The mindless revelry in the country today after the announcement of the surgical strikes across the LoC does not reflect well on us. Beyond being magnanimous in victory, there is another point. While it is good to be tough on those who are inimical to our interests, to gloat over a skirmish victory and pretend as though “a lesson has been taught” and all’s well now is delusional.

Television channels seem to be single-minded about getting Pakistan to admit terrorist camps on its side of the border were destroyed. This gormless campaign ignores the obvious fact that if Pakistan admits this, it would be under pressure from its people to retaliate and there would only be more deaths on either side. Something had to be done; it was done. It is wise to leave it at that.

As much as “ vinasaya cha dhuskrutan ” (destruction to evil-doers) has rightly to be the guiding principle of our rulers, we ought not to forget that the fundamental underpinning of the Hindu philosophy of life is the Upanishidic line “ vasudheiva kutumbakam ” (the whole world is one family) — incidentally, these words are engraved in the entrance hall of India’s Parliament. To heap vitriolic abuse on the people of Pakistan and to disparage their relative lack of economic growth is not becoming of a mature people. Nor should we rush to dismiss the Pakistani government when it says it is not behind the attacks on India, and that it is keen on taming terrorism. After the Pathankot incident, there has been some intelligence sharing from across the border. Any attempt to push the Nawaz Sharif government into acting against India would be just what the jihadists ordered.

It is important to notice that the Indian government has not suggested complicity of the Pakistani establishment in Uri. Its fight has been against the terrorists. By poking the Pakistan with a barbed pole at every turn of events, the Indian electronic media is doing nobody any good.

Senior Deputy Editor

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