The Ivy League of warriors and saints are worshipped because of public perception. What goes unnoticed is that, often, they are hostages to their own image. This is the unexpected irony that has befallen Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Uri attack.
Modi’s ardent supporters, who saw in him an uncompromising warrior against India’s enemies, are furious over the government not declaring war against Pakistan. The social media is full of battle-mongering Modi-ites who feel he is not doing enough to avenge the Uri massacre. They want the Army to cross the border, kill terrorists and challenge Pakistan’s nuclear posturing.
The anger is understandable. Pakistani terrorists attacked Parliament in 2001. They butchered over a hundred people in Mumbai in 2008. They attacked the Pathankot airbase in January. Last week, they murdered 18 Indian soldiers in Kashmir. Proof has been given to Pakistan about its involvement in all cases, but no terrorist has been convicted, no proof ostensibly found, and criminals like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin openly call for the annihilation of India.
Of course India is furious. It wants retribution for the innocent dead. Even ministers and party leaders showed their anger and frustration. Their voices declared unanimously, ‘We are not the Congress party, whose governments have routinely responded to Pakistan’s aggression with abject pacifism, which was met with contemptuous insouciance. We are the BJP, which is uncompromising on terror. Most of all we are the BJP of Modi, who had the conviction to shed aside secular hypocrisy and call himself a proud Hindu nationalist.’
But the historical record of the BJP’s Pakistan policy has been different from perception. Even while pounding the Pakistan Army on the icy heights of Kargil in 1999, Vajpayee did not order Indian troops to cross the LoC. He took a bus to Lahore to sign a peace declaration the same year. He didn’t go to war with Pakistan, despite rattling its generals with the Cold Start doctrine in 2001. In spite of the hawkish image of LK Advani who called for “hot pursuit” of terrorists, the Army did not cross over.
Away from the clamour, however, Modi has subtly steered India away from the peace walk of the past. First, he made generous gestures by inviting Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in. Then he dropped in to wish the Pak PM a happy birthday. The realist in him knew it wouldn’t cut any ice with Pakistan, but it helped position himself as the reasonable statesman. After Uri, for the first time, India won the opinion war using diplomatic aggression, isolating Pakistan. Even China didn’t come to its rescue. India’s UN offensive upended Pakistan’s K-rhetoric, even making the stone pelters look like querulous kids. The Indus water sharing treaty was diplomatically weaponised, panicking both Pakistan and its peacenik brigade in New Delhi. Above all, Modi reserved the right to hit back at “a time of our choosing”.
The difference between warrior Modi and St.Vajpayee is while the latter made his opponents prisoners of his charm offensive, Modi converted his hostage situation to reshape his image as a strong leader who uses strategic restraint as a threat, and not an excuse for inaction. His supporters should be pleased. Prime Ministers don’t rush in where fools love to tread.
Ravi Shankar
ravi@newindianexpress.com