The Phulwama attack has unleashed a tense situation in the nation and highlighted the need for a sustained answer to the India-Pakistan conflict. The war of words between the ruling and the Opposition parties has also raised questions on the politicization of war in recent times in the nation.
The New Leam Staff
After the Phulwama attack that took place on 14th February, 2019, the tensions between India and Pakistan seem to have risen beyond permissible limits. We know that in the Phulwama attack, a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian security personnel was attacked by a vehicle driven by a suicide bomber, leading to the deaths of forty CRPF personnel.
The human tragedy has escalated the level of tension between the two nations and has urged both the nations to display immediate aggression and at the same time balance the war mongering sentiments in their own territory. What is sad is that when all efforts should have been made t0 not allow matters to get worse on both sides of the border, the ruling government in India has done little to prevent the violence against Kashmiri students and the inflammation of the communal sentiments.
The anger on both sides of the border is such that any attempt to bring about peace and work towards a context where the war situation is not escalated seems to be difficult at the moment. Amid this situation of escalating politics over war, we see how both the ruling and the Opposition parties are showing their nationalist affinities by making use 0f the rhetoric of war and peace.
In a recent development, the Opposition parties have criticised the blatant politicization of the tensions between India and Pakistan in the light of BJP President Amit Shah’s Ghazipur rally where he allegedly worked for political mileage using the Phulwama attacks. He addressed the gathering and told them that only PM Narendra Modi was capable of giving Pakistan a fitting reply. He also asked the people to vote in favor of the BJP and not the others.
It was on Wednesday that leaders of 21 Opposition parties came together and discussed the way out of this tense situation. The parties thought it was urgent for them to discuss on this theme given the fact that tension had actually escalated in the past few days instead of being eased. It was on Wednesday morning that Pakistan also violated India’s air space. The statement made by the joint Opposition spoke against the politicization of the sacrifices made by the security personnel in Phulwama and expressed solidarity with the Indian armed forces.
The statement issued by the joint Opposition had also asserted
“The meeting of 21 parties expressed their deep anguish over the blatant politicization of the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces by leaders of the ruling party. National security must transcend narrow political considerations”
The statement also asserted the fact that the PM had not called for a joint meeting despite such a situation as per the established practice of democracy. They also expressed concerns on the safety of India’s missing pilot who is now in Pakistan’s hands. The fact that the ruling and the Opposition parties are not in complete agreement on the issue of the nation’s choices as far as military strategy is concerned shows the fact that that there is a polarised political campaign ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The situation is also a reminder of the fact that the interests of the Opposition and the ruling party are completely at poles with each other and both are trying to highlight their own nationalist leanings- this depicts the fact that the political warfare within the nation has only just begun.
