Violent rhetoric

The ‘war of words’ between Pakistan and India seems almost one-sided. To recap, in the past week India cancelled a planned meeting of the two country’s foreign ministers at the United Nations just one day after accepting it. Its external affairs spokesperson accused Pakistan of having an “evil agenda” and its Army Chief Bipin Rawat referred to Pakistan’s ‘barbarism’ in supposedly carrying out attacks in Indian-occupied Kashmir, and even threatened surgical strikes. Pakistan, meanwhile, has been far more conciliatory. Not only did we attempt to restart the diplomatic process, the ISPR – while responding to Rawat’s statement – has even said it will still choose to walk the path of peace. On the civilian side, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that Pakistan is still willing to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit the country without a visa. Apart from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s intemperate outburst against Narendra Modi on Twitter, Pakistan has tried to stay firm yet magnanimous even as the Indian government becomes increasingly unhinged.

The real question now is what the Indian government hopes to achieve with its hostility. For Modi, it seems the prime objective is to quieten down calls for his resignation by focusing on a foreign enemy. The remarks by French President Francois Hollande that New Delhi had influenced the choice of a local partner in a $9 billion weapons deal – which went to billionaire Anil Ambani instead of a state manufacturer – has brought renewed attention to Modi’s brand of crony capitalism and even ignited demands for him to step down. Whipping up hysteria against Pakistan could cause Indians to rally round the flag and forget Modi’s corruption.

The next scene of confrontation between the two countries is likely to be at this week UN General Assembly Session. As usual, Pakistan can be expected to bring up the plight of Kashmiris suffering under Indian occupation, and demand that the UN live up to its resolutions calling for a referendum. India has pre-emptively tried to discredit Pakistan, with its permanent representative to the UN denouncing the country as a “one-trick pony.” India is once again trying to distract from the true scandal of its ongoing human rights abuses in Kashmir. That it is doing so by deploying the rhetoric of war is doubly dangerous. Its civilian leadership and top military brass are on the same page. Even if they are not actively looking for war, they are riling up hatred and war rhetoric through their words. Threats have a way of quickly progressing out of anyone’s control. Pakistan right now is willing to talk peace, but it needs a response from India that is something other than bluster.