Every evening, around sunset, the Wagah check-post which leads into Pakistan is the scene of a drama by a combined cast of Indian and Pakistani soldiers involving a compelling mix of martial machismo and precise timing as they swirl and strut around each other like rutting males in the mating season. It’s a bit of theatre that the spectators don’t take too seriously, though everyone present is uneasily aware of the underlying tensions. They have a way of forcing themselves out into the open from time to time. This is one of those times.
The first thing to remember about the Line of Control (LoC), as it is called, between India and Pakistan is that it is a fortified zone. The militaries of both countries have troops deployed along the length of the line, which extends from Rajasthan in the south to the northernmost reaches of Jammu & Kashmir. It passes through some extremely inhospitable terrain on both sides, but is manned throughout the year, rain or shine.
By definition such a line should be a clear indicator; it should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind. There is also an elaborate protocol that governs the movement and disposition of the soldiers on either side. Despite all these arrangements the line is often surrounded by a fog, if not of war then of ill will on both sides. For this reason the LoC has many ambiguities, both in intentions and actions. All of them seem to have come to a head now in the death of two Indian soldiers on the night of January 7.
Indian army officials say Pakistani troops crossed the LoC into Indian territory that night near the town of Mendhar, about 175 km from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir.
According to an official statement, “Pakistan army troops, having taken advantage of thick fog and mist in the forested area, were moving towards [their] own posts when a patrol spotted and engaged the intruders. The firefight continued for approximately half an hour after which the intruders retreated towards their side. Two soldiers, Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh, laid down their lives.” But there was more to it, a shocking twist that has led to much fist-shaking and strident Pakistan-baiting, mostly from the safe confines of Delhi’s TV stations.
The retreating Pakistani troops, said a spokesman of the Northern Command, decapitated Lance Naik Hemraj and took his head away, leaving the “badly mutilated” body behind. A Pakistani spokesman immediately dismissed the incident as Indian propaganda. That reaction may have provoked the firestorm of rage and hatred that erupted in the media, especially the electronic section. Much of it has been unreasoning and unreal, such as BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s demand that 10 Pakistani soldiers be decapitated in retaliation. It may seem hard-hearted to counsel restraint in such a fraught moment but the death of Lance Naik Hemraj needs to be put in perspective. In the first place, retaliatory brutality will solve no problem.
The most likely effect will be to start a chain of escalating violence that will only harden attitudes on both sides. The relative calm that prevails between the two countries will be replaced by fear, suspicion and an increased willingness to initiate further violence. It is a cycle that will benefit the opponents of peace, but no one else.Secondly, crossing the LoC to avenge Hemraj’s death is a clear dereliction of duty. The sole point of recognising a Line of Control is that each side has jurisdiction over the area it occupies.
The Line is thus supposed to urge restraint on both, to act as a counsel of reason, the first step towards a lasting peace some time in the future.
The stationing of troops along the LoC is intended to serve one major purpose, deterrence. Their presence is supposed to discourage aggression, not to promote it, whatever the provocation. That was the duty Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh were performing. Crossing the Line in a wild quest for revenge is, in a sense, a negation of their sacrifice.
The bigger question in this context is about peace in the subcontinent. Pakistan has been in almost continuous internal turmoil for more than five years, but there seems to be a growing realisation that peace with India will serve it better than constant enmity. Like the destruction of the Berlin Wall the removal of tensions between these neighbours could lead to unexpected dividends. Apart from the usual arguments against a war, there is a special imperative. Both are nuclear powers. Even a minor conflict carries the potential for mutual annihilation and the priority on each side should be clear.
Nationalist machismo is a waste of emotion unless war is the only option being considered. The consequences of such a mindset could be catastrophic.
The real issue here is neither revenge nor wounded pride but how to secure the LoC. It was drawn up for a purpose, and it has served that well. The last time the countries descended into war was 1971 (barring the action in Kargil in 1999). Since then, the peace has held despite several alarms and incursions. Whatever the rhetoric, the Line has worked and strengthening the protocols could make it more effective, improving the prospects for future relations.
It is important to remember that since 1971 the balance has tilted greatly in India’s favour. It is now one of the world’s largest economies and may well become one of the arbiters of the 21st century. Pakistan by contrast is wracked with turmoil, with the military, the executive and the judiciary in serious disagreement on the one hand and, on the other, the relentless pressure from Taliban extremists that is beginning to shred the fabric of the state.
In the face of this internal siege, the baying of Indian warmongers may come almost as a relief to some sections of the ruling class. If that happens, all bets will be off. That is why neither war nor revenge is a realistic option. A mature response worthy of a great power would entail patience, statesmanship and the long view on Indo-Pakistan relations, qualities that seem to be missing from the chatter of pundits these days.