It was just yesterday that a terror attack on an Indian Army base in Kashmir ended with 17 jawans losing their lives. The nation is in mourning. But rarely does the dignity of these deaths get translated into productive dialogue which aims at ending strife, ensuring that both soldiers and civilians stop succumbing to mindless violence in the Kashmir Valley. Instead, what gets circulated is an unending chain of rhetoric – oft-repeated twaddle, representative of this country’s fruitless political brickbat. Politicians, leaders, ministers, ex-ministers sometimes post antipodal reactions on social media, predicated entirely upon whether they are in power or not.
One of the things that Narendra Modi put on the top of his agenda when he assumed power constituted a rather powerful rhetoric. Backed by other BJP biggies, like Amit Shah and Arun Jailtley, Modi declared a zero-tolerance policy towards militancy in Kashmir, vehemently criticising the neighbouring Pakistan’s belligerence.
Mr Modi left no leaves unturned in also questioning the then prime minister’s efficiency in dealing with the issue.
His criticism of the Centre spoke of the latter’s inability to secure India’s borders. China and Pakistan became two bones of contention. Ironically, Modi’s visit to China, along with all those strong-diplomatic-ties-building-selfies with Premier Li Keqiang did nothing when it came to India’s membership in the NSG.
His meetings with Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif – side talks, direct talks – haven’t demonstrably translated into an eased Indo-Pak relationship, especially when tit comes to Kashmir.
Arun Jaitley openly attacked Nawaz Sharif on several occasions, again using rhetoric to generate some kind of public opinion, which foreclosed the possibility of dialogue.
In the context of these statements, it was rather comical when after the terror attack on the Pathankot air base, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said this:
Giriraj Singh of the BJP had even claimed that had Narendra Modi been in power, Indians would have reached and conquered Lahore.
The almost farcical claim-game continued with Rajnath Singh declaring that a BJP in power would not even allow a rat to enter India, until several militant moles dug their way to Pathankot, and now Uri.
Amit Shah made headlines, saying once Narendra Modi becomes the PM, intruders would not even dare to cross the border.
Incidentally, Modi, Shah and Jaitley’s reactions to the Uri attack border heavily on the generic. The statements sound more like cold, clinical diplomatic responses, far removed from the impassioned rhetoric once resonant in their voices.
Amit Shah, in the official statement released by the BJP has claimed that India’s battle with terror and militancy is at its ‘nirnayak’, deciding stages – even a metaphor couldn’t have been vaguer.
Demonstrably, the Big Indian Game of Rhetoric attracts high TRPs. It’s never about saying the right thing at the right time. The rule of the thumb, when it comes to India, Kashmir, militancy and terror, seems to be saying the sensational thing at the right time.