On terror, India and the UAE are on same page
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fiercest attack yet on Pakistan, albeit without naming it, while addressing a huge gathering of expatriate Indians in Dubai on Monday, should be seen in the context of developments back home as well as during his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. The involvement of Pakistani elements in the recent terror strikes in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, the constant breach of ceasefire by Pakistani forces along the borders and the forthcoming talks between the National Security Advisors of the two countries provided the domestic backdrop.
Mr Modi's critics had been assailing him for not being forthcoming enough against Islamabad and for moving forward with the talks even as civilians were being killed along the borders. The Prime Minister has sought to silence them. The other context is the text of the joint statement between the UAE and India, which rejects terrorism in all forms and shapes and condemns the use of religion by states to “justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries”.
This was an unambiguous, if veiled, message to Pakistan to mend its ways, and it buoyed Mr Modi to take on the neighbouring country before a rapturous crowd. Mr Modi spent a good part of his speech on the issue of terrorism, asking countries (read Pakistan) to choose between terror and talks. He dismissed the concept of ‘good terrorist, bad terrorist' and ‘good Taliban, bad Taliban', saying the farce will no longer work. Here too, he was responding to Pakistan's campaign of selective targeting of militants that shielded those who had been running movements against India and punished others that had turned against their Pakistani benefactors. Mr Modi was right when he said that the “joint message was clear to those for whom it was intended”.
The Prime Minister had good reason to hold up the joint statement as a triumph. To begin with, the UAE has had very close relations with Pakistan, and few would have imagined that it would become a party to a communiqué that even obliquely referred negatively to Islamabad. While New Delhi and Abu Dhabi too have had long-standing ties, given that millions of Indians have been for decades living and working in the UAE, Mr Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister in 34 long years to visit this West Asian nation. This had led to a gulf between the two countries, and experts had believed that many confidence-building steps would be needed before New Delhi could win over the UAE, leave aside get its support on matters concerning Pakistan. But Mr Modi and the leadership there struck an instant rapport, leading to the joint statement.
Mr Modi's attack on Pakistan was not limited to terror. He spoke (without naming but leaving none in doubt that he had Islamabad in mind) of the obstruction it had caused in the ambitious goal of networking member-nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. By adding that India, along with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, had decided to proceed with the project, he sent out the message that New Delhi will not allow Pakistan to set a disruptionist agenda in Saarc. “Those who want to wait can do so; we will move ahead”, he emphasised. Amen!