Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has blamed a group with “external linkages” for coordinated attacks which killed more than 100 people in Mumbai. The language was reminiscent of the darker days of India-Pakistan relations when India always saw a Pakistan hand in militant attacks, blaming groups it said were set up by Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, to seek revenge for Pakistan’s defeat by India in the 1971 war.
An attack on India’s parliament in December 2001 triggered a mass mobilisation along the two countries’ borders and brought them close to a fourth war. That attack was blamed by India on the Pakistan-based Kashmiri militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed - hardline Islamist groups with links to al Qaeda. Both have been associated with the kind of “fedayeen” attacks – in which the attackers, while not necessarily suicide bombers, are willing to fight to the death — seen in Mumbai.
So does the assault on Mumbai spell the death-knell for what had been gradually warming ties between Pakistan and India?
Pakistan has condemned the attack, just as it did when gunmen attacked the Indian parliament in 2001. And the Pakistani context today is quite different from that of 2001. Then a military ruler, former president Pervez Musharraf was in power, whereas Pakistan is now run by a new civilian president, Asif Ali Zardari, who has made clear he wants peace with India over Kashmir.
But Singh’s comments, made in a televised address to the nation, were remarkably strong for the usually mild-mannered prime minister:
“It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country,” he said. “We will take the strongest possible measures to ensure that there is no repetition of such terrorist acts. We are determined to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.”
The strength of the language may have been fuelled by the scale of the Mumbai attacks, and could refer to either Pakistan or Bangladesh, which has also been accused by India of harbouring militant groups. But it sounded similar in tone to that of Singh’s predecessor, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who following the 2001 parliament attack warned Pakistan that India’s patience was wearing thin. And they also contrasted with India’s reaction to bombings which killed at least 63 people in the western city of Jaipur earlier this year, when the Indian government notably refrained from pointing a finger at Pakistan.
So was this a deliberate attempt to undermine India-Pakistan relations? And if so, what will that mean for Pakistan’s fragile civilian democracy? Zardari has staked his reputation on making peace with India to improve trade and help lift Pakistan’s struggling economy.
Much will depend on how Singh, under pressure to show a firm hand ahead of a national election due in India by May 2009, reacts.
(Rueters photo of Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai/Punit Paranjpe)
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Frankly this whole thing is just bizzare. The americans who thing there are the kings of the world are trying to provoke both pakistan and india to have war like they did in 1946 when they seperated and became different countries. And even if someone from pakistan did bomb mumbai, then its a small group, why harm the whole country for a small group of people. Its totally unfair. and plus so many bombings have happened in pakistan in the past; pakistan has never gone blaming india are taking real big action against india. Everyones just getting too hyped up about the whole sistuation nd not understanding that the real culprits should be punished and not a whole nation.
I’m not going to be biased about anything because everyone is human and well; this world has this thing against muslims anyways; where ever terrorism comes, oh its muslims and the next target muslim country is pakistan and totally unfair;
you cant just wipe out a country because you say a few people from that country bombed mumbai. For god sake. Thats just being stubborn. next thing you knwo, oh an earthquakes apperared and its pakistan.
all everyone needs to do is sit and think; without being biased
- Posted by anonumouswe all belong to the same world, we have to make this world safer than before.
- Posted by Tufail MalikSome thime I feel that the world world is carried away by propaganda of the negative thinking people, racists whether they belong to any religion or region.
i wish we could understand the problems of the world and sole those , this we can do with knowledge of the communities.
no war can solve the problem, we should not talk about war rather we should punish the culprits.
i know that a huge majority of the people of pakistan and muslim world do not believe in extremism and they are peace loving people but the world community is treating them as terrorrists.
i suggest that know them with out any bias and then solve the problem amicably.
Even if any credible evidence is found implicating Pakistanis in the Mumbai attacks, the Indian fantasy of “doing a Lebanon” is completely futile and misguided. Instead of military confrontation against each other, India and Pakistan must be persuaded to collaborate and together confront the terrorists who indiscriminately inflict pain and suffering on Indians, Pakistanis, Americans, Europeans and the rest of the world.
Please read: http://www.riazhaq.com/2008/12/can-india -do-lebanon-in-pakistan.html
- Posted by Riaz HaqThe way you are writing, its as if India started all the wars against Pakistan. In fact India has never started a war with outsiders in any of its 5000 years of existence. Now, it is high time that India takes a tough stand to protect its citizens and actually goes with its threat to blow up terrorists camps in Pakistan, if Pakistan does not offer instant and full cooperation.
- Posted by MKFrankly there will be no war bwn India and pak till next april ie the general elections.But GOD help pakisthan if there is any bombings which can be remotely linked to pak after BJP comes back to power.All these dooms day scenorios will be real for then.Dont think i believe BJP are war mongering hot heads.But it is just that they have a history of putting into practic ewhat they preach
- Posted by lalToto,
There are only 2 solutions to this problem. One is a civilized way & second is auncivilized way.
In a civilized way they need to adopt Gandhiji’s non Violence wherein for every terrorist strike 5000 muslims in India & Pakistan convert to a different religion like scientology,buddhism & others. When such an act is done & atleast a million people sacrifice their lives without taking a weapon i am sure terrorist also would think twice before killing anyone.This battle needs to be fought in every house so that their children & their grand children will remember this deep sacrifice & find a future of prosperity,love.Their action means human beings will progress in this planet.
If Option a fails then the only way the planet can be saved is by having a war a war where all malices of science invented in labaratory will be unleashed from nerve gas,to virus weaopons to heat weapons & nuke bombs. There will be millions who will be killed within the 1st week itself & south asia/middle east will see its population reducing by 90% & a new civilization will sprout which gives enormous prosperity.
I think whether it is Allah or Bhagawan Vishnu both have cursed this land that there has to be suffering & pain. If there was God he would have found solution by now. I am not sure both these gods like their people.Like it or not it may be superstition of a 5000 years i usually open the book of Ramayan in every momentous turn of my life & many predictions did come closer, this time when i opened that same book it landed on the pages of toleration,patience & love.While i hated what i saw on those pages, i am sure this crisis will pass & victory for allah has been signed but i am not sure whether this will be an eternal victory for Allah since it is very unlikely that spirit of a people of 5000 years can be defeated.One day they will pay when all other gods unite against Allah, till that time let him rejoice the blood his disciples are giving him nigeria,dafur,mumbai,kashmir,bosnia,newy ork,london,greece.I have seen 2 things in this episode 90% of muslims have seen jubilation for their victory in their hearts & 90% of kafirs have seen defeat in their hearts. The first bullet for war has been fired from pakistan.A billion people have been turned into cowards by allah’s disciple.
- Posted by VijayThis ongoing problem is not going to end soon. Everyone knows who is wrong and what is wrong.
The civilian government in Pakistan is not in charge of their territory and it is premature to think that they can contain it or confine thier own ISI- Frankenstein’s Monster!!! They will have to live with this fact unless they eliminate it one by one – the Russian style which is hard to happen.
Many in India are forced to think SURGICAL AIR STRIKES on key locations could be considered as an option to neutralise the terrorist origins. If terrorist can used their technology and flexibility on strike targets, countries could use their superior strike capacities.
This action will not solve the problem but could act as a deterrent to its planners to think twice. This is a like a PARACETMOL treatment on an impending chest pain!! But is it not better than any treatment at all???
- Posted by AppuFrom an American point of view, the war on terror is a Trillion dollar a year industry. We support Pakistan knowing it is the Terrorist Capitol of the world. This is because we stand to loose a lot of money if we get rid of the Country like we have done to Iraq. We realize their will be casualities however, they are expendable. A terrorist who kills innocent people how much money does he make, how much money do the people he kills make, not much when you compare how much corporations, governments and rich individuals make for ensuring this terror never ends. Look at the Muslim population all over the world besides the Middle East the majority of Muslims are poor. They are used as ponds in a chess game so that the rich get richer. Dont kid yourselves about hating Muslims. The truth is it is the Rich that is so greedy they will cause death and distruction just so that the can get more rich.
- Posted by totoAlthough I understand the hurt and agitated sentiments of all Indians, I don’t think it is fair to blame all Muslims or Islam for this one dimensional extremist jehadi ideology. Muslims all over the world hate being categorized in the name of their religion as a community that thrives on terror and violence. If we continue to loosely associate terrorism with Islam, that is going to cause more hurt and more agitation among the Muslims.
I’m really not sure what can be a solution to this impending problem but I’m 100% sure that going to war with Pakistan is not an option. India has some tough decisions to make in the near future. This situation is clearly nearing a boiling point if it already hasn’t passed it.
- Posted by Rakesh ShirkeDr I Noor,
Do you remeber one of the person studying to be a doctor a muslim from india was also picked by australian police & summoned for terrorist activity. Why don’t you change islam & say we are religion of terror ( beware of us).Some people in india who live in big houses have this sign board saying ( beware of dogs), now in India, US,Europe,Australia they will also have this board Beware of Noor he can kill you for allah.
Don’t you feel you are selfish also just to enjoy 72 virgins you go about killing everyone ??.
- Posted by vijayDr I Noor,
You should have said this 800 years ago. Whereever islam has gone they have put shiver in all the countries.They are scared to death becuase of islam.You have been extremely successful in finding many ingenious ways to kill people. It starts with stoning,then with whip lashes, then with barbaric assaults rape plunder murder , it is a written constitution of allah to destroy kafirs. It is also written by allah you can impersonate, tell lies, violate contracts & agreements there is no punishment if you have done all these things sincerely in name of allah.Dawood(PBUH) will be going to heaven & enjoying with 72 virgins as though now he is starved.
Can i ask you something sincerely have you never thought of changing your community when you see so much hatred of people following islam. Is killing the vocation for your heredity also ?. How can you live in conscience when you eat the food provided by australia & think of harming their own nation, is patriotism secondary to religion for all of you.Don’t you have any remorse that you can bomb the very country where you have been given birth.Just for my sake atleast once tell me the truth don’t you feel ashamed that you were born a muslim, atleast i will be honest i am ashamed sometimes calling myself a hindu ?.
- Posted by vijayDr I Noor, i pity you, if you have heard what the Aussie prime minister said last week..i understand you scum filled muslims have created enough trouble in there also..he plainly asked you to leave austrailia..but now you have already said Inida is a bad place for muslims..dont come here..you or your people are not welcome here.
- Posted by omI personally believe that the terrorists attacked to disrupt the healing of the relations. They could’ve been Pakistani soldiers launching their own attacks because if tensions are high, soldiers get paid more. This would also explain their elite planning, exectution, and their acess to British I.D.s
- Posted by JamesDr I Noor
–Good ridance to Bad rubbish.
- Posted by IndianI am amazed by the comments that people are giving like;
- Posted by Dr I Noor, Sydney Australia“pakistan is Hell on earth.Erase Pakistan from the globe.this is the only solution to regain peace on this planet.India is ready to do it,aome and join hand with us.”
I can only imagine the hostility of the people of India. I would never even think about travelling to India, even if I am paid on a business trip.
I feel very sorry and take pitty of the Indians, who have been killed by the own hands of Indians, yet others here are giving hostile comments. Being an Australian, I would urge all my friends not to visit India as it is unsafe and people are very hostile.