Home Minister P. Chidambaram says that India may cut off business relations with Pakistan over a period of time if Pakistan does not respond to India's concerns.
Spare us the baloney, Mr. Chidambaram.
1. India MAY cut off business relations with Pakistan "gradually" ??? How gradual does it have to be, sir ?
2. You say India will not send tourists to Pakistan. How many people who are not certifiably insane are actually planning to visit Pakistan for tourism ???
3. For Pakistan, less than 1 % of total foreign trade is with India. Why on earth will Pakistan even care whether we trade or do business with them ?
You say you want to cut off business relations ? Here is the only business relationship India has with Pakistan that can possibly affect them.
The Indus water sharing treaty signed shortly after independence commits India to giving Pakistan a substantial share of the river waters in the Indus basin. If India cuts off the water supply, the entire wheat growing fertile areas of Pakistani Punjab could end up being one giant drought bowl.
Now certainly India has proved its bonafides with regard to the Indus river treaty for almost 6 decades. In return for this, we have got kicked in the teeth repeatedly. Why, for crying out loud, should we continue to honor this treaty when basic canons of behavioral ethics are given the go by from the Pakistani side ?
Time to reconsider, Mr. Chidambaram
Alas, how sad it is that in the realm of politics the sins of the governments/rulers/miniscule misguided minorities among the population are visited upon the entire population! That's what is happening in the Gaza strip, where ordinary men, women and children are dying to satisfy various parties' appetite for violence.
ReplyDeleteThat is what is happening to the ordinary people of Afghanistan (one presumes there are some "ordinary" people there!) who are caught in the crossfire between the allied powers and the Taliban.
The only time only the ruler suffered for his folly was when the US bombed Gadaffi's palace directly in Libya. Even there his infant son died.
Letting the fields of Pakistan go dry? Will it win us friends among the ordinary people of Pakistan? Will it win us the respect of the international community?
There are some things worse than inaction. Wrong action tops that list.