Borrowed news cannot daunt India

History is witness to the fact that India has never been an aggressor. However, if provoked, India has always responded befittingly.

 

A British newspaper, The Guardian, recently disclosed that India has carried out targeted killings in Pakistan since 2020 and 20 people have been killed so far. However, I find it difficult to consider this information as a genuine revelation due to the lack of substantial evidence in The Guardian’s report. It is concerning that the newspaper has chosen to publish such a report solely relying on statements from certain Pakistani officials, which can be deemed as irresponsible journalism. Moreover, one must question the motive behind releasing such a report at a time when India is going to the polls.
Let us begin by examining the content published by The Guardian. According to their report, following the Pulwama attack in 2019, India’s intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), initiated a mission to pre-emptively neutralise the threat of terrorist attacks, even if they were planned on foreign soil. As per the report, this mission has resulted in 20 killings in Pakistan thus far. Furthermore, it is alleged that the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercises control over RAW. You can understand what The Guardian wants to imply. It is important to note that The Guardian has based its claims on documents obtained from Pakistani officials. It is apparent that these documents have been selectively prepared by Pakistan to tarnish India’s reputation.

For instance, The Guardian suggests that India was orchestrating targeted killings from the United Arab Emirates. A well-equipped sleeper cell was set up for this purpose, involving a significant financial investment and a duration of two years. Consequently, one may wonder, what was Pakistan doing during these two years? Moreover, how did the UAE not know that such a sleeper cell was established there?
It appears that this entire report has been fabricated. The report stated that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a supporter of Khalistan and who is very much alive, is dead. When people raised questions about it, The Guardian promptly rectified the error but it did not care to explain how a living person was included in the list of the dead!

Even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once made accusations of target killings against India. This accusation was made after the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar owing to a personal rivalry. However, Canada failed to present any evidence. The United States also tried to corner India. The mysterious demise of Khalistan Liberation Force leader Avtar Singh Khanda in Britain and the shooting of terrorist Paramjeet Singh Panjwar in Pakistan were also linked to India. India has consistently refuted such accusations. I fully support the statement made by our foreign minister S Jaishankar that carrying out targeted killings on foreign soil goes against India’s policies. So the question that arises is who is carrying out these killings? Those who lost their lives in Pakistan at the hands of unidentified attackers were not Pakistani politicians, nor were they innocent civilians.

They were terrorists, and there exists fierce competition among terrorist groups as drug cartels and arms dealers are deeply involved in terrorism. Terrorism is no longer driven by ideology. Rather, murders occur as a result of internal rivalries. Why is India dragged into this? Canada’s political dispensation nurtures Khalistanis for its electoral gains. Meanwhile, there is a conflict between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the United States, and India is in the midst of general elections. In this complex scenario, it appears that the report of The Guardian was only aimed at tarnishing India’s image. British journalism, which was once highly regarded worldwide, now seems to harbor a clear bias against India. Many countries are not able to digest India’s rise on the global platform, which explains why such accusations are being made against India.

I wish to unequivocally tell those attacking India that India’s democracy is not a fragile one. It has strong and deep-rooted foundations that have been nurtured by the sacrifices of freedom fighters. Every person in this country is a patriot. While political parties may have different ideologies and engage in competitive elections, the politicians in our country do not plot against their own nation or engage in corrupt practices for pecuniary gains. One feels pity when such looters give advice. They do not have the power to even touch the foundation of our country’s democracy.

I would also like to mention that we are staunch followers of Lord Mahavir, Lord Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. But our belief in non-violence should not be mistaken for weakness. No nation has the exclusive right to invade someone else’s territory in retribution. India is also capable of taking such actions. It is important for the world to understand that if anyone threatens our dignity, we will not hesitate to eliminate that threat.