JOIN USThe Indo-Pak border has hotted-up with fire assaults by Indian forces on Pakistani posts across the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir and claimed Pakistani strikes on Indian posts. Both sides have denied each other’s claim in some aspects or in full but there is no doubt that there is an uptick in skirmishes. Pakistan has operationalised its forward air bases and there are reports of a Pakistani fighter jet flying over Siachen. The Pakistan air force chief has issued a warning to India in response to his Indian counterpart’s letter of alert to his officers. The Indian army has stated that its fire assaults were to pre-empt infiltration of terrorists but it is also seen as a punitive measure over the beheading of two Indian soldiers. Other tensions may also have caused the actions. The border has seen many such actions in the recent past, like the surgical strike last year. The ceasefire which had held for many years has ceased to exist.
A new element is the videographing of attacks and the display of the footage by both armies to prove their claims. They are not only in a shooting war but in a media war too. Armies normally do not seek publicity over operational matters. They are actually known to shun PR exercises of this kind. Questions raised about claims in the past may have occasioned the change but it also shows that the target of the operations is not just the posts and militants but the public too. The sight of the blasting of positions on the other side would not only confirm the claim but also affirm the macho image of the government which is not pusillanimous and can give more than what it gets. The shooting is also well supported by the angry firing from TV studios.
But there is the danger of the firing turning into real war if it goes on and on and escalates. It can escalate by accident too. Even if that does not happen, the use of a militaristic approach are uncertain, nil in fact. Infiltration still takes place, training camps of militants still operate, the situation in Kashmir has only worsened and Pakistan's attitude, policies and actions have not changed. A border on constant boil, fall in normal official and non-official contacts and an increase of distrust and estrangement will only delay the resolution of problems between the countries. That will only help hardliners and those who want to strengthen their hardline image. That can also please those who think that maintaining tensions with Pakistan is politically more useful than making peace with the country.