Here's hoping that he will be a mature US President

Never before has the whole world been so baffled with a US President-elect. So, Donald Trump will be the 45th US President. The rest of the world is busy anticipating the outcomes of his reign. Will he really be strict on immigrants or will he stand by his plank of temporarily banning Muslims from entering his country? And his brash attitude and aggression have been matters of concern for political leaders, experts and commoners. Yet he has usurped all calculations and beaten his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the race to the White House.

Yes, it's a Triumphant moment for the real-estate tycoon who also earned laurels as a TV host. His slogan, "Make America Great Again," has reaped him rich benefits. The rural Americans have voted for him, so have the unemployed youths. The slogan has worked big time for a man who has faced allegations of being a misogynist. But leave aside his chequered history with the fairer sex and his aversion towards immigrants, the fact remains that he will be taking over from Barrack Obama in January next year.

Now too many questions are being asked. If at all, Trump sticks to his pre-poll calls, then the world is in danger. If he decides to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, Syria and other places, terrorism will get a boost. What would be his approach towards China and Russia? And how would he deal with China over the South China Sea conundrum? And from Indian's point of view, how would he deal with Pakistan and its bonhomie with China? And will he really be tough on the Haqqani network that has put Pakistan on a sticky wicket?

Well, Trump says in his victory speech, "It’s time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me...I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America’s interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone — all people and all other nations. We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict."

Now, that's quite noble enough. He means unity and he means no harm to anybody yet if anybody tries to take America on, his policy is simple: Push US's enemy to the back foot.

There's a huge difference between pre-poll strategy and post-poll ones. Once you are on the hot seat, you are in charge and you have to shed all your inhibitions as a candidate. There are issues that need to be dealt with logically and the immature stance of building walls should be thrown into oblivion. It remains to be seen how Trump behaves once he reaches the White House. There is a sense of fear not just in USA but also in other parts of the world that a Trump Presidency can usher in an era of mayhem and pandemonium.

It's left to Trump to assuage such a notion and behave like a true statesman. He was courteous enough to acknowledge his rival Clinton's contributions to his nation in his victory speech. Well, for once he was decent enough. One prays he maintains such a dignity and doesn't come up with statements that don't quite deserve a mention from the President of the United States of America.

Fingers crossed!

Congress! Where is it now?

"Does the Congress Party exist?" comes a query from an educated Bengali middle-class man in his twenties. As I look for answers to quench his thirst, I end up on a disappointing note. Well, there's one Sonia Gandhi who still flouts her power as the president of the age-old party and then there's one Rahul Gandhi, her son, who promises to turn things around.

For Rahul, there's a one-point-agenda i.e to castigate India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi at every step. Short of logic but not short of rhetorics, he is on a mission to corner our PM be it on the latter's bonhomie with industrialists or his nonchalance towards farmers. For a change, the Gandhi family scion has some good things to say about Modi over the surgical strikes across the LoC on September 29. Well, Rahul has no other choice because if he vilifies the Gujarati strongman now, he himself will end up as an anti-Indian.

But, let's not put the blame solely on Rahul Baba. His own party men are so busy playing politics over the Modi government's aggressive attitude towards Pakistan. Take it: "This kind of strikes have taken place earlier also. The only difference is this chest-thumping and media sort of going overboard. This never happened before because the earlier Prime Minister thought these issues are best left to be dealt with by the security forces,” said a senior Congress member by the name of Digvijaya Singh as quoted by IANS.

At a time, when the Congress party has almost been decimated all over the country (the Arunachal Pradesh fiasco, losing its bastions in West Bengal and the party-run-government in Karnataka facing a heavy weather over the Cauvery dispute), a party that has given PMs like Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh to the country, is in a state of shambles.

Lack of vision and leadership will only cut it a sorry figure in national politics. Be it in Uttar Pradesh or Punjab, two states going to the polls next year, Congress hasn't made too many inroads into the voters' minds despite the 27 Saal, Up Behaal campaign looking at the UP polls. Its Chief Ministerial (CM) candidate in UP, also a former Delhi CM, Sheila Dixit is unlikely to garner the upper-caste and Brahmin votes as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its eyes set on them.

In Punjab, the party's Chief Ministerial candidate Amarinder Singh is facing the heat as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent summons to his son Raninder Singh for gross violations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). With former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu floating his own outfit breaking away from BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) trying to gain some ground, Congress might not find itself on a benign track in the Land of Five Rivers.

The biggest mistake that the Congress party has done is that it has tried to politicise an issue of grave concern related to the security of the country. By going overboard over its lack of ecstasy on surgical strikes during the reign of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in New Delhi, the party sends the wrong message across. Rahul Gandhi may praise Modi on the retaliation post Uri, but some of the senior leaders of the former's party have only spoiled the party by taking jibes at the Union Government at a time when the whole country should speak in one voice.

The problem with Congress is that it still is paranoid to look beyond the Gandhi family. As if, it's just one family that personifies leadership. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has blamed Congress for compromising on national security by putting defence spendings on the back burner since Independence. Yes scams after scams have jolted the image of the party over the years. But what is the party looking at now?

With no constructive criticism to challenge the BJP-led-National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress is busy zeroing in on digging loopholes from the grave to malign the central government not with any success though. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor would be a worried man as being the man in charge of steering the party to a position of reverence in UP and Punjab, juvenile actions on the part of Congress leaders is only queering the pitch for the party.

Too much of confusion as the party isn't sure of when Priyanka Gandhi will step in to boost up the sagging morale of the ordinary UP Congress supporter. Similarly, in Punjab, there's a lot to be done. In West Bengal, the state party chief, Adhir Chowdhury is facing the flak for failing to tackle defection to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In other states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, Odisha, Haryana and some others, Congress hardly is a force to reckon with. Even in Haryana, allegations of extra favours given to some businessmen by the previous Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda is giving goose bumps to a grass root Congress loyalist.

Utter frustration for staying out of power is throwing the party into oblivion. Hence, we have to deal with archaic statements that have little relevance in the current context emanating from some Congress leaders.

Forget leadership, Congress lacks a well-thought-out strategy to earn back the people's confidence. And don't blame its opponents if they have a big laugh over Congress' misery.

Lot to ponder over, Soniaji and Rahulji! The going will get tougher in the days to come.

At 79, Anna Hazare is keen on joining back the Army to fight Pakistan

In the wake of growing animosity between India and Pakistan, social activist Anna Hazare has expressed his willingness to join back the Army and teach Pakistan a lesson. Mind you, he's 'only' 79. "Agar Pakistan nahi manta hai aur zarurat padi toh main seema pe jake ladunga (If Pakistan doesn't listen and if need be I'll go and fight at the border)," said Hazare on a show to promote his biopic Anna that releases on October 14.

Incidentally, Hazare was drafted into the Indian Army in April 1960 (pic on top), where he first worked as an army truck driver and was later attested as a soldier. During the Indo-Pakistan War in 1965, Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector (Punjab) and was part of the Battle of Asal Uttar that was fought between the two countries between September 8 and 10 in 1965. He was the sole survivor of an enemy attack.

Though, his wish to fight Pakistan on the battle field is unlikely to come true, but the very spirit at this age should set an example for the youth of the country. Anna directed by Shashank Udapurkar stars apart from the director, Tanishaa Mukherji, Rajit Kapoor, Sharat Saxena and Govind Namdeo.

Pakistani actress Saba isn't making her Bollywood debut with Ajay Devgn's Shivaay

Amid the tension escalating between India and Pakistan over Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Uri and the threat by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to Pakistani artistes to leave India, a story started floating around that Ajay Devgn's Shivaay marks the Bollywood debut of popular Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

However, the publicity team of Shivaay has strongly denied it. "There are media reports doing the rounds that Pakistani actress Saba Qamar is making her debut with Shivaay. However, as the official publicists of the film we would like to clarify that actress Saba Qamar or any other Pakistani actor/ actress is not a part of Shivaay," the statement read. Directed by Devgn, Shivaay slated for a Diwali release stars apart from the actor-director, Sayyeshaa Saigal and Polish actress Erika Kaar.

MNS and your disoriented passion for India

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has passed an order. Creative Pakistani people should leave India within 48 hours (perhaps the deadline is over by now). Now the question is: Who or what is MNS? Nobody has an answer. Well, it's led by Raj Thackeray who parted ways with his illustrious uncle and former Shiv Sena Chief, the late Bal Thackeray.

Fair enough! Ask an average Indian film buff and he/she will pour praises on Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan. Because they are fabulous actors and beyond that, they are icons. When Uri was attacked, they were probably busy shooting. When 26/11 happened, neither of them deep down approved of the killing of innocent souls. So, where does this ultimatum work? It falls flat because Bollywood or the Hindi film industry protests against it. When Shah Rukh Khan appoints Wasim Akram as a key force in his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he gives a damn to Akram's nationality. Rahul Dholakia who directs Raees, with Shah Rukh and Mahira, closes in on the script and conceives a leading lady who is apt for the film. Atif Aslam sings Tere sang yaara from the film Rustom, and we are hooked on to it. Rest assured, even some or many from MNS have fallen in love with the number.

On one hand, activists display their love for the country by shunning creativity filtering from across the border, but on the other hand, a little bit of snooping will reveal that, it's the very same people who alleviate their boredom by watching a Khoobsurat (starring Fawad) or shedding their tiredness over a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or an Atif Aslam number in a Bollywood film.

It's a given that the Pakistani government surrenders before the Army. It's a given that Pakistan's Army is obsessed with India. But does Fawad or Mahira or Rahat have any hand in it? Now a message for the so-called-self-proclaimed patriots, look within and spare a moment for the rampant atrocities on Dalits, minorities, women and kids. Where is MNS when a 90-year-old woman, also a cancer patient is raped in Kerala? Where are you when a mentally-challenged woman is forced to eat on the floor of a hospital in Ranchi? Where are you when a woman is stabbed in the National Capital?

Please leave it to the authorities to deal with Pakistan. What our neighbours are indulging in, isn't sacrosanct. But instead of looking at a solution, stop making headlines by victimising actors and singers from Pakistan who have nothing to do with the troublesome period the two countries are going through.

MNS, you are not true patriots. The whole aim is to get some mileage, so that in the polls coming up in Maharashtra, you gain in terms of numbers. The Maratha Manoosh plank and attacks on North Indians have paid you almost no dividend, and now the desperation to woo voters emboldens you to resort to an exaggerated form of activism.

It's time to take the bull by its horns. The Narendra Modi-led government is busy mulling over options to retaliate post Uri. But, parties like MNS which thrive on fabricated patriotism should be ignored. Because their intentions are not noble enough.  

The Sharifs and a mockery of democracy

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/full-text-of-nawaz-sharif-s-speech-at-un-general-assembly/story-bdlcijC6NbfJgnjYupBBhN.html

Courtesy Hindustan Times, a full text of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech at the the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is now at your doorstep. As a Pakistani, you would now look at him with reverance. The Orgasanisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would further eulogise him for 'exposing' India on Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

Well done Mr. Sharif. But not just in the capacity of an Indian, but as a human being, any individual with a sense of logic would only laugh at you. Your speech only vindicates the fact that the Government of Pakistan only dances to the whims and fancies of its Army currently led by Raheel Sharif. Well, he shares your surname. Not only does he share your surname, he also makes it sure that you are kept on your toes and you abide by the instructions coming from Rawalpindi.

For your armed men, India is an obsession despite the fact that every time, your Generals tried to foment trouble in India, you were given a befitting reply. Mr. PM, you pretend to be a custodian of peace in the sub-continent, but to be fair and honest, it's sad there was no mention of the killing of Indian soldiers at Uri. Yes, you endorsed terrorism by once again hailing a terrorist like Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani (who was killed by our forces on July 8) as a martyr. Now, you yourself know that your nation does give protection to the likes of Masood Azhar, Hafeez Saeed and others whose one-point agenda is to destabilise India.

But let me not implicate you. It's not your fault. Even if you intend to make a difference and offer a hand of friendship to India, your Army chief would react, even if his days on the job are numbered. But, being the Prime Minister of a country that boasts its democratic credentials, you would have done a better job by asserting your views based on democratic norms. But Sir, you are scared because your country has a history of being a witness to coups (you being a victim of two of them).

The Panama Paper leaks (some of your kins' names have been mentioned), a loss to the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) in the Karachi Mayoral elections, allegations of rigging in the elections in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), honour killings, atrocities on minorities and so on have only made you a lame-duck PM. Even your Supreme Court passes a ruling that the actually limits the say of the Prime Minister in financial matters. To add to it, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamal alleges that some political parties in Pakistan pamper terrorists. Never before, if memory doesn't betray, any Chief Justice in any other country has been so candid. 

But we pity you. Even if you are a good person with noble intentions, you have no choice except surrendering to the might of the Armed forces. The reason is simple: Pakistan makes a mockery of democracy. The lawmakers only speak but do not mean what they say because the Generals are watching. 

Sorry Mr. Prime Minister, you are helpless. Despite being elected by the people, your hands are tied. Watching you speaking at the UNGA, one would not envy you because you don't have the most enviable job in the world. Being Pakistan's Prime Minister is the toughest responsibility one could imagine. 

God bless Pakistan! God bless Pakistanis! The road will only get tougher with time and even China and Turkey would turn their backs on Pakistan. After all, economy matters and in terms of trade and business, India marches way ahead of its neighbour.     

   

Indo-Pak collaboration takes a musical route

India-Pakistan relations may be at stake on Jammu & Kashmir, but on the cultural front, there's some good news. Actress Evelyn Sharma and Pakistani singer Zohaib Amzad have joined hands for a number that is already a hit on the web. Evelyn grooves on a peppy number, Ani Pa De from her forthcoming single. It is an entertaining party number. Evelyn puts on her dancing shoes and sets the dance floor on fire. The track was sung by Zohaib and the video was directed by Arsal Khan & Beyond Studios.

Personal diary: A glimpse of the brighter side of a country called Pakistan

To start off, I owe a lot to Harsh Mander and his article for Scroll.in titled #SeditionThis: Why I believe Pakistanis are the most gracious people in the world. A wonderful piece of writing that puts all doubts to rest. He's the inspiration behind this piece. 

Yours truly may not have travelled to Pakistan, but he has always had a soft corner for its peoples. If it's cricket on one hand, it's the picturesque locales of the country that have always made him inquisitive to explore the country. And let's not forget the likes of Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Shahid Afridi, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Fawad Khan and Saba Qamar, big names from across the border this writer has always admired.

On a personal front, my personal experiences with Pakistan and Pakistanis as a whole have been cherishing enough. If my Karachi-based friend Umar Wahidi comes across as a person who never gives up on logic, during my days as a scribe, whenever I had to dial a Pakistani number, I never hesitated. And every time I spoke to one from across the border, I felt as if I was conversing with an Indian.

Be it Humaima Malik or Akram or Afridi, the co-operation from these big shots from Pakistan will always remain embedded in my heart. Never did it strike to me that they hailed from a nation, which had so many scores to settle with India.

Talk of Akram, I forced him to give me an exclusive despite the fact that he was running against time. But he was as charming as ever. On the treadmill, he told me that he was actually listening to Hindi numbers while shedding some calories. And Afridi (he may not remember), said, "You are from Hindustan Times (the newspaper I was working with)? Yes, I know you have an appointment with me. Go ahead."  

On the contrary, as a journalist, I was kept waiting by a Bengali superstar who said he had no time because his work came first. Similarly, a versatile Bollywood actor, in Kolkata to shoot for a film directed by a filmmaker who has left for his heavenly abode, tested my patience and finally gave in.


Anyways, am I getting too personal? Yes, I am. To come back, Pakistan has never disappointed me personally. Yet, cross border terrorism disturbs me. Biased Pakistani media coverage at the behest of the political and military establishments out there is contradictory to what an average Pakistani feels.

I would second Kannada actress Ramya who says Pakistan is not hell as opposed to Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar's statement. She faces sedition charges and I dread facing the same after this article goes online. But, being a true patriot and an Indian and living in a democracy that allows freedom of speech (Yes even keeping Kanhaiya Kumar in mind), I would suggest that it's time to bring the civil society into action and it's only then can we expect some respite. 

Far-fetched? May be, but that's a way out or else, even the all-party delegation's visit led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the valley will yield no result. Talk to all stakeholders in Kashmir, but also take into confidence the ordinary Kashmiris. And when you talk to Pakistan, spare a thought for those ordinary citizens of the country who refuse to charge a penny if an Indian buys anything from them.  

To wind up, I am in love with that section of Pakistan, which doesn't spew venom at my country and which is sick and tired of the protracted enmity with India. But I am certainly not friendly with those elements who survive on anti-India plank. Similarly, looking within, people with vested interests from my own country do not make their way into my good books. Beyond politics and diplomacy, there's something called humanity. And I bet be it Karachi or Lahore or Islamabad or New Delhi or Mumbai or Kolkata or Chennai, there are still some human beings left who think beyond political vendetta.  

If I am booked on sedition charges, I am up for it, as I have spoken my heart out.

Allah Hafiz!!   
Also check https://digantaguha.blogspot.in/2016/05/beyond-guns.html 

Dear PM, fly to Islamabad and expose Sharif's Pakistan

Will he or won't he? That's the question running in diplomatic circles in both India and Pakistan. The ever-ebullient Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister is still undecided on whether he will attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on November 9 and 10. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already sent an invitation to heads of all the member states including India.

Admitted, Modi is in a fix in the wake of Pakistan's escalation of the age-old anti-India stance aggravated further 'courtesy' the unrest in the Kashmir valley post the death of Burhan Wani, hailed as a martyr by Islamabad. The cold treatment meted out to Modi's cabinet colleague Rajnath Singh during the latter's visit to Islamabad is a case in point.

But will boycotting the SAARC summit serve India's purpose? Honestly speaking, Modi should take the flight to Pakistan. Amid the uproar in the valley both India and Pakistan are hell bent on internationalising the Kashmir issue. If Pakistan seeks support from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and even the European Union (EU) on Kashmir, New Delhi too isn't lagging behind. When Modi talks of Balochistan, PoK, Gilgit and Baltistan, he means business. Though Modi's concern for Balochistan will be under the scanner, he has taken the battle right into the enemy's camp.

Though SAARC has got nothing to do with bilateral acrimony, Modi would do well to take on Pakistan on the latter's soil following in the footsteps of his Home Minister, Singh. If Singh were decent enough, Modi should take one step ahead.

Pakistan's moral support to Kashmiris' struggle for independence is a given, but there's more to it. Islamabad's monetary and military support to perpetrators of terror in the valley has already cost hundreds of lives. Sharif has entrusted 22 parliamentarians with the responsibility to expose 'Indian atrocity in Kashmir' globally.

If, Sharif can take the lead, Modi should not give him the edge. Knowing Modi's prowess over words, he has it in him to dispel any ambiguity on New Delhi's approach towards Kashmir and expose Islamabad's nefarious tendencies to incite trouble in the valley.

With USA in company, Modi's diplomatic acumen will be tested vis-a-vis Kashmir. Instead of campaigning for his party in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa (states going into polls next year), Modi should take it upon himself to send a strong message to Pakistan that it better stay away from India's internal matters or else, there's enough in our bag to marginalise our estranged brother.

And the Indian PM couldn't have asked for a better opportunity than the 19th SAARC Summit to throw pertinent questions at Pakistan which the latter may find difficult to counter. Our neighbours are leaving no stones unturned to capitalise on Kashmir to isolate India, but with the latter having developed new friends who earlier had a soft corner for Pakistan, Modi stays on a stronger turf.

Enough is enough, let's be practical. Kashmir is on the boil and Pakistan is only adding fuel to it. So, let's talk about cross-border terrorism and convince the Pakistani establishment that by acquiescing to the all-powerful Army, it's drawing its own nemesis. Yet, Modi should also have an answer to the logic behind raising the issue of Balochistan.

Fingers crossed!

Qandeel's murder not just a case of honour killing, claims Indian filmmaker

Indian filmmaker and photographer Maneesh Singh who spoke to slain Pakistani social media sensation Qandeel Baloch two days before her murder by her own brother Waseem, claims there's a much larger conspiracy behind her death. He has demanded a probe saying that it is not just a case of honour killing. Some clerics and religious fanatics backed  by a prominent terrorist group are behind the murder, alleges Maneesh who knew Qandeel whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, for almost two years.

Qandeel's brother strangulated her to death on Friday in Multan in what is suspected to be an honour killing. Says a stunned Maneesh who wanted to cast her in a film based on the true story of a Pakistani actress, "I spoke to her recently. We used to speak on phone 2-3 times a month. She seemed very worried and wanted to come to India and settle down in Mumbai or some other city. She felt her life was under threat. She was also having some financial problems. She had asked me for money on a couple of occasions in the last two months."

Maneesh also informed that he had advised her to look for opportunities on the small screen. "She desperately wanted to do Bigg Boss  like another Pakistani actress Veena Malik and kept asking me to speak to Colors and Endemol on her behalf. The earlier news about her entry into Bigg Boss 10 was a publicity stunt masterminded by her. I told her not to do it, but she would not listen," elaborates the director.

"I do not know how she afforded such a lavish lifestyle. She had bought a house and spent a lot on her own grooming. It seems she had a rich boyfriend in Dubai, but I am not sure. But she was desperate to leave  Pakistan. She knew that her days were numbered if she stayed back. She told me that some religious fanatics had issued a supari or fatwa against her," says Maneesh.

What is more shocking to Maneesh is a statement by Mufti Abdul Qavi who was recently suspended from the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee membership after his provocative selfies with Qandeel. Mufti said that the murder of the model was a lesson for others. "No one should make mockery of the Ulema. This is a lesson for all," reacted Mufti.

Qandeel's family is not financially well-off. "I won't be surprised if her brother was "paid" by some fanatic forces in Pakistan to kill his sister," says the director currently busy with two Tamil films.

Qandeel has been in the news after videos of her twerking to a song were deemed objectionable. Few days ago, a man called Aashiq Hussain claiming to be her husband alleged that she had taken money from him and abandoned their son in his care and had been married previously. The late model said that the marriage with Aashiq was troubled and her first marriage was held when she was only 17 without her consent.
Meanwhile a Peshawar-based tailor named Shahid Baloch told Dunya News that he too was married to her.

When Valentine's Day was declared to be against Pakistani culture and people were warned against its celebration, Qandeel had donned a red dress and posted a V-Day message for her social media followers. "Even at that time, I told her to be careful. Pakistan is not India or the West, I had said, but she only laughed out loudly. She claimed that she knew some influential people and politicians in Pakistan. 'They all want to meet me privately', she told me. I just asked her to be careful," reveals Maneesh.

As per media reports, Qandeel left for an undisclosed location in Multan and was keen on leaving the country with her parents once things calmed down. But destiny had something else written for her.

Pakistan exposed

Do you know Rana Sanaullah? Most of you don’t. He’s the law minister of the Punjab province in Pakistan who has spilled the beans on Pakistan’s support to groups instigating an anti-Indian mindset. “How can you prosecute a group with whom the state itself has been involved with?” he said referring to militant groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in an interview to BBC Urdu.

If our neighbours across the border feign ignorance on disruption of peace in our country, then Sanaullah’s statement has just pinned them down. Yes, an almost official clarification from Pakistan only vindicates India’s claim that Pakistan is behind unleashing a reign of terror on the former’s soil.

26/11 and the attack on the Pathankot airbase are two glaring examples of Islamabad’s hand behind encouraging assaults on India. Yet, our dear old pal China goes the whole hog to put a technical hold on India’s attempt to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned in the United Nations.

Sanaullah’s confession should be taken very seriously. Instead of celebrating Narendra Modi’s completion of two years as the Prime Minister, the government should take steps to strengthen India's borders and ensure that enemies don’t have a free run on our soil. We seem to be too besotted with Subramanian Swamy’s tirade against Reserve Bank of India’s Governor Raghuram Rajan. Little do we gauge the danger looming large over our country.

But Indians won’t take such warnings seriously. Intolerance, agitation in universities, violence against women, corruption and the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s obsession with toppling state governments run by its political foes are showing India in a poor light. IS and ISI are spreading their wings all across India. By capitalising on the reach of social media, these organisations are inculcating radicalism in the youth. The government machinery is taking steps to impede the rise of anti-India sentiments. But aren't we exposing our vulnerability before the rest of the world?

Post Sanaullah’s comments, the acid test of Indian diplomacy begins. PM Modi has a busy schedule coming up with trips to Iran, Afghanistan and USA. Instead of giving lectures to the Indian diaspora and adding to the list of his followers on Twitter and Facebook, the prime minister would do well to express India’s disillusionment over Pakistan’s magnanimity towards forces trying to divide India.

US President Barack Obama has an uphill task to grant an aid worth $450 million to Pakistan. F-16 Fighter Jets from the US  haven’t reached Pakistan yet. The US Congress is in no mood to allow the Obama regime to pamper Nawaz Sharif’s government. With an increasing Chinese proximity to Pakistan and the United States leaning towards India, New Delhi couldn’t have asked for a more lethal weapon to expose both China and Pakistan on various global forums. The Punjab law minister unknowingly has boosted India’s morale and given it an opportunity to underscore Pakistan’s hand behind terror.

How Modi and his colleagues will lap it up remains to be seen.