In New Delhi, senior Minister Nitin Gadkari at a briefing on the Union Cabinet meeting initially ignored questions by reporters on whether the ministers congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the cross-border operation. “In fact, we have demonstrated very ably in the north-east where some of the groups have joined the democratic process”. India needs to realize that its continued hostility towards Pakistan and acts of sabotage through her intelligence outfit, would surely have a boomerang effect and in the long run also undermine her own interests. Such operations have been done in the past but deniability has always been maintained.
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In what is being described as the worst casualties of the Army, 18 soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer were killed and at least 11 injured when militants ambushed their convoy in Manipurs Chandel district last week.
Second, the two countries also talked about an Indian proposal calling for strengthening transport connectivity in South Asia which concludes issues related to connecting India’s northeastern states to Kolkata via Bangladesh, launching a Guwahati-Shillong-Dhaka bus service and finalizing an agreement to build a highway network linking Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.
Khaplang, a Hemi Naga from Myanmar, abandoned a 14-year-old ceasefire agreement with India last month, the NSCN (K), however, continues to abide by a similar pact with his native nation.
It is within this broader context that the rebel ambush – one of the deadliest attacks in decades – and India’s cross-border strike occurred.
The Indian opposition blasted the government meanwhile.
Aziz said Modi’s statement vindicates Pakistan’s stand over India’s present and past policies to destabilize it. He said it is regrettable that Modi chose Bangladesh for the statement which was aimed at fanning hatred against Pakistan in Bangladesh.
Second, to seasoned observers, the strike is not as controversial as the sensationalist media reporting suggests.
Having said that, the kind of response that Islamabad has mounted to India’s provocations can only be described as meeting belligerence with even more belligerence.
“Myanmar is willing to negotiate and cooperate with the Indian government to handle the problem”.
The senators said India’s interference in other countries’ affairs was not a new phenomenon and referred to its support to Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, subjugating Sikkim, Bhutan and other regional countries.
Third and finally, it is still far from clear whether this particular incident fits into a larger pattern or a new doctrine under the Modi government.
Pakistan is not Myanmar, and India should not think of repeating such an exercise inside Pakistani territory, Pakistan interior minister Nisar Ali Khan told media persons on Wednesday.
An assertion from the Ministry of Defense stated that the operations have been needed in mild of intelligence stories, which warned of militants planning assaults on Indian soil.
There is still much that we don’t know about India’s cross-border strike into Myanmar and what it means.
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