Dr Nasreen Akhtar
CIVIL-military relations are determined by the national and international environments. In democratic states the governments are considered independent and free from their militaries’ domination. The democratic governments have supremacy if they deliver in accordance with democratic norms and values. India, as the most democratic state, claims to be free from military’s intervention. It is true that India, since its inception, has never experienced military rule or military intervention in political affairs, though it’s the Indian military that never allowed to its civilian governments to sign political ‘peaceful agreement’ on Kashmir issue. In the current history the former army chief, Rawat Bipin controlled Kashmir’s policy and presented himself as a ‘warmongering’ army chief. Present army chief, General Manoj Mukun Naravane, also following his predecessor and defending Modi’s policy on Kashmir and new chief would go to any extent to protect Modi’s unconstitutional policies.
The new chief seems more ambitious, he wants to conquer Azad Kashmir to please his political masters and the Prime Minister Modi, if they authorize him and the “Indian government gives him such an order”. The Indian army chief might have elapsed the Pakistan’s military swift response last year on 27 February 2019.His adventurer dream would be drastic and uncontrolled if he moves towards Azad Kashmir. The same brain child, General Sundarji, conducted ‘Operation Brasstacks’ in 1986-87.The objective of this mock war was to pressurize Pakistan’s military and check its capability or response. General Sundarji asked the then Prime Minister, Rajive Gandhi, that Indian army could conquer Kashmir but Rajive Gandhi did not allow him. Annexation of Jammu and Kashmir is not a new policy, for decades, Indian military has been planning and succeeded under Modi.
The military also staged surgical strikes against Pakistan, which never achieved its military objectives except to satisfy Modi. Surgical strikes raised questions within India and the Indian military has failed to provide evidence which it claimed after Palwama attack. Attacking Pakistan’s soil, Balakot, and dropping bombs in hurry on trees was enough to embarrass the Indian military and Modi because their claim to kill terrorists and demolish camps was hallucination. Their claim was falsified when the international media observed the place. On the other side, the whole world watched when the Indian plane was shot down by the Pakistani fighter pilots and Abhinandan, Indian pilot, was captured his interview was aired. Despite that fact, the Indian government and the military boasted to please their people and claim their fake victory, it is a mark of shame instead of pride. The Indian military is using in human tactics to torture the Kashmiri youth. Former army chief, Bipin, had established detention camps to pursue Modi’s anti-Kashmiris policy. Bipin also supported the India’s notorious law on CAA. Violence and protests in India have categorically rejected the Modi’s discriminative law.
The former army chief, Bipin Rawat, had criticized violence during protests over the citizenship law, saying “leaders are not those who lead masses in arson and violence”. Bipin was the first, I think, army chief who was unpopular due to his political association with Modi. The army chief was criticized by Sitaram Yechury in his tweet. He said, “The army chief’s statement underlines as to how the situation has degenerated under the Modi government where the highest officer in uniform can so brazenly breach the limits of his institutional role, “ Communist Party of India called army chief’s statement against anti-CAA protesters as unconstitutional, “such obnoxious interference in matters of democratic struggles from top ranking military professionals is unheard of in the history of independent India”. The Party Polit-Bureau demanded that the General should apologizes to the nation for his indiscretion which has extremely adverse ramifications for the constitutional arrangement in country”, General never apologized, therefore, he was appointed as Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), new office created by Modi’s government. If we look at Pakistan’s military and political leadership they have proposed peaceful resolution to India but Indian leadership has never considered that offer it seems the Indian military has its upper hand on political policy vis-a-vis Kashmir and Pakistan. However, Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian leader who never listened and reciprocated Pakistan’s offer for peace and cooperation to defuse tension longstanding conflictual issues between the two nuclear states.
In the past, Indian leaders were flexible, hardliner Mrs. Gandhi and General Zia met. The existing environment, in India, shows that the Indian military never wanted peace with Pakistan neither the military chiefs encouraged their political leaders to initiate peace process. Under Modi, the Indian security establishment would create environment and incidents that never permitted the politico-junta to sign a comprehensive agreement with Pakistan, however, these self-staged incidents- false flag escalated tension and warlike situation between the two nuclear states. Prime Minister Vajpayee came to Pakistan and signed a historical ‘Lahore Declaration’ when he reached Dehli he faced serious criticism . Vajpayee was keen to resolve Kashmir issue and he invited General Musharraf at Agra. The historical Summit was over, at eleventh hour, without success both sides blamed each other. Prime Minister Vajpayee was the only rational political leader of India who desired peace after knowing the Pakistan’s nuclear capability in 1998. Before Pakistan’s nuclear test his tone was threatening on Kashmir issue.
Since Modi assumed power, being a chief member of RSS, he and his military chiefs have the similar mindset. Military leaderships, like Modi, is ready to escalate the situation on border just to provide relief to Modi’s government which is facing severe agitation and criticism within the country. It is the Indian military that can help Modi, the Indian military would use ‘operation false flag’ that may mitigate India’s internal crisis, for while but it would face befitting response from the Pakistan Army. So far, both Modi and his military are irrational and they have miscalculated Pakistan’s capability.
—The writer is Assistant Professor, IIUI, Islamabad.
