Much
has happened since the Uri assault, and it seems that Modi is under a
great deal of pressure to do as he promised in his election campaign –
ten Pakistani heads for the death of one Indian soldier. His Hindu
nationalist voter-constituency, the hate fuelled media machinery, along
with the organization backing him – the rightist RSS, need results, and
it is this atmosphere of urgency and resentment that is driving India’s
policy towards Pakistan. The media’s role is crucial in this campaign of
hatred– where sensationalized news reporting, resting on a hunger of
ratings, and devoid of facts, is steering nationalist sentiment, and
hence policy, towards a destructive end.
With
relations between India and Pakistan hitting rock bottom, it seems that
the forces partaking in the plunge are inimical to a change in the
status quo – the incessant saber rattling stemming from both countries
stands as testimony of that. New Delhi’s recent decision to
‘reconfigure’ the only bridge the two arch foes managed to cross – the
Indus Water Treaty - after years of efforts, is one of the many daggers
the Modi government has drawn, only bound to lead to a pyrrhic victory
and nothing more. However, in a time where both countries are
functioning on a nationalist overdrive, it is important to separate
fiction from reality; Is India really waging a water war on Pakistan?
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