Even as India was shining after the G20 summit, Shekhar Gupta could not get over old habits – obsession with terror factory Pakistan

The following article was written for OpIndia. Pasting it here for reference: 

 Old habits die hard. Pakistan’s focus on grooming terrorists to attack India is one such habit. Brave jawans and officers of our army continue to scuttle their attacks to ensure we civilians are safe. And in this fight, they also end up making the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of India’s security. It is in times like these (when news of deaths of our jawans, police and officers come in), that a lot of outrage also happens on why we still want to play cricket with Pakistan (given the ongoing Asia Cup). While that outrage is totally understandable, I believe there is another old habit that we don’t outrage enough. And that old habit is about how our English media continues to wish well for Pakistan despite all these terror attacks. 

While we were all rejoicing at the monumental announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor during the G20, Shekhar Gupta had something else going on in his mind – Pakistan! In his infinite profound wisdom, he writes:

Besides challenging China’s BRI, the Ind-ME-Europe corridor lays down stark choices for Pakistan. If it wants to join the global mainstream, it must bury the enmity of India & become a normal state. Or be a permanent Chinese vassal. Days of presuming Saudi-UAE patronage are gone

At a glorious juncture of India’s foreign policy, Shekhar Gupta couldn’t stop himself from thinking and writing about Pakistan. And more importantly, giving Pakistan unsolicited advice. Perhaps because old habits really die hard. Not too long ago, Shekhar Gupta and his entire ilk of English media were dishing out advice after advice to the Indian government on how to be nice to Pakistan. Those were the powerful days of English media driving the foreign policy discourse. The English media editors were an active part of all tracks of diplomacy with Pakistan. The consequence of their proximity to the corridors of the External Affairs Ministry is that Pakistan and only Pakistan dominated our discourse. 

We were all witness to the charade that “Aman ki Asha” was. Pakistan was sending terrorists to kill us and all that our editors cared about was how to make Pakistan look good. Debates after debates were conducted only to shut down voices that demanded retribution and isolation of Pakistan. It was as if India’s role in the world was just to ensure peace with Pakistan at all costs (even the lives of its own citizens!). 

This ilk once said that our Prime Minister hasn’t visited enough Muslim countries. A couple of years later, the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) invited India to be the Guest of Honor at their summit meeting. Pakistan’s threats of boycotting this meeting had zero impact on the organization. While India was at the high table, Pakistan’s chair was empty. That spectacular isolation of Pakistan amongst what they considered as their own brethren didn’t teach any lessons to the friends of Pakistan in India. 

When India delivered two big body blows to Pakistan – a surgical strike in Uri and an air attack on Balakot – the spectacular failure of Pakistan to get support from countries of their own brethren indicated how isolated Pakistan was becoming in the world. 

While India was at the forefront of setting up alliance after alliance (ISA; Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure; SAGAR; Global Biofuels Alliance etc.), friends of Pakistan in India were still busy blaming Modi for isolating Pakistan and how that is actually impacting the progress on Climate Change goals for India. No, I am not kidding – an entire article was written on this premise!

Shekhar Gupta may wonder innocently “If Pakistan wants to join the mainstream” and provide unwanted advice to Pakistan, but the cold fact remains that Pakistan has only one obsession – spread Terror in India.  Pakistan’s idea of being in the mainstream is to groom terrorists and kill Indians. Pakistan’s friends in the world – the OICs, the big economic powers – are convinced that Pakistan needs to be isolated for the benefit of the world. Pakistan’s friends in India – the English media – must feel ashamed that they still want to help Pakistan when their own friends have started to isolate it. 

India is a far bigger nation and brings in far higher value to the well-being of the world than what our English media had us believe so far. India surged in expanding her role in making the world a better place to live and gave two hoots to what Pakistan thinks or does. 

Pre-2014, the obsession with Pakistan in our discourse was really something. Approximately a decade later, in 2023, the total absence of Pakistan in our foreign policy discourse is also really something! Indians are ready to conquer the world. Friends of Pakistan in India have to realise this and move away from their obsession.