In (The political fallout of India 9-11) my main concern as someone who knows India from within since more than 25 years, was the possible backlash and its misery following the Mumbai (Bombay) attack.
In the above diary I have selected public statements to highlighted my concerns.
Nearly a month after the brutal attack, something has change. The rethoric is now a military one and that is not good news, nor for my initial concerns and not for our future concerns.
Pakistani military is now discretely shifting their military forces from the NorthEast Tribal Provinces to the border of India, thus creating a vacuum to slow down the provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Bad days ahead for Canadian in Kandahar and for rhe new Kids in Town (some 30 000 US soldiers and up).
Here are some rhetoric diffuse from India to Indians and to the rest of the world.
From Bloomberg
India Will Take All Steps Needed to Combat Terrorism. (Sounds familiar ??)
From Reuters India
Pakistan shifting blame over Mumbai, India says
Pakistani air force holds exercise
Pressure on Pakistan 'not enough'
BBC News, UK
The international community has not exerted enough pressure on Pakistan to deal with terrorism, India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said. ..
Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:00pm IST
This is the first time that the 120 heads of Indian missions are meeting, with diplomatic strategy in the wake of the Mumbai attacks the key issue.
Sonia Gandhi, president of India's ruling Congress party, warned at a rally yesterday that Pakistan shouldn't take India's ``wish for peace'' as a sign of weakness.
`Befitting Reply'
``While we have tried to build friendly relations with the neighboring country, I want to make it clear that we are capable of giving a befitting reply to those who are using their soil for promotion and abetment of terrorism against our country,'' she said, according to Indian state-run broadcaster Doordarshan.
Parliament adjourned over AR Antulay's remarks
Breaking News! Both houses of the Parliament witnessed uproarious scenes over AR Antulay's controversial remarks on the death of former Mumbai ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, Congress' silence over this issue and Antulay's defiance.
Opposition BJP, Shiv Sena and a few other political parties demanded immediate action against Union Minority Affairs Minister ...forcing the houses to adjourn.
High Alert
India put its Border Security Force on high alert on Dec. 18, Stratfor, a private intelligence company in Austin, Texas, said in a report published two days ago. That force, which currently has 45,000 personnel deployed along the border with Pakistan, has a mandate to prevent infiltration and would not be involved in any combat operations, Stratfor said, without providing details about its source of information.
India may consider ``precision'' strikes inside Pakistan- administered Kashmir if its neighbor doesn't cooperate in controlling terrorists, according to the report. ``Indian military operations against targets in Pakistan have in fact been prepared and await the signal to go forward,'' it said.
Seems we are heading to a confrontation between India and Pakistan, between Hindus and Moslims. Very painfull persoectives.
Snowy