EDITORIAL OPIATE TATHAGATA SATPATHY
The ‘surgical strike’ by commandos of the Indian Army against Naga militants this week was a retaliation to the ambush that killed nearly 20 soldiers in Manipur. However, instead of benefitting, India got hurt badly in its aftermath. The swift response from the Indian army to the killing of its soldiers and Centre’s immediate intervention won praise in the first round. But in the days that have followed, loose talk bordering on jingoism by some of the Union ministers has created a lot of bad blood and hurt the nation in terms of diplomatic conduct.
There exists a lot of confusion as to what really happened. For one, and foremost, Myanmar’s official response was that no such incident took place on its soil – the implication being that the attack, if any, occurred on the Indian side of the border. Myanmar has no media worth mentioning. The Thein Sein government that runs the nation hardly communicates, be it with its own people or with the outside world. The Indian army’s announcement of what has happened in the commando operation was brief. There was little clarity on the exact number of casualties inflicted on the rebels, or as to where the action happened along the Indo-Myanmar border. Importantly, the report did not state that the forces went into Myanmar. Claims about casualties ranged from a dozen or two to as high as 100, as initial reports suggested.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore claimed Indian forces carried out strikes on two of the militant camps in Myanmar, annihilated the entire camps, and returned safely. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Damodardass Modi had given the go-ahead for the hot pursuit into Myanmar and that this was a message for other countries too. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar too spoke in ways that this was a signal to other nations. Understandably, the Pakistani establishment went into a huddle, reacted sharply to the Indian ‘overdrive’ and warned that Pakistan was not another Myanmar. Nepal too felt the hurt.
What the Indian government could have done was to come up with a clear statement on what happened. Instead, there was too much of chest-thumping, not a sure sign of one’s confidence in oneself. In the process, a diplomatic disaster was at hand.
The unalloyed fact is India today has no dependable friends. The closest probably was Nepal. But after the earthquake and the following media frenzy, tremors were felt in bilateral relations as well. Of late, neighbours perceive India as one showing big brother tendencies even as there are major limits to what India can do. It has less means and an army of poor to be fed, unlike in the case of the US or China.
Indian bureaucrats are known to make a mess of things – that is if and when they are in action mode. Now, our ministers are going on social media and claiming India can cross the border and strike at will. This has further agitated, angered and alienated our neighbours. Finally, to make matters worse, PM Narendra Damodardass Modi, on his recently concluded Bangladesh visit, has claimed that India had an active role in the division of Bangladesh. This statement has infuriated Pakistan which has termed this a violation of the UN charter. In his hyperactive talk mode, the PM (as also his ministers) has forgotten that on many occasions, silence speaks a thousand words.
Fact is too many cooks spoil the broth. This is clearly evident in the Damodardas Modi government’s talkfest in the aftermath of the Myanmar operation.