India's government wants to treat terror attacks as war

(THETIMESOFINDIA)IndiaonWednesdaysaidthecountrywantstomaintaingoodrelationswithallitsneighbours,includingPakistan,butnotatthecostofits"pride,dignityandself-respect"andthatitwouldnotcompromisewithitssecurityatanycost.

TermingtheterrorattackonPathankotairbaseinJanuaryasa"partofasymmetric"war,Indiaalsosaidthecountrywouldensurethatitsenemiescannotgoscot-freeandevensmallincidentsofterrorismhavetobe"treatedaswar".

"Wewantgoodrelationswithallourneighbours.WewantgoodrelationswithPakistantoo,butnotatthecostofthiscountry'spride,dignityandself-respect,"saidhomeministerRajnathSinghwhilerespondingtoadebateinLokSabhaonthePathankotattack.

Singh'sremarkcameastheoppositionquestionedastowhatPrimeMinisterNarendraModi'sLahorestopoverhadachieved,notingthattheterrorstrikehadhappenedjustafewdaysafterthevisit.Slammingthehandlingoftheterrorstrike,theoppositiondubbedasa"criticalmistake"thedecisiontohandovertheoperationtoNSG.

Citingthelatestforensicreport,RajnathSinghsaidburntmassofhumanmaleshavebeenfoundinsidethebuildingandbothwereterrorists.He,however,saiditcouldnotbepossibleto"establishidentityoftheburntremains".

ContrarytothecontentionofNIAwhichisprobingPathankotattackthatfourterroristswerekilled,defenceministerManoharParrikarsaidsixattackerswereneutralisedovertwodays."Fourterroristswerekilledonthefirstday...Nextday,thebalancetwoterroristswereengagedandkilled,"hesaid,addingthatlivesofsevensecuritypersonnelwerelost.

TalkingaboutPathankotattack,Parrikarsaiditwas"anaccumulationofasymmetricwar"andassuredthemembersinthelowerHousethatallthesecuritygaps,hadbeenfilledand"wehavealreadyconductedsecurityauditsofalldefenceestablishments".

"Whentheyfailedinconventionalwar,astheyfailedin1965and1971,theenemyresortedto(policyof)thousandscuts,tryingtobleedIndia.Thesearesmallattacksofweakforcesonastrongerforce,"hesaid.WithregardtotheoppositioncriticismoverhandlingofthePathankotattack,Parrikarsaid,"Youcannothavearunningcommentaryaboutsuchoperationsontelevisionchannels.Thisputssecurityforcesindanger."

"Weareintheprocessdefinitelytoensurethatourenemiescannotgoscot-free,"Parrikarsaid,adding"thecompromisemadeearlierwasprobablyoneofthereasonsastowhywearesufferingtoday".Thehomeminister,however,saidwhiledifferentgovernmentsmighthavedifferentactionplans,nobodycansaythattheirstrategyisfoolproof.