Pakistan and India are known arch rivals and are engaged in a covert and overt war / arms race since 1947. The rivalry has already spread to domains outside battle field e.g psychological, economy, agriculture, trade, sport, culture, regional forums and social media. With every few years one sees either state obtaining a weapon or make a policy that establishes supremacy or at least parity in at least one or few domains, however that is undone soon by the rival. This see – saw has continued for decades however it seems final battle lines are being drawn before next show down.
A weapon has appeared on the sub-continent’s scene that can actually devastate one entity much swiftly than was ever possible. Ajit Doval had once said, India will fight Pakistan till last Afghan, today Pakistan is fighting India with worst of Modi……PM Narendra Modi, aka Chaiwala with a 56“ chest, leading a hug diplomacy is leading India in to unchartered territory.
Pakistanis must thank Modi on many accounts. Firstly, Modi since his rise to power created environment that provided an opportunity for Pakistan to expose RSS and BJP mindset. It was PM Imran Khan who stood during UNGA session of 2019 and educated world for the first time on alignment of RSS and Nazi agenda. Secondly, Modi is proving Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory correct on daily basis. This view is shared not only by Pakistanis but by many Indians as well. The Muslims which revered India more are reconsidering the choice of their fore fathers. This has also exposed Bollywood Muslim heavy weights who have chosen to remain silent on the issue despite repeated attempts by many quarters to obtain a pro-community response. Thirdly, Modi’s decision to ingress in Northern Pakistan and bomb Balakot set the stage for embarrassment for Indian Armed Forces. The Pakistani response on 27th Feb 2019 was not only aggressive, it was precise, courageous and professional followed by a huge diplomatic win in the form of releasing the captured Indian pilot Abhinandan. Another huge loss for India is that the aerial clash among two nuclear armed neighbours did reduced world’s confidence in Indian mantra of a regional super power and dented Indian pride, while Pakistan proved to be a potent opponent despite all negatives. Fourthly, Indian aggression forced Pakistan to take all Indian media content off air which reduced Indian cultural reach to Pakistani homes, own media took over and is excelling since the ban. Suddenly we find a reduced talk of Indian silver screen in our society.
However, the most significant achievement that Pakistan has been handed over by Modi has virtually gone unnoticed. Modi has ruined and self -destructed investment that India made in Pakistani next generation though her media, Bollywood projects and few purchased activists, media anchor cum hosts and liberals. Modi acted in J&K and launched brutal military operations, refused to engage Pakistan in sports, kicked out Pakistani artists, openly lobbied in FATF and pursued her anti-Muslim policies, accepted conspiring in East Pakistan, implemented anti-Mulsim laws and encouraged mob lynching and Mulsim hate speech all across the country. Since then, Pakistani liberals, activists and media persons have gone silent. The narrative being generated by these rogue segments of influencers have been silenced and the only space available to them is targeting government of the day. Many activists, anti-state sub-nationals, media personalities have lost words and a narrative to build upon their nefarious themes. Their targeting of military and ideology of Pakistan has taken a big blow after how Indian state has acted against its own minorities. Their narrative of rogue army operating in Blaochistan, Karachi, KPK has been squashed, their themes of maligning state for supporting radicals and fanatics reduced and views of freedom of speech and Human Rights have vaporized, courtesy India.
Pakistani next generation that was on the verge of accepting psychological ascendency of India (through cricket, Bollywood, and our very own 5th columnists etc) stands shell shocked as their so called datum of shinning state is reduced in morality, ethics and hate. The animosity or reality of relationship between the two nuclear armed neighbours that was credited to previous generation has been unwrapped before them.
The notion of Indo-Pak conflict as an eternal rivalry and two nation theory stands validated as its embedded mainly in faith and not in economy, geography or power. Never in recent history a nation has been so reckless in wasting her own investments and neither a nation has been blessed with an enemy which proved to be a strategic friend. Pakistan will remain thankful to Modi for decades to come.
Amjad Mahmood holds a Master degree in Strategic Studies from National Defence University, Islamabad. He has varied interests from geo-politics, music, sports to flying. He occasionally contributes on varied subjects. He tweets @Flyingtastic and can be reached on [email protected]
