Dear All,
My column in TOI today, “How to deal with a brat called Pakistan”. Tried a slightly flippant tone this time, and I guess there isn’t an easy answer to this one, but I tried. The column is here.
Appreciate if people read the comments as well, and those contributing, try to come up with constructive solutions – you never know who is reading!
Love,
Chetan
Indo-Pak talks always ring a bell of serious matter but the article written seriously undermines the tone and sensibility of it in the public’s mind.
Don’t know whether it is right or wrong or the suggestions provided are worthy or worthless but it was a good read if you don’t use your mind and want to kill time.
Nice article. Tricky subject but the ending note was logical. Never thought about that. I only hope Government does something like that.
Another way is cross border wedding.
Good article… Even once I raised this topic once while discussing Indo Pak relation to few of my colleagues some years back.
It shows one good side about the Pakistani political parties and common public who have less hard sentiments towards people of India than the Pak’s army.
But the point here is what is the guarantee that the parties if aided for being pro Indian will treat India with respect?? Including something in agenda and actually acting on it are two different things which every Indian child knows about Indian political party , then how can we simply trust the parties that are not so friendly with us??
Also, you mentioned that if the don’t listen to us make their life difficult.. I mean seriously?? how many times we have done that in the past??……..rather they have made our life hell by every mean possible ( consider the recent Mumbai attacks on Taj and Oberoi)
I think India should take hard steps first and let them know what we can do and then the other option suggested by you can be followed for it then would be accepted in a way India wants.
I agree with you. There is no point to be reasonable with reasonableness people. we must ignore the pakistan for some time in media. giving unnecessary importance to PAK.
Political parties, Army and ISI all are the same. The solutions which you provided don’t look feasible like giving aid to Pak parties in return to peace agenda because I think there are very few Pro-India voices and they aren’t of much relevance. But do engage with the citizenry, start trade and people to people contact. Talk with them but be assertive and direct, the facts are out in the open. There “state actors” are involved in terror against India and we must tell them on their face.
Sir, brilliant article. If someone sensible person has understood your article, they should be putting you in the startegy making board for india.
I used to think so hard that if not war then what on this earth could be done to tame this mouse(PAK), the thought process you presented here has given a new direction to this topic. Too good!!
Hi Chetan,
I like your idea to make weaker the Pakistan army. lets c whether it will reach to Indian politician or not.
- Mahendra Athneria
Overly simplifies, crassly generalised and out of tune with reality. That is what your article is. and it wouldnt kill you to proofread for grammatical errors..
You talking about Indo-Pak relations is like the owner of medical bookstore lecturing undergrads on cardio-thoracic surgery.. Your column doesnt add to the general level of awareness about the real issues but merely skirts around the situation, trying to be funny and pedantic in the same instant.
Outpacing Pak’s economy??India’s GDP is 3,560,000 mUSD and Pak’s is 449,300 mUSD. How much more outpacing needed??
Appeasing generals?? how? Call girls and strip dancers? If such generals are willing to sell their mother nation so easily, whats the proof that they wouldn’t betray us??
Aid political parties of Pakistan?? Do you know what came out of Bhindranwale-Indira fiasco??
Show Indian TV channels?Why? So they can vote for Indian Idol and enjoy Rakhi ka Sawyamvar??
You have not provided any logical or even remotely sane answers to the solution. A person reading your column would be left confused of what India should do with its Western neighbour. If you cannot write intelligently, i suggest you stick to issues of non-political or non-analytical types and leave such stuff to the real thinkers..
wow … nice article …
rather than using any adjectives i would say It was a ‘correct’ article in my opinion. Every one of us is frustrated of the Pak administrators. Peace Talks will never work with Pak. And about the methods u mentioned, i am not very optimistic about it. I have no hopes of ‘Aman Ki Asha’ bringing about any improvement too.
Though I think a lot of measures you suggested are unlikely to happen in near future, I liked the comparison of Pakistan to a brat.
Also, I disagree with your assertion that if India would be indisputably stronger than Pakistan, then life would be easier. Take the case of USA. It is indisputably stronger than Pakistan and Afghanistan, yet it is retreating from Afghanistan and has not been able to dismantle Pakistan’s terror networks.
Sometime back I had read an editorial by Vir Sanghavi about covert operations in Pakistan to eliminate dangerous terrorists (like Israel). I think only that is a viable option.
Brilliant! Well said, Chetan.
I don’t think the average Pakistani Joe & Jane wish for anything different than their counterparts in India and elsewhere. Target them. Show them what India is today and where we are going. Show them the benefits of a free society that lives on the ideals of peace and neighborliness and we will have won the first part of this rather childish exchange that has gone on for way too long now.
We the people of India have a nation to build and the Pak Army and it’s minions are getting in the way. I think they realise deep down that they cannot win. We are so far ahead of them in almost all areas of human and national endeavor that their only hope of ever achieving anything as a nation is to give us the respect due to a parent or at the least an elder and worldly wise elder brother.
We have tried everything we can. The time has come to change tactics. A sulking child does not listen to reason. It is our duty as the more mature nation to show them what rewards good behavior will bring.
Regards,
Gautam
phew!! a brave masthead though.
Sir,
i want to know if publishing such a masthead as “dealing with a brat like pakistan” is quite smooth for you. arent there any objections raised or it is solely your freedom? As i am pursuing Journalism, would really like to know.
kindly reply
regards
Hi Chetan,
A serious topic dealt with so casually, liked the approach though. Agree with the point on Pakistani Army. They are anti India, and the Pak government cannot afford to go against the army, as they run the risk of army take over. Gen Kayani’s tenure being extended is notable in this direction.
Chetan,
I have always been an admirer of your writings.However, Pakistan is such a recalcitrant child of the world that no amount of talks will be enough to deal with it.India had time and again shown him its stature. Remember the 71 war, where we held their 90K soldiers and prisioners and our army marched in Lahore? This was followed by the Shimla agreement where we scolded them and told the importance of peace. But ever since it has been behaving even more irritable.
I guess no amount of peace talks with Pak will help.
You might wanna go back to our history and read this…
Binay na maniye jaladhi jar, Gayau teen din beeti, Bole Ram sakop tava, Bhaya bin hoye hi na preeti.
Bhaya bin hot na preeti is very important in the context of Indo Pak relations.They need a severe diplomatic,economic and Cultural bashing from the entire world.Not just India.
India should infact stop all peace talks right away and open a war level diplomatic campaign to alienate Pakistan from the world.
e.g: ICC has almost totally banned Pakistan from holding any international event.
A more economically weak Pakistan would not be good for India though.So the aim should be to create a world governance around Pakistan’s behaviour, if it adheres to the governance it should get ecomonic help else it should be reprimanded for any non-adherence.
Hey! Nice article. Pakistanis’ are expert in international ‘jugaad’ especially in the field of diplomatic talks and relationship
[jugaad a crude improvisation. south asian art at an angle
n. an improvised or jury-rigged solution; inventiveness, ingenuity, cleverness.]
Its time Indian jugaad experts found some ‘tod’[solution] for it.
Nice article!
Making Pakistani people aware of how fast India is developing because of it’s democratic structure is a good Idea. But pampering them by offering scholarships etc. is stretching it too far.
India should do what US does. US just stops all dialog with countries like Iran, North Korea and other such “Rogue” nations. India should also consider Pakistan as “Rogue” nation and should have no official communication till it completely stops terrorist activities against it’s people and stops sheltering underworld dons.
India should just ignore Pakistan as if it does not exist and start favoring other neighbors economically.
This will put Pakistan in it’s rightful place which is down way below India.
best article to make the leaders n ppl of india realise where they are leading india to…
solutions given by you are really great n acheivable but lets see if our leaders feel it worth to look after…
anyways great article
keep continuing…..l
We have 2 use Social Engineering Skills means’D art of convincing people wat u want ‘em 2 do’
By d Way awesome article CB
Sir, India is unable to aid its own people & we talk abt aiding Pak parties??