Indian Muslims are, for the first time, in such a pitiable position, being seen as ‘traitors’ by many of their countrymen. They are not directly responsible, but terrorists from across the border have taken them down, with evidence mounting in the public to this effect.
TV grabs show pictures of tourists who were gunned down in Kashmir, even as shots are available of Hafiz Saeed staying under tight security in Lahore, but with access to a masjid. Saeed should be in prison, and everybody knows about the masjid where he reads his prayers.
To complicate matters, the Pakistan army chief has made rather uncharitable comments about Indians and said that the two communities are totally divergent. Saeed’s residence is now being guarded by the military, but those in the know are aware that he is also being guarded by Pakistani military forces, although everybody seems to be aware of his whereabouts.
Though Saeed’s residence is over 400 km away from Lahore, his operatives, it seems, were bolstered by Chinese technology. Hindu women, whose husbands were shot dead by the militants, are very upset that they received no local help and that their religion was asked by the terror operatives before they were killed.
The top bosses of the NIA also visited the site of the massacre to investigate the matter. It is understood that the locals were identified by their religion and shot dead after they confirmed that they were Hindus. Sources suggest that the Indian government may well seek the custody of Hafiz Saeed.
Though the Indian government is escorting Pakistani citizens to the border so that they can move out, many of them are not ready to move because they have stayed for many years in this country, and in fact, many of them are married in this country and have families too in India.
From TV and other news reports, it seems that India—shocked by the happenings—is ready for a war, even as troops are being moved to the borders. Analysts aver that India may well attack Pakistan by air, even as the navy pounds Pakistani ports, cutting off its access.
There is a thinking in India—in many quarters, not necessarily official quarters—that population should be resettled in Kashmir so as to change the demographic trends out there. There has been such a demand in India for a long time in unofficial circles, and the government could well take recourse to such a step now.
Domestically, there will be no opposition to this move, and even strong advocates of Muslim rights—such as the change in Waqf laws, like Asaduddin Owaisi—are going weak, going by their utterances.
Meanwhile, there is strong support by the population at large for strong-arm action, and India as a nation is approving of this. There could be efforts to consolidate the Hindus and other communities in the nation, and if the powers that be take recourse to such a move, there will be no opposition from any quarters about this.
Meanwhile, it is understood that the political class across Pakistan are quite unhappy at perceived Indian moves and are scared about what could happen in the next few days. There is fear in Pakistan that India could cut off the Indus waters that irrigate the fields of Sindh, but this would not be before the fields are flooded off-season.
India would be justified in doing this because the Shimla Agreement has been suspended by the Pakistan government. Analysts aver that the Indian government may have planned how to cut off the Indus waters during the rainy season and beyond. This will lead to unending misery in Sindh and make the people turn against their own government.
Analysts perceive that, for the first time, the Indian government is planning to take very strong action against the Pakistanis, which is unimaginable right now. Indian analysts say that India could ask for Hafiz Saeed once again holding him responsible for the attacks giving out his location to the Pakistan government. India might also ask for his custody once again. The government might also demand that the Pakistan chief of the army should step down because high flagrantly communal statements led to this situation.
There is thinking that the Indian government can also take action in changing the population distribution in Kashmir inducting more Hindus from outside the state in the region. Cutting the flow of water into the region should also be contemplated to change the population distribution in Kashmir. Ex army men from Punjab could be redistributed and settled in Kashmir. Ultimately the idea should be to isolate Pakistan Punjab in a way the anger of Pakistanis falls on Lahore and Islamabad. All this is right now in sphere of speculation – what actually happens remains to be seen.
