Pakistan has upped the military ante against India by increased infiltration attempts of terrorists both in Jammu & Kashmir and elsewhere, besides indulging in unprovoked firing incidents extending down to the International Borders in Punjab. All the Pakistani establishment’s talk of resumption of peace dialogue with India was poppycock designed to impress the United States in the run-up to the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue that recently conceded in Washington. Pakistani belligerent activities commenced more markedly after a four year lull when General Kayani took over as Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistani Army. In all certainty it is likely to increase now with Pakistan Army emboldened with what it perceives as the United States buckling down to its demands to facilitate US early exit from Afghanistan. Why is the Indian policy establishment twiddling its thumbs in the face of Pakistani belligerence?

Enough reasons have been advanced by me in my earlier Columns and it will serve no purpose to repeat them. Suffice it to say that India’s Pakistan policies during the period 2004-2009 have been an utter failure as they were in the preceding period. On Pakistan, the Indian Governments whether Congress or BJP have been in a serious disconnect with the people of India who want their Government to act firmly with Pakistani belligerence in a manner befitting India’s national attributes of power.

The Indian Armed Forces handicapped by political and bureaucratic lethargy in timely acquisition of the required weapon systems have yet always seem to hold themselves in readiness to uphold India’s national sovereignty and India’s honor.

The Indian people have a right to ask the present Government as to why over 30,000 Indian Army troops have been withdrawn fro Kashmir when Pakistani military belligerence has not diminished? These figures have been quoted in the media attributing it to official sources. No sane military professional would have recommended this step to the Government.

Strikingly obvious emerges the fact that this Government has taken this decision to reduce forces in Kashmir as a political decision under external and internal political pressures.

In terms of external pressures on the Government of Dr Manmohan Singh, it is quite obvious that they originated from the United States. The United States pressures emanated under Pakistan Army blackmail that it would not be able to move Pak Army formations to the Afghan frontiers to assist USA unless India was forced to scale down its military presence in Kashmir. This Government obliged the United States but what is not clear is as to why Dr Manmohan Singh did so when the pattern of Pakistani belligerence especially in Kashmir had not ceased.

Internally, the Government seems to have come under pressure to prop up its coalition partner National Conference Government which was coming under political pressures from its opposition party PDP that it was not doing anything on the issue of scaling down of scaling down security forces, which incidentally is an echo of Pakistani demands.

The reversal of United States policies in South Asia succumbing to Pakistan Army demands as evidenced by the outcome of the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue in Washington a few days back should be a wake-up call for the Congress Government recalibrate its foreign policies to offset Pakistani belligerence which could be expected to grow further.