Tag: Pahalgam Terrorist Attack

‘Why Should India Offer Water To Those Who Kill & Maim Our Citizens?’

By Lokmarg

Palak, a student from Patna pursuing Masters in Journalism from Sharda University, says India should have suspended Indus Water Treaty earlier. Her views:

As a regular college-going girl, I don’t claim to be an expert in international relations or defence strategies. But I do know one thing: when someone keeps hurting you over and over, and you keep helping them in return, it’s not kindness — it is weakness. And that’s exactly how I feel about the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan.

The treaty was signed way back in 1960. It gave India the rights to the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — and Pakistan was assigned to use the waters of the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Even though more than 80% of the water flows to Pakistan, India never broke the deal, not even during several wars or consistent terror attacks on its soil. We stuck to it faithfully for over 60 years.

And, pray, what did we get in return?

Time and again, Pakistan has harboured terrorism, sheltered those who have harmed us, and done everything possible to subvert peace in our country. Our soldiers have been attacked, our borders violated, and instead of standing up against such violence, their government — and even their citizens — chose to look the other way. Is that neighbourly behaviour?

ALSO READ: ‘Indus Treaty Action Will End Like Op Sindoor – US Mediation’

Now imagine this — we are literally giving water every single day to a country which trains terrorists to cross into our land and kill or maim our people. This water helps their crops grow, supports their economy, and strengthens a nation that does nothing but provoke us. Why should we continue to do that?

Some people say it’s unfair to punish the common citizens of Pakistan. But I want to ask — when have their “common citizens” stood up for our civilians or soldiers? Did they ever raise their voice after Pulwama or Uri attacks? If their silence doesn’t hurt them, why should our silence continue to cost us?

It’s time India stops being soft. We need to be smart now. Suspending the Indus Water Treaty is not an act of cruelty — it’s a wake-up call. It tells the world that India values peace, but not at the cost of its self-respect or innocent lives.

Water is life — yes. But water can also be power. And if we keep letting that power flow freely to someone who uses it against us, we are betraying our own people. No?

As a student, I’m proud of my country. But I also want to see my country stand strong, take bold steps, and stop being taken for granted. We’ve waited long enough. We’ve hoped for peace long enough. But hope without action is just helplessness.

This decision isn’t about revenge. It’s about respect.

India isn’t turning cruel. We’re just finally turning clear!

told to Deepti Sharma

‘Indus Treaty Action Will Go The Same Way As Op Sindoor – US Mediation’

By Lokmarg

NR Mohanty, a teacher, commentator & social media influencer, says India has few backers on geopolitical chessboard to support its action on Indus Water Treaty. His views

Can India walk out of the 65-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT) unilaterally?

The answer is both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. Yes, because we live in a lawless world. Although there is no one-sided exit clause in the IWT treaty, who can prevent us if we choose to do so! If the International Court of Justice (ICJ) indicts us, we can turn around and say, “ICJ, who?”

Didn’t Israel pooh-pooh the ICJ decree that the Jewish State was committing genocide in Gaza? Let’s remember the famous Thucydides’ line: “The strong do what they can; the weak suffer what they must.”

Israel can get away because it’s backed by the USA, militarily and economically the most powerful country in the world. Unfortunately, India has no backers, strong or weak. Not a single country has backed Operation Sindoor, India’s military retaliation against Pakistan, for sponsoring cross-border terrorism

After a seven-nation multi-party delegation went on a taxpayer-funded trip to 35 capitals of the world to convey India’s message about Pakistan being the hub of international terrorists, the UN Security Council designated Pakistan as the Chair and Vice Chair of two UN panels overseeing anti-terrorist activities

This amounted to a tight slap on the face of Indian diplomats and members of the seven-party delegation. Rubbing salt on injury, a top US General said on June 11 that Pakistan has been a valuable collaborator in the fight against terror!

Just ask those 50-odd individuals, who went on fortnight-long expensive vacation, if any country has endorsed the weaponisation of water by India in the Indo-Pak conflict — you will draw a blank. No country will say India is right in withholding water to Pakistan. Water is a natural resource; just because you are an upper riparian state, you have no moral or legal right to squeeze the tap meant for the lower riparian state. But India can go ahead and do so in complete disregard of the moral and legal imperative.

India says that it has only kept the IWT in abeyance, it has not abrogated it. India’s stated position is that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan mends its ways and gives up on terror. When Pakistan has never admitted to its cross-border terrorist activities, and when the UN Security Council is certifying its anti-terror credentials, how do you expect it to mend its ways?

So, it’s a fait accompli; the suspension of IWT remains in force for an indefinite period. What are its consequences?

It’s going to be disastrous. After all, 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture is dependent on Indus water; more than 90% of the water is used for non-agricultural purposes and sourced from the Indus. Imagine if India successfully obstructs the flow of water to Pakistan, our hostile neighbour will turn into an arid land and millions will die of starvation! As India Today Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa said the other day on TV, it’s a scenario ripe for a nuclear strike by Pakistan. “If you are dying, why not kill and die” would be the template for its military bosses, he said.

ALSO READ: ‘Poonch People Want Peace; War Only Brings Misery’

However, such an apocalyptic scenario is not likely to happen. It’s because India does not have the capacity to hold back the Indus in spate. The infrastructure needed to do so would cost billions and take decades to build, with all its ecological consequences. Yes, India can inflict pain on Pakistan during the lean season and damage the Rabi crops. It can withhold hydrological data and cause flash floods in parts of Pakistan.

Can Pakistan’s close ally, China, come to its rescue? China can’t help procure water for its friend, but it can cause damage to the common enemy, India. After all, in case of the Brahmaputra river, China is the upper riparian state and India is at the receiving end. Brahmaputra’s water is not as central to India’s needs as Indus is to Pakistan’s.

The Assam CM’s bravado that Assam would do better if China stops Brahmaputra water is a semi-educated response. His logic is that without Brahmaputra water, the annual flooding of Assam will stop during every monsoon. If China decides to build big dams on Brahmaputra — it has the advanced technology and financial wherewithal to do so — then it can cause intermittent floods in Assam round the year, causing unspeakable devastation. However, China is a prudent country; it will not invest billions just to punish India!

That brings us to the question: what is the endgame of the Indus Water Treaty theatre?

I have a hunch that it will end the same way the ceasefire after Operation Sindoor came about. There will be a hush-hush deliberation: the US team will prevail on India to restore the agreement; Trump will announce on ‘Truth Social’ that he helped broker the deal. Pakistan will profusely thank him for his mediation. India would say, without contradicting Trump, that it considered Pakistan’s appeal and agreed to restore the IWT. Our PM will go on TV to announce that he revoked the suspension of IWT as Pakistan agreed to stop cross-border terrorism.

Everyone will cheer. After all, a small diplomatic lie is par for the course to avert a big military disaster!

(The narrator, a former president of the JNU Students’ Union, has been the director, Jagran Institute of Management and Mass Communication (JIMMC), Noida. He is a former resident editor, The Times of India and Hindustan Times, Patna edition. His commentary on a current affair issue every morning is widely read on social media.)

As told to Amit Sengupta

‘We Struck Only At The Symptoms; Why Not Question Security Lapses’

By LokMarg

R Kalpana, a Bengaluru-based educator and behavioral trainer, decries the war mongering post-Pahalgam and says India has struck only at the symptoms. Her views:

My first reaction after I heard about the Pahalgam killings of tourists? I was shocked and distraught. I completely felt off-guard. How did the terrorists reach so far with their guns?

This is not the first time that these security lapses have happened in Kashmir. We have also, in the past, suddenly heard about some retaliation in the name of ‘surgical strikes’ where the footage and visuals appeared morphed, while TV channels go berserk. We, as citizens, see all this as a total façade, and a masquerade.

How can terrorists walk into a tourist zone, which is so popular, with guns, shoot, murder and walk away so easily? Why does the government not accept accountability and ownership of these gruesome incidents, with total and transparent security lapse?

In reality we have to believe that the armed forces seem to have no autonomy. Where were the security personnel on that day? No one in sight! They came, they shot and they left!

Tourists were murdered. Innocent people were killed not only because of terror, but equally because of the negligence of the government in a vulnerable zone. The government must take responsibility for this serious security lapse in a conflict zone. Mere Pak-bashing won’t do.

It was the locals who helped the stranded and the injured. Yet, they are hounded, trolled and maligned. Muslim citizens in Kashmir were and are the target of all governments. Thus, over a period of time we have been insulated in believing that all Kashmiri Muslims are terrorists who want a separate land. Reality has never been showcased by the irresponsible agenda-driven mainstream media, especially TV channels.

Kashmiris have their own cultural and ethnic identity, like all other communities in India, and their religion is one dimension of their identity. Hindus and Muslims have thrived and lived together in Kashmir since decades. Unfortunately, dividing them has been the only action of all governments post independence.

We need to understand that there is a Hindu and Muslim in every Kashmiri. Culture has integrated the layers of their identities. This culture is the agency, but the ‘politicisation of religion’ has made the people ignorant of the embedded nature of a deep and inherited bonding between the communities. Tragically, we see only the polarised agency of religion

ALSO READ: Post-Pahalgam Politics of Symbolism

It is the responsibility of the Indian government, with the support of our allies, to seriously pursue this issue and bring down the terrorist outfits in the open. The UN Security Council has already passed a resolution condemning the terrorist attack and resolving to seek justice. India should now demand an open trial in the International Court of Justice. The world has to stand by this.

However, the irony is, no international leader, especially in the powerful Western bloc, seems to be willing to stop any war across the globe. Look at Gaza and Ukraine! Nothing can be solved because we seem to be forever trapped in a vicious circle. Indeed, most of the leaders and politicians seem to be working work hand-in-glove. And everybody knows everything.

As a peace-loving citizen and passionate educator, I can only say that the rhetoric of division will resound in our land because that is the way certain political parties have chosen to function.

The India-Pak peace process is the most important issue for concerned citizens in both the countries — that should be the priority. We need the peace process, a stop to inflammatory war rhetoric, and an easing of tension in the border. We need rational and respected mediators who are neutral. There is no doubt that in the current situation we need international voices to support the peace process and the decisions of the process must be sanctified by the world.

As for the just-concluded conflict, we struck only at the symptom. We only appeased the hormonal euphoria of the nation, making them believe that we are revenging and avenging. We know Pakistan government is a rogue establishment and a puppet in the hands of other consortium of nations.

As told to Amit Sengupta

‘Pakistan Repeatedly Demeans, Defames Islam; Indian Army Must Hit Back Decisively’

By LokMarg

Dr Ehasan Hasan, Assistant Professor of Urdu in Benaras Hindu University, says that the time has come to give a body-blow to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. His views:

The attack on tourists in Pahalgam reminded us of the attack by a terrorist organization called Al Shabab at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya in 2016. During this attack also, the terrorists killed all those who could not recite kalma to prove their allegiance. The terrorists did the same in Pahalgam too. They asked people about their religious identity and asked them to recite kalma and even made some people remove their clothes to confirm their identity.

Innocent and unarmed men were shot in front of their wives and children A Hindu professor from Assam was saved because he was able to recite the kalma. How can a human do this to a fellow human being!

The incident also reflects the core reality of the mindset of all those who are involved in this kind of gruesome acts across the world: to prove themselves as the superior and every other as inferior, even unsuitable to live on this beautiful palnet.

A glaring proof of Pakistan’s involvement in this act of terror is the context of the recent statement by Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, in which he had said that Muslims are different from Hindus. He said that “our thoughts, beliefs, culture etc. are all different” from Hindus, in a clear expression of inherent hatred towards Hindus and India. Within a week of this hate speech, the attack took place in Pahalgam. This cannot be mere coincidence. This dog-whistle automatically exposes Pakistan’s ill intentions substantial evidence to reduce India down to ashes.

What we could make out, as citizens of India is: this incident took place because of the assembly elections that were held peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir, in which a large number of people participated. Also, after the removal of Article 370, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was becoming normal and a large number of tourists were reaching there bringing tourism in the region back on track. Obviously, this was an eyesore to Pakistan and it was itching to turn the clock back to the dark days.

ALSO READ: ‘Are You Playing Into The Hands of Pahalgam Terrorists?’

Pakistani army was also troubled by its various internal problems and was becoming unpopular. Recently, the hijacking of a Pakistani train by Baloch fighters caused great embarrassment to their army and there are reasons to believe that the Pakistani generals scripted the Pahalgam attack to divert the attention of their people and create an environment of fear and chaos in their country. This is a tested formula for Pakistani generals.

India has almost the same Muslim population as Pakistan, where about 97 percent of the population is Muslim. If there is a terrorist incident in which people are killed for not being able to recite kalma, then it hurts the image of Islam. Islam is a religion which says ‘Lakum Deenukum Wale Yadeen’ (your religion is with you and mine iswith me). The Pahalgam incident in a way has attacked the basic tenets of Islam. The terrorist incident clearly wanted to rupture the Indian fabric and trigger a conflict between two communities of the counrty.

India and Indians have however defeated this notion by standing united amid this tragic moment; this is proved by the people of Kashmir and the rest of the country by raising their voice and action against terrorism. It is the responsibility of both the communities and their leaders to ensure that no hatred grows between Hindus and Muslims. And also the government and the army settle the matter once and for all conclusively with the wily neighbour.