6/11/2015

Print:ParrikarsjibeatPakaside,MyanmarstrikedeliversunpleasantPRlessonforModisarkar

ParrikarsjibeatPakaside,Myanmarstrikedelivers
unpleasantPRlessonforModisarkar
by46minsago
#ConnectTheDots#India#Manipur#militants#Myanmar#NarendraModi#Pakistan#Rajyavardhan
Rathore
EmailPrintShareComments
AdayaftertheMinisterofStateRajyavardhanRathore'soverthetopblustermadeheadlines
aftertheIndianArmy'soperationagainstmilitantcampsinMyanmar,thegovernmenthas
beenquicklyforcedintodiallingdowntherhetoric.Thereason:instantbacklashfromnotjustPakistan
butalsoMyanmar.
India'snormallyoutspokendefenceministerManoharParrikartriedtodeflectsomeofthecriticism
fromPakistan.
"ThosewhofearIndia'snewposturehavestartedreacting,"ParrikarsaidataneventonThursday.
ButevenwhilepraisingtheIndianArmy'soperation,hestayedwellclearofcontroversybyrefusingto
gointothedetailsofit.Itwasawisedecision.
LikelyfuriousattheattempttopainttheoperationasasymbolofIndianmuscle,Myanmar
governmentonWednesdaystronglydeniedreportsthatIndianarmyforceshadcrosseditsborderto
http://www.firstpost.com/printpage.php?idno=2290120&sr_no=0

1/5

6/11/2015

Print:ParrikarsjibeatPakaside,MyanmarstrikedeliversunpleasantPRlessonforModisarkar

carryouttheoperation.

]
AFPimage
InaFacebookpostWednesdayZawHtay,directorofMyanmar'spresidentialoffice,wrote,
"AccordingtotheinformationsentbyTatmadaw(Myanmararmy)battalionsontheground,wehave
learnedthatthemilitaryoperationwasperformedontheIndiansideatIndiaMyanmarborder."
"Myanmarwillnotacceptanyforeignerwhoattacksneighbouringcountriesinthebackandcreates
problemsbyusingourownterritory,"headded,however.
Despiteanagreementbetweenthetwonations,theresponsefromMyanmarcomesasnosurprise
givenitdoesn'twanttobeseenascountrythatwillcompromiseonitsterritorialintegrity.
TheresponsefromMyanmarwasalsoinkeepingwiththeofficialstatementoftheIndianArmywhich
merelystatedthatitsforceshadengagedwithmilitants"alongtheIndoMyanmarborderattwo
locationsalongtheNagalandandManipurborders",butdidnotmentionhavingcrossedit.Itwas
RathorewhoplayedupthefactthattheoperationhadtakenplaceinMyanmarterritory.
http://www.firstpost.com/printpage.php?idno=2290120&sr_no=0

2/5

6/11/2015

Print:ParrikarsjibeatPakaside,MyanmarstrikedeliversunpleasantPRlessonforModisarkar

"AnditinvolvedourSpecialForcescrossingtheborderandgoingdeepintoanothercountry,Rathore
hadtoldtheIndianExpress.ItwasRathorewholedthePRefforttopainttheoperationasan
expressionofIndianmachismo,employinghashtagsonTwittersuchas#ManipurRevengeand
#56inchRocks.Andheistheonewhoenhancedthesignificanceofonestrike,drawingPakistaninto
thepicture,declaring,Thisisamessageforallcountries,includingPakistan,andgroupsharbouring
terrorintenttowardsIndia.Aterroristisaterroristandhasnootheridentity.Wewillstrikewhenwe
wantto.
Worse,itnowturnsoutthatRathorewasn'tjustanothermotormouthintheModisarkarwhomade
incautiousstatementswithoutsanction.AccordingtoanExpressarticlepublishedtoday,
"WhenthegovernmentdecidedtofieldMinisterofStateforInformation&Broadcasting
RajyavardhanRathoreTuesdaynighttotalkabouttheIndianArmy'sstrikeonterrorist
campsinMyanmar,itwasbecauseitfelthecouldsendthemessageacrosslouderand
clearerthantheArmycould.Sourcessaidapoliticalinterventionwasfeltnecessaryatthe
highestlevelandthat'showRathore,aretiredArmycolonel,waschosentogiveoutdetails
theArmycouldn't."
NothingthatRathoresharedwiththemediawasacoincidence.HewaspartofadeliberatePReffort
onthepartofthegovernmenttoclaimpoliticalcreditforthemilitaryoperation.

Unfortunately,themovebackfired.ThecarefuldiplomaticgroundworklaidbyIndianofficialswith
Myanmartomaketheraidpossibleturnedtonaughtinthechestbeatingthatfollowedafterwards.
TheIndiangovernmentisnowinthepostionofbeingpubliclycontradictedbyitsownallyevenas
IndianofficialshavebeeninstructedtoconveytheirgratitudetoMyanmarforitscooperation.
http://www.firstpost.com/printpage.php?idno=2290120&sr_no=0

3/5

6/11/2015

Print:ParrikarsjibeatPakaside,MyanmarstrikedeliversunpleasantPRlessonforModisarkar

Butit'snotjustMyanmarthat'sseethingoverourgovernment'srhetoric.Pakistanexpectedlydidn't
taketookindlytoRathore'sstatementsthatbarelyconcealedwhichnationIndiacouldtargetnext.
PakistaniInteriorMinisterNisarKhansaidthatitshouldbecleartoIndiathat"Pakistanisnota
countrylikeMyanmar".
"ThosehavingilldesignsagainstPakistanshouldlistencarefullythatoursecurityforcesarecapable
ofmatchingresponsetoanyadventurism,"hesaid.
PakistanwouldneveracceptIndiahegemonyandthatthe"Indianleadersshouldstopdaydreaming",
Khansaid,addingthattheywouldnotbecoweddownbythreats.
TheresultantdiplomaticfurorehasledtofurtherbackpedallingwiththeModigovernmenttellingits
officialstotoneitdown.AccordingtotheTimesofIndia,"SourcessaidalthoughtheModi
governmenthadrespondedtoprovocationsfromPakistanbyusingdisproportionateforce,itdoesnot
wanttocreateanimpressionthatitisspoilingforaconfrontation."
TheIndianArmy'snostrangertocovertoperationsacrossbordersandhasinthepastcrossedthe
borderinMyanmartostrikeatIndianmilitantgroupscampedthere.AsthisDNAreportpointsout,in
January2006,theIndianArmyattackedthesamemilitantgroupinMyanmarafterstrikingadealfor
armssupplytotheMyanmarArmy.Butnoneoftheseoperationswereevertomtommedinpublicby
thegovernment.
TheModisarkarinhotpursuitofpublicitymayhavecomplicatedfurthersuchoperations.Accordingto
theTelegraph,theIndianambassadortoMyanmarspentmostofyesterdayinaseriesofmeetings
withMyanmarofficials:"Bylateevening,anofficialsaid,Mukhopadhyayhadbeentoldbythe
Myanmareseauthoritiestheywereunhappywiththe'waytheoperationhadbeenpresented'."
Simplydecoded,itmeansthatiftheIndianArmywantstogointoMyanmarthenexttimeround,it
maynotgetawarmwelcomefromtheMyanmarArmy.
http://www.firstpost.com/printpage.php?idno=2290120&sr_no=0

4/5

6/11/2015

Print:ParrikarsjibeatPakaside,MyanmarstrikedeliversunpleasantPRlessonforModisarkar

ThebottomlineisthatthegovernmentwastemptedofportrayingtheMyanmarstrikeasaOsamalike
helicopterscarryingspecialforcesdeepintoanothernation'sterritorytopunishterrorists,withoutthe
fullknowledgeorcooperationofthelocalgovernmentandwithoutasinglemilitarylossoflife.The
desiretopaintaModiledIndiaintoatakenoprisonersnationthatactsunilaterallyandwithout
apologyunderminedwhatwas,inessence,asoundmilitaryoperation.AsFirstpost'sRJagannathan
pointedout,theoperationisjustthefirstinwhatislikelyalongtermstrategywhichmaywellbe
hugelyeffectiveincombattingterrorism.ButtoturnonestrikeintoachestthumpingPRexerciseis
"unwarrantedandcounterproductive."
withinputsfromagencies
(Editor'snote:ThecopywasmodifiedfromitsoriginalversiontoincorporateDefenceminister
ManoharParrikar'sstatementonThursday)

http://www.firstpost.com/printpage.php?idno=2290120&sr_no=0

5/5