Responding To Provocation

Pakistan lost its long twilight struggle with India last week.

Having enabled Nixon's landmark visit to China, it watched from humiliating cheap seats Bush's likely more significant visit to India.

For half a century, Pakistan courted the US and sacrificed even its (self-perceived) national interest at Washington's call. All this while, India made numerous policy mistakes.

It was perhaps reasonable, then, for Pakistani Generals to assume greatness in US shadows even as India fell apart from its mismanaged internal chaos.

History, however, has a way of clarifying wheat from chaff. If anything, Pakistan is the one that's falling apart while India ascends to its natural greatness.

This is as comprehensive a defeat as possible. If history is any guide, massive centrifugal forces are likely to follow as Pakistan's rationale for being is questioned by its smart, cost-benefit calculating, regional leaders.

No wonder General Musharraf is throwing a hissy fit!!

Given India's public relations imperative to maintain stability (both domestically and at LOC) to ensure the passage of the nuclear deal in the US Congress, Pakistan has a free pass to provoke -- which it will, trying to get Indians to act rashly in response.

We fear Varanasi is only just the beginning. More and worse is likely to follow. While India needs to take all possible steps to hunt down the terrorists and to secure our people, we must understand the likely nature of these provocations and not create an excuse for Pakistan's many friends in Washington to snub President Bush's deal with India.

It is India's measured response to even the most extreme Pakistani provocation that will, ironically, emerge as the fitting epitaph for the idea of Pakistan.