RVS Mani is a former central government officer, whistleblower and author of the book- “The Hindu Terror: Insider Account of Ministry of Home Affairs”

1. Bilawal’s imprudent references, ahead of the 51^st Vijay Diwas have inadvertently reminded India of the Simla Agreement 1972 and the tabloids that are still distinctly etched in Indian memory. In your opinion, was the Simla Agreement of 1972 a decisive treaty or an unavoidable circumstance?

Let us look at the overall set of circumstances.Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The testimony to this is the fact several clippings and the instrument of surrender by Gen Niaz etc. Hence India was in a position of strength. Where was the need for a negotiation?

Oft repeated the fact also is that 93,000 POWs were released. But were they actually POWs? Many of them may be Pakistani security force personnel. But before the war, many of these so-called soldiers had behaved in a non-soldierly manner by indulging in rape, arson, and exploitation of women of Bangladesh.

Go one step behind. Mujibur Rehman had won the majority in National Assembly and the predominantly West Pakistani-based Army and politicos didn’t want to cede the power to East Pakistanis.

Hence what was there for us in the Shimla Agreement is a million-dollar question. The then politicians were overawed by the personality of Indira Gandhi and given her victory in the war she was unchallenged and no questions were asked.

2. It is no secret that terrorism has been Pakistan’s potent strategic foreign policy weapon wielded by its leaders against adversaries. Following the ignominious defeat in Bangladesh Liberation War, ZA Bhutto vowed to avenge this and made the “bleed India by thousand cuts” military doctrine by patronizing terror. Can you please elaborate on Bilawal’s bluff and put things into a perspective?

Indeed, ZA Bhutto who had been an energy minister and Foreign Minister before becoming the Prime Minister of Pakistan had been ranting over Pakistan’s defeat at the hands of India and also the division of Pakistan into 2 nations.His bleeding India with 1000 cuts or his tantrums in the UNGA of 1972 stating “there is nothing in the UN for Pakistan are well documented”.

At the same time, as I have stated above there was nothing in us to bring Pakistan to the negotiating table after the overwhelming victory of 1971.

There was this US Consul in India Mr. J.K. Galbraith. He had a personal friendship with Bhutto. In fact, he was the local guardian of Benazir Bhutto, Z.A. Bhutto’s daughter when she enrolled in Harvard. Bhutto due to his political and ministerial commitments had little time to visit his daughter whom old timers used to say was discharged by Nusrat Bhutto.

Is it not indicative of the powerful nation backing Pakistan and pressuring India to the negotiation table?

What happened after that? Let us join the dots

During 1971, the percentage of Sikhs in Indian security forces was very high. But after the 1972 Shimla agreement, slowly two things happened. The ethnic group for which Security Forces were the first preference as an occupation was pushed into two Ms, as I call it. The first one is migration. The seed of virtues of high-quality glamourous lifestyles making it attractive was shown before the Sikh youth. Indeed, there were tendencies of migrating to alien lands prior to that but post-1972 migration became rampant.

The Second M is militancy. An illusion of separate land was seeded into their psyche which resulted in many youths taking up arms for the causes. I do accept that some stray embers of Sikh separatism and the separate state of Khalistan might have been reported a long back, but it was never a mainstream movement.

Was it a deal? We do not know.

The advent of Bhutto as Pakistan’s Prime Minister marked the resurgence of militancy in Punjab.

3. Terrorism is not only cross-border and India is no novice in efficiently responding to cross-border terrorists. However, what is your take on the 'enemies within'?

General Late Rawat the first CDS pointed out that India is fighting a two and a half from war. On two fronts he meant LAC and LOC. But it is a firm belief that the war is three and a half from war. It is LAC, LOC, INC and half constituting the other groups.

On LAC and LOC, we are aware. About INC let us flag issues.1972 we have seen a Shimla agreement after which the most recognized martial ethnic group was sent to disarray by these two tools of Militancy and Migration. In the 2000s the same was under the spell of the drug menace.

North-East states were always feeling like annexures and not part of mainstream India till a Union Minister of State for Home from North East came and dissolved the disaffection amongst states. Infrastructure which was almost absent has been developed in a rapid way. Livelihood issues have been addressed. Hence now the North East feels more integrated with the state.

Now Bhutto was arrested on corruption charges in 1977 and later hanged in 1979 but by that time he and his ally, Indira Gandhi the two signatories to the Shimla agreement had already stoked militancy in Punjab.

Later his daughter came to power in 1987-1988 and she revived militancy in Kashmir valley. The dates bear testimony to this apart from other elements. The irony is being educated at Harvard and Oxford she knew that finance is the lifeline for funding militancy. You now observe how the Centre of Gravity of Narco trade shifted from Latin America to northwest Pakistan. We have several Intelligence agencies reinforcing that drug trafficking contributes to about a quarter of funds used for militancy and terrorism in India.

The entire media be it left or liberal never revealed this truth. I do not know what their intent was. There was a denial of militancy there was a denial of any Pakistani hand in this. They were always in support of Pakistan and called for more engagement with Pakistan with Aman Ki Asha, SAFMA, people to people contact, cricket matches, Bollywood etc. while Pakistan continued to bleed us.

To sum up, let me point to the narrative setters a few interesting anecdotes-

I do not want to take names. This was narrated by a senior Police officer. In 2005 a drug consignment was received at Turkoman Gate from Pakistan. The courier who was to receive got killed in an encounter with the police. The same night a boy died reportedly died in an accident. The Parents of the boy were a very powerful couple with a lot of connections with the media.After this, a specific vertical of DCP (Narcotics) in Delhi Police got abolished and each District was to act on this at the Inspector level.

Next is the well-reported incident of the Pakistan High Commission asking two of its top cricketers to leave the team participating at the Champions Trophy in Jaipur. Everything happened so fast. But do you expect Pakistan who is always in denial to face incontrovertible evidence about their misdeeds in India to act suo moto? Be very sure they were covering up something much bigger than what they offered to declare.

Also, any delegate even an official delegation coming from Pakistan could have a member who trades drugs into India but would be treated with kids’ gloves.

Similarly, Indian politicians, separatists, media men, and retired judges were regularly invited to Iftar parties hosted by Shahid Malik or Abdul Basit which was actually a platform to launch an info war on India. I can go on and on

4. Bilawal’s uncouth references are in line with the malicious narrative perpetrated by the left ecosystem. His imprudence has let the cat out of the bag, leaving us thinking if the left ecosystem is peddling the narrative dictated by Pakistan or the other way round. Please comment.

The Bhutto family claims to be an aristocratic family in Karachi. But if you see the genealogy, this clan had stood for Junagarh’s accession to Pakistan and when it was thwarted by India, they fled to Sindh in Pakistan. It took the clan 20 years to re-establish and come to political relevance as the founder of the Pakistan People’s Party. That too after being recruited by US agencies.

Such Pakistani royalty also has one thing in common with the Generals of today. They run syndicates. In this process, they do cultivate slum areas like Orangi in Karachi where Bhutto family is based. Hence it is no wonder that his uncouth reference is a consequence of such associations.

5. Bilawal’s remarks underscore the blatant discomfort of Pakistan to even acknowledge the verdict of the highest judicial authority of India. Why is this inherent disdain for non-partisan investigations deep-rooted in Pakistan?

Let us be proud that in spite of all its vices, and some of the institutions being overarching and creating inertia in the juggernaut of development, the institutions like the judiciary, the CAG, the CVC the ECI, etc. have maintained a level of professionalism, neutrality, and credibility. Let us say that is our strength. An erudite legal scholar taught me that we have put the sovereign of the nation in the Constitution and that is our strength. Pakistan doesn’t have any such dispensation. Most of the institutions in Pakistan over the years in Pakistan have become subservient to Army which again is subservient to militant, terrorist, criminal organizations etc. Even the media and Human rights groups are subservient to the militant groups. Hence, I don’t think Pakistan feels any discomfort but given the scant regard for institutional mechanisms they would brazen it out. See what happened after Pathankot Attack. It was not the first time. In 2009 a committee of Pakistan Judges visited India to monitor the plight of prisoners. Pakistan Committee availed of our hospitality and later rescinded the visit of Indian Judges to their country.

Further, let us be clear. For the rest of the world, Terrorism may be a scrouge. But Pakistan regards it as its strength. When cornered they would crawl to get a reprieve but they come back to brazen it out. You can see the course of events repeatedly taken recourse to by Pakistan to confirm this. Hence it can be inferred that Pakistanis celebrate terrorism.

Image source: ANI