Fatima Rizvi
Mr Manmohan Singh the mild mannered soft spoke Prime Minister of India spoke in a most uncharacteristic fashion. Reading very carefully from a written script he said several things that simply do not gel with his statesman like personality and his reputation as an intellectual. Among other unkind and untrue remarks he said that ‘Pakistan uses terror as an instrument of state policy’ and that ‘terrorism comes to India from across the border’ and that ‘we will use all means to make Pakistan meet our demands’.
He knows that none of this is true. Pakistan is a victim not a sponsor of terror. Terror is within India--- and Mumbai could not have been executed without local support---in fact the major part may be from within India with the Pakistan connection built in as a red herring. He knows that Pakistan is cooperating and investigating on its side. He knows that Pakistan wants to root out terror in its own interest. He is aware of the actions taken by Pakistan after the UNSC Resolution.
Why then did he agree to read out what was obviously given to him? Its election time and his party may have thought that the conciliatory tone with Pakistan would not help domestically and a more macho demeanor was needed. If so his National Security Adviser—the former RAW man---was the right person to spout such venom. After all mild Mr Singh was elevated to the top slot when Sonia Gandhi wisely stepped aside so the Party line is important.
Perhaps Mr Singh is in a time warp and is still living in the period of militancy in Kashmir. Indians hate to admit that the elections in Kashmir could be held only because militancy has ended and infiltration from Pakistan is not taking place. After all the suspects named date back to that period except for the sole survivor among the ten attackers who brought Mumbai to a halt and only two of them held the Indian security forces at bay from a hotel with hundreds of access points. Mr Singh needs to ponder on all this and also investigate the ‘fire-fight’ between ‘militants’ and Indian forces in Poonch area of Kashmir—maybe his military has rogue elements who are planning their own events---after all Col Purohit was from the Army and Karkare who was investigating him got shot. Or is this what Mr Singh means when he is made to say—‘all means’?
We like the real Mr Singh better. He is not king but he is kingly when he is himself. Mouthing threats and lies does not become him.
http://fatimarizvi.newsvine.com/_news/2009/01/09/2291134-is-singh-king-
