Dr Singh, it's time to act

19 June,2009 09:28 AM IST |   |  Ashish Jagtiani

Perhaps I could be accused of fanning the flames, but right now, I simply want to get this off my chest


Perhaps I could be accused of fanning the flames, but right now, I simply want to get this off my chest. I am sick and tired of India being treated like a second class world citizen. Perhaps some of it is our fault. Considering our newly found heft over the past few years, we aren't flexing our muscles enough.

Don't be mistaken: Given thatu00a0 Indian PM Manmohan Singh was, at the outset, stern with Pakistan's PM Asif Ali Zardari, India should not consider it a thaw in the nations' relations, feels the writer File pic

Take for example the meeting between Manmohan Singh and Asif Ali Zardari. Given that our PM was, at the outset, stern with him, we might not consider it a thaw in our relations. But the Pakistanis are certainly going to look at it as the beginning of fresh dialogue, that's pretty much how they will spin it to the world community.


Why have we stepped back from our stance of zero communication with them until they show some effort combating terrorism emanating from their soil against us?

How much talking did the US do before they attacked Iraq and Afghanistan?

They can attack for untenable reasons but recommend that other countries sit and talk. Now that's flexing
muscle!

We ought to have kicked some butt at the border by now to make our point. We had the moral high ground, but didn't use it.

Indians have to deal with racist attacks in Australia every other day, but our government policy seems to be that it is an internal matter of Australia. Those are our people being attacked over there, how can we not do anything?

An eye for an eye policy may be too extreme, but there must be other options. Shut down trade, take it to international forums, make it difficult for Australian Universities to recruit Indian students in the future. Maybe send the Australian Ambassador packing and recall our envoy. If we kick them where it hurts, there will be some action taken.

A perfect example of using our heft was during the Harbhajan-Symonds incident, where the BCCI pretty much had the ICC cowering in the corner. A little bit more of that would set a few situations right.
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Dr Manmohan Singh Asif Ali Zardari Opinion Mumbai foreign relations