The Indian Express: Making peace, not war, is India’s true strength
Mahatma Gandhi: "To make peace with evil in order to avoid conflict, is cowardice."
In my mind, there is a clear difference between cowardice and diplomacy. The conflict between India and Pakistan now is beyond diplomacy because any solution will be at India's cost. Any talks will be unfair to India.
Action (military or non-violent) is necessary to set right decades of Pakistani mischief. Unfortunately due to the rise of fundamentalism in both countries, non-violent action is not possible at this time.
I believe that there will be armed conflict between India and Pakistan. It is in the best interests of India to wage the war now. An armed conflict between two countries decides who is the winner (as opposed to a war on drugs and war on terrorism), and puts to rest the fifty year old border disputes.
The Indian Government needs a war to stay in power. By not waging a war, it appears weak, and will collapse for not honoring the wishes of her people.
It is the Pakistani people with whom I sympathize. In an anti-India hysteria that spanned decades, they have supported an grossly unjust cause. They cannot get a Government or a military rule that represents them, and they have been the victims of cold war, and its after-effects. But where was their consciousness as they bred the terrorists?
Think about it. The Pakistani government just cannot arrest or act against the very infrastructure it created. These terrorists are the same men who have been honored as freedom fighters and heroes for a long time in Pakistan.
So where does that leave us? Really nowhere. Except that we know for certain that restrain on the part of India does not work.
Reuters: Comparing the military mights
