us millions by stunting our economic growth.’
‘The Pakistan Army and the ISI are spearheading this battle,’ said Rao. ‘They want to radicalize the Indian Muslims and incite the Hindu majority to lash back at them until there is complete chaos. Our security forces get tied up in meaningless internal duties and soon, war fatigue will set in and completely demoralize them. I’m sure you know that in all these years, there hasn’t been a single day when the Indian Armed Forces have not been engaged in combat.’
‘Okay, now if the history lesson is over,’ the external affairs minister cut in impatiently, ‘can you tell us who is responsible for these serial bombings?’
‘I think we all know we can safely attribute the terrorist problems we face to Pakistan,’ said Rao gravely. ‘After all these years, despite dozens of accords, treaties and promises, Pakistan has not relented in its efforts to balkanize India. Our problem is not so much the Islamic purists calling for a return to the original practices of Islam, it is the ISI with its subversive tactics, using disgruntled and criminal elements in India to wage a low-intensity conflict against us. This war of a thousand cuts aims to bleed our economy, fragment our society and keep international attention focused on the conflict in Kashmir, which they have always tried to pass off as domestic militancy.’
‘Not to mention the fact that this simmering problem with India enables the Pakistani Army to retain control over Pakistan. It also ensures they get unstinted support from countries like China.’
‘That’s absolutely correct,’ Rao said. ‘In fact, the terror attacks they sponsor against India are mainly aimed at provoking an armed response from us, a response that will give the Pak Army an excuse to pull out their troops from the NWFP area and thus reduce pressure on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The army is deeply unhappy about the operations they are being forced to conduct against the Taliban due to American pressure. They would love to have an excuse to get out of that.’
‘But isn’t it in their own interest to fight the Taliban? Doesn’t Pakistan suffer from terror attacks too?’
‘Yes, but there are many in the army and the ISI who want the Taliban to take over Pakistan. They want the Islamic caliphate to expand and take control of maximum territory. In fact, this lot views everything in terms of a jihad against what they call the Crusader-Zionist-Hindu
‘Our other neighbours? Aren’t you getting a bit paranoid?’
‘Are we?’ Narayan came smoothly to Rao’s rescue. ‘China would love to see a weak, tottering India. It could then retain topdog status in Asia and remain the world’s fastest growing economy and the first choice for foreign investments.’
‘And how exactly is China planning to do us in?’
‘Planning to?’ Narayan’s grim laugh was neither pleasant nor polite. ‘They’re already doing it. India is possibly the only country with whom they’ve made no real effort to resolve border disputes. They have supported Pakistan with military hardware which they know will be used against us. And they’ve blocked every move within the UN to ban Pakistan-based terror groups like the Jamaat-ul-Dawa... and of course, we all know who has been helping Pakistan with testing and developing nuclear weapons.’
‘As for our other neighbours,’ Rao took over again, ‘Nepal is firmly in the grip of the Maoists. They favour China and will follow its dictates since the Maoists receive extensive moral and material support from China. And Bangladesh marches to much the same beat as Pakistan.’
‘I fully endorse that,’ Narayan said. ‘All these countries pretend to work in isolation, but the subtle alliance between them has tied up India’s security forces in knots all these years and cost us millions by stunting our economic growth.’
‘The Pakistan Army and the ISI are spearheading this battle,’ said Rao. ‘They want to radicalize the Indian Muslims and incite the Hindu majority to lash back at them until there is complete chaos. Our security forces get tied up in meaningless internal duties and soon, war fatigue will set in and completely demoralize them. I’m sure you know that in all these years, there hasn’t been a single day when the Indian Armed Forces have not been engaged in combat.’
‘Okay, now if the history lesson is over,’ the external affairs minister cut in impatiently, ‘can you tell us who is responsible for these serial bombings?’
‘I think we all know we can safely attribute the terrorist problems we face to Pakistan,’ said Rao gravely. ‘After all these years, despite dozens of accords, treaties and promises, Pakistan has not relented in its efforts to balkanize India. Our problem is not so much the Islamic purists calling for a return to the original practices of Islam, it is the ISI with its subversive tactics, using disgruntled and criminal elements in India to wage a low-intensity conflict against us. This war of a thousand cuts aims to bleed our economy, fragment our society and keep international attention focused on the conflict in Kashmir, which they have always tried to pass off as domestic militancy.’
‘Not to mention the fact that this simmering problem with India enables the Pakistani Army to retain control over Pakistan. It also ensures they get unstinted support from countries like China.’
‘That’s absolutely correct,’ Rao said. ‘In fact, the terror attacks they sponsor against India are mainly aimed at provoking an armed response from us, a response that will give the Pak Army an excuse to pull out their troops from the NWFP area and thus reduce pressure on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The army is deeply unhappy about the operations they are being forced to conduct against the Taliban due to American pressure. They would love to have an excuse to get out of that.’
‘But isn’t it in their own interest to fight the Taliban? Doesn’t Pakistan suffer from terror attacks too?’
‘Yes, but there are many in the army and the ISI who want the Taliban to take over Pakistan. They want the Islamic caliphate to expand and take control of maximum territory. In fact, this lot views everything in terms of a jihad against what they call the Crusader-Zionist-Hindu
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