Musharraf's all-paid-for vacation
I wonder what Musharraf was thinking when he went to New Delhi. New Delhi will never agree that Kashmir is the central issue between India and Pakistan. It is like the Russians telling the Americans that Alaska is the central issue between them. The jihadi outfits thrive in Pakistan and any clamp-down on these outfits by anybody spells disaster to that pakistani, and the Govt. Musharraf knows that very well. It is suicidal for him and his Govt to agree to stop cross-border terrorism. The military, the ISI, the military brass, the jihadi groups, the madrasas etc will not stand for it. If he has accepted to stop cross-border terrorism, that second he would have lost the job and he would not have been allowed to return to pakistan. The whole nation is fixated on Kashmir for its survival as a nation. Kashmir Mantra is the cohesive force for the nation until the money runs out and the military goes unpaid and the dominant punjabi faction shows signs of weakness. This Mohajir Musharraf is a front man and a tool for the punjabi-dominated military.
As for Vajpayee, he gave a chance to the General, the world, and the doves everywhere a chance for peace. He is right in raising the terrorism issue. Now that Vajpayee learnt his lesson from Kargil, he will not give the general satisfaction of a victory in the context of terrorists straddling a porous LOC. In their madness, the Punkistanis want to take Kashmir today and India tomorrow. What an idiotic idea! Also how can you trust the pakistanis with a gas pipeline running through their country. Another asinine idea.
Vajpayee's highly sanskritized Hindi threw the General and the pakistani delegation in a spiraling confusion. They should have brought a Brihaspati with them. But trust me, they are not educable.
Now that the general left, the Hindutva elements will sprinkle holy water in all the places of Musharraf's visit to make them holy again. |
