Ask any warmongering Head of State or General - had they learned from History? Their cocky answer is - we draft Tomorrow’s History.
A classic example of why the flush out operation in Swat will turn out to be a Cambodian Campaign of the early 70s. The Bombers are Pakistani army aided by the ruthless Americans. The problem is…the aid agencies that take care of the refugees from Swat region are Islamists. So, in the battle of good (vs) evil, it all depends on from which end you are viewing it from.
As I mentioned earlier in one of my earlier posts, this is going to create a long drawn headache for India. Afghanistan and Pakistan are a permanent curse for South Asia - especially with their unofficial vested powers with Radicals in the name of Islam. For one, they never had a functioning Democratic Government and even if they did, they were either overthrown by a coup d’ etat with the help of external superpowers or marred by internal strife. My worst case projection is as follows:
- Indian Government will capitalize on the situation and budget more on defence spending. Again, end up purchasing arms from the Superpowers.
- The Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) will see more influx of Pashtuns that will disturb the dynamics of PoK and the moderate Muslims of Kashmiri origin.
- The Indian right wing will bank on projected fear scenario from the growing Taliban presence in the valley.
- The last remaining Democracy lovers in Pakistan will have to try their luck at different Western Embassies in Islamabad (if they still remain open).
- Pakistan’s ambition of creating another Bangalore or a major BPO hub will have to remain a dream.
What a shitty example of Democracy that Pakistan has made? Didn’t somebody tell them that it is wise to separate State and Religion? That only reinforces the fact that the Age of Renaissance concept of Democracy is a failed experimentation in parts of Asia and Africa. People are so used to the concept of one ruler - be it the modern day interpretation of a General or a Religious head or even an Autocrat in the name of mock Democracy.
So, when History repeats, it gets more and more lethal!