India Vs Pakistan! Resolution Vs Resolution! And Indian Navy Tragedy!

Since times immemorial we have been witnessing, hearing or eavesdropping incorrigibly garrulous and fighting neighbors in villages, towns and cities of our country and across the globe. But no amount of the most sinister kind of unpredictability of neighborly feuds can ever match that of our two great continental neighbors—India and Pakistan. If their cricket feuds are always mouth-watering their political or diplomatic fights are always infuriating, exhausting and agonizing.

Pakistan has committed more than 60 ceasefire violations so far this year, beheaded Indian soldiers in January and just on the 6^th of this month killed five Indian soldiers in totally brazen and unprovoked firings across the border. Still, India tried to play a good neighbor by downplaying the incident by attributing it fully to the terrorists. This did, and righteously so, lead to a national outrage with feelings of nationalism to jingoism. India wanted to continue respecting the new democratic government of Pakistan and a new dialogue of Manmohan Singh-Nawaz Sharif scheduled next month. Bowing to building national opinion the Government of India was forced finally to put the blame on Pakistan.

Meantime, Pakistan failed to appreciate the good neighborly gesture and a fresh opportunity for peace talks. As always used to denials, Pakistan never took the blame for the proven unprovoked firings, but to add fuel to fire charged India with unprovoked aggression. Not only that, Pakistan’s National Assembly on 13^th August, 2013 passed an anti-India resolution condemning its neighbors for acts it never committed. The ‘democratic’ Prime Minister of Pakistan showed how much pressure was being applied on him by the eternally anti-India Pak Army and the powerful terrorist leaders including Hafiz Saeed prominently.

Naturally, opposition political parties today were not in a mood to spare the Government of India. They wanted action more vociferously now, come what may. The Indian Parliament today also passed an anti-Pakistan resolution sending out a strong warning to its aggressive neighbors. The ‘friendly’ Indian Foreign Minister has today made 26/11 investigations a ‘key’ conditions for future talks with Pakistan. On his address to the nation on the eve of the Independence Day the President of India Pranab Mukherjee too said ‘there is a limit for our patience’. What’s next? Pray!

As if keeping up with the turbulent times being witnessed over the last few days the worst ever tragedy since 1971 struck Indian Navy when at least two major blasts destroyed its prized submarine INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard in the wee hours today. Numerous fire tenders fought hard for hours to contain the huge fire even as the Defence Minister flew down to Mumbai to take stock of the situation. A fatal confusion still prevails about the fate of the 18 sailors trapped in the submarine as rescue operation continues. The Indian Navy says it hopes for the best and is ready for the worst.

Then, there are quite a few intelligence alerts about possible terror attack across the country. The situation on the eve of the 67^th Independence Day remains fraught with apprehension and tension. Let peace prevail. Happy Independence Day!