Double Standards Of Western Nations On Pahalgam Terror Attack

Anger and disappointment are rising in the government and among a large number of Indians as western leaders call for restraint in the aftermath of Pahalgam. The frustration in public has grown further from Western media’s coverage of the ruthless killing of the 26 innocent tourists and their careful avoidance of calling it a terrorist attack. The call for restraint and the media coverage both smack of the West’s bias and hypocrisy.

Attempts to equate India with Pakistan and ask them to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations, are a refusal to distinguish between the perpetrator and the victim. It takes away India’s right to respond militarily to an outside threat. The sage advice to India runs contrary to what the West practices at home—the right to act militarily in a crisis. The double standards in their stance also reveal the West’s ignorance of South Asia’s contemporary history, as it appeals for peace and negotiation.

Since independence, India has never initiated a war. It has always responded to outside attempts to threaten its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The neighbour’s hostile approach has not stopped India from trying to establish peace with Pakistan. Since coming to power in May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative for peace as he invited his Pakistani counterpart to his inaugural ceremony, where they spoke about normalising relations. Modi also made an impromptu visit to Lahore to talk to prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Every time, however, Islamabad responded with terrorist attacks in India. Frustrated at being rebuffed repeatedly, India now maintains that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand. The Pahalgam attack comes amid the Pakistani army’s failure to control rebellion in Balochistan. It also wants to thwart Delhi’s attempt to restore normalcy in Kashmir. Pakistan is trying to convince the world there is no evidence of its involvement in Pahalgam and has used its non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council to drop Lashkar-e-Taiba's name as the mastermind of the attack from the resolution. It wants to create panic and international opinion that India and Pakistan must talk to avoid a war.

Many western countries are falling for Pakistan’s lies. The European Union’s refusal to blame Pakistan is both hypocritical and frustrating. It has also taken similar positions in the past. But the American president's attempt at fence-sitting has been a surprise. Donald Trump has maintained an equidistant policy on India and Pakistan, as his administration has called for restraint.

India faces a big challenge to satisfy the rising anger against Pakistan at home and build international opinion to see through Pakistan’s innocent façade. The war clouds that were hanging over South Asia may have receded to some extent. But India must not let Pakistan off the hook. India’s option for making Pahalgam a costly affair for Islamabad should remain. When and how that may be implemented is a call for Prime Minister Modi to take.

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