Shun all gloating

Two dramas are unfolding: not entirely unconnected, but it is critical that neither Mrs Sushma Swaraj’s address to the OIC nor the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan from Pakistani custody lose their significance by needless gloating in political circles and, alas, an excessively jingoistic electronic media. And in the context of the latter, the situation was exacerbated by the Central government and pathetic mismanagement of an information- hungry media. Cancelling the Beating Retreat ceremony to limit the crowds at the Attari- Wagah border ought to have been announced well before drum-beating flag-waving masses were permitted to render a welcome cause for celebration from degenerating into an occasion of embarrassment. Much of that would have been averted had authentic information been made available at regular intervals. For even as the shadows were lengthening not even the schedule for the release was made available ~ not to mention the protocols that had to be followed, if the International Red Cross was involved etc. Yet at a function near Kanya Kumari the Prime Minister made a parochial point of mentioning that the gallant fighter pilot hailed from Tamil Nadu. The “southern vote” obviously meant an awful lot. A pity that a genuine braveheart should be “shot down” a second time ~ jingoism can hurt as much as an advanced missile. Yet there is need to applaud the polished performance by the Foreign Minister at the OIC. Whether she succeeded in dispelling an impression of the present government under-valuing the minorities is difficult to immediately assess, but she certainly impressed by her forthright, gutsy condemnation of terrorism and its sponsors. Mrs Swaraj was much too sophisticated to “name names” but everyone knew in which direction she pointed. And all doubts were cleared when the aggressive foreign minister of Pakistan opted to stay away. His cowardly absence will devalue any possible counter-punch he might try to deliver. A key query remains if when the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fall into place, the “space” claimed by prime minister Imran Khan has been vacated after subsequent events. He did win acclaim when he made his “peace gesture”, and India’s wishy-washy response won it little admiration. In the final analysis what will matter is the extent to which the military, diplomatic, and economic pressure impacts the scourge of terrorism. It is true that several other countries have also suffered from terrorism that is said to be rooted in the Af-Pak region. Does the Indian military and diplomatic machine have the capacity to galvanise the rest of the world into a determination to crush the vicious monster? That would prove the true success of the strike at Balakot. Mr Narendra Modi, Mrs Sushma Swaraj and Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman must look beyond Pakistan to cement their place on a global stage.