Some years ago a former Director General of the ISI was asked at a Seminar in Islamabad what the principal objective of the ISI was. He replied: "Our aim is to weaken India from within and we can do it". While most Indians wrongly believe that the main aim of the ISI is to seek Pakistani control of Jammu& Kashmir, the ISI has a larger agenda. Its aim is to see the disintegration of India, so that Pakistan can emerge as the most powerful entity in the subcontinent. This is sought to be achieved by aiding separatist movements across India and using our other neighbours like Nepal and Bangladesh to infiltrate terrorist elements operating not just in Kashmir, but also in Punjab and our northeastern states.
The ISI has used the Lashkar e taiba, an organization that openly proclaims that "Hindus, Christians and Jews" are the "enemies of Islam" and that it wishes to unfurl the green flag of Islam over the Red Fort, to spread terrorist violence in India. The Lashkar has been assisted to set up cells for terrorist violence across India and especially in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Delhi remains a critical centre for such ISI infiltration and terrorist violence. The recent bomb blasts in Delhi are the natural outcome of this policy.
General Musharraf is going through a difficult time. His government has faced international criticism for its inept response in providing relief to those affected by the recent earthquake in both Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and in the Northwest Frontier Province. There is deep public resentment within Pakistan at his administration's response to the human tragedy the country has faced. NATO forces are now stationed in POK and the large foreign presence makes it difficult for him to reopen the terrorist camps that suffered some, but not total damage during the earthquake.
In these circumstances the morale of the ISI backed Jihadis has to be kept up by showing that India can still be "weakened from within" by terrorist strikes at the very centre of India's national capital. It matters little if the terrorist strike was carried out by the Babbar Khalsa or by the Lashkar-e-Taiba with assistance from its Al Qaeda affiliates. The ISI has worked for years to bring about a measure of coordination between the remnants of the Babbar Khalsa now living in Lahore and Faisalabad and groups like the Lashkar e Taiba.
The UPA government/ must take a substantial measure of blame for giving the impression in Pakistan and indeed internationally that the so called "peace process" will continue uninterrupted even if Pakistan continues promoting terrorism. The Communist allies of the UPAgovernment must take an equal share of the blame as the only occasion that they condemn terrorist violence is when one of their leaders like Mohammed Tarigami is attacked.
The thoughtless and populist repeal of POTA at a time when countries across the world are making their terrorist laws more stringent reflects the actions of agovernment that just does not understand the seriousness of the terrorist challenge we face. Further, ever since the UPAgovernment assumed office there has been a reluctance to strongly make our resentment known to the world community about the dangerous dimensions of continuing cross-border terrorism. We seem to believe that continuing the dialogue process with Pakistan at any cost is more important than exposing Pakistan's continuing support for terrorism.
There are no shortcuts to dealing with Pakistan. Tough new anti-terrorism laws have to be enacted making gruesome acts of terrorism punishable with a mandatory death sentence. We should repay Pakistan in kind for acts of terrorism it perpetrates on our soil. More importantly, a clear message needs to be sent to the world community and particularly to the United States that unless groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba that are now establishing a strong presence in POK through their relief work for earthquake victims, are effectively banned and their Headquarters in Muridhke shut down, we will not discuss the Kashmir issue with Pakistan. New Delhi also has to strengthen its intelligence presence in countries like Saudi Arabia that serve as a focal point for attempts to subvert Indian nationals and get them to act in collaboration with terrorists groups like the Lashkar.
Both Mr. Vajpayee and Dr. Manmohan Singh have shown a strange propensity in believing that General Musharraf is a "changed man" and that he has reduced levels of cross-border terrorism. General Musharraf has no intention of ever ending support for terrorism against India unless circumstances force him to do so. With over 80000 soldiers deployed to fight the Al Qaeda along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border he has, for the present, to regulate levels and forms of terrorism to avoid adverse international reactions and possible Indian retribution.. India has to apply pressures on Pakistan diplomatically and covertly that compel General Musharraf to change his ways. This objective cannot be achieved merely by praising General Musharraf, or by Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mr. Natwar Singh smilingly posing for photographs with General Musharraf and Mr. Kasuri in New York, Islamabad and New Delhi .
G. Parthasarathy is a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan. Thisarticle, in its Hindi translation, appears in the Outlook Saptahik datedNovember 14, 2005.
