Potential Of War Between India And Pakistan

[lsingh]

There is a real possibility that India may carry out some airstrikes on Pakistan. My worry is that Sikhs are asleep and will be unprepared for any conflict that may arise.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7800329.stm

[HSD*^]

this could turn out really good for sikhs in the region or really really bad. seeing as how disorganized our community is i think its the latter.

[Mehtab Singh]

Please explain the "really" good part.

[pun9ab1]

This can only mean bad for punjab. If Pakistan decides to use nukes we will be hit definitely because the missiles defenses around the border are very weak.

[saint-soldier]

doubt war will break out but if it does it'll further screw up punjab.

[Mehtab Singh]

Punjab on both sides will be wiped out. Sikhs should be the last ones to even think about supporting a war.

[pun9ab1]

Well if war does break out I am concerned about the Sikhs living in Paki punjab. They could be targeted by Local Muslims as retaliation against the Indians

[lsingh]

Punjab on both sides will be wiped out. Sikhs should be the last ones to even think about supporting a war.

The Guardian

Pakistan 'deploys soldiers to Indian border'• Move from Afghan frontier adds to confrontation fear

Pakistan moved troops away from its western border with Afghanistan, amid reports that thousands of soldiers were being redeployed along the eastern frontier with India yesterday, in what would be a major escalation of the confrontation between the two countries after the Mumbai terrorist attack last month.

Most experts still believe that war between the nuclear-armed adversaries is unlikely but, if confirmed, the troop movements risk triggering a conflict, with both sides in a state of nervous high alert.

A Pakistani defence official said: "Troops in snowbound areas and places where operational commitments were less [in the west], have been pulled back."

The official denied that the soldiers had been sent to the Indian border. However, media reports quoted witnesses who had seen long convoys of trucks carrying troops, passing through towns.

Pakistan has cancelled leave for all its soldiers, while India has told its citizens not to travel to Pakistan. "We are at the cusp of war," said Zafar Hilaly, a retired Pakistani ambassador turned analyst. "I really do think there is a chance. We shouldn't, by any means, rule out some kind of hostile action on the part of India."

Washington reacted with alarm at the reports, contacting Islamabad and New Delhi. "We hope that both sides will avoid taking steps that will unnecessarily raise tensions during these already tense times," said a US national security council spokesman, Gordon Johndroe.

New Delhi has blamed "elements from Pakistan" for the assault on Mumbai, hinting that the Pakistani-based extremist outfit that carried out the attack had support from a section of the army. Islamabad has offered to co-operate but says that no evidence has been shared by India.

A terrorist attack in India in late 2001, again blamed on Pakistani militants, triggered a massive build-up of troops on both sides of the border, with US intervention needed to avert the possibility of war.

Analysts believe that India's military options are limited to air strikes, but they are likely to be counter-productive and risk setting off a full-scale conflict. India would lose any moral high ground, and air strikes could not destroy the jihadist network.

There have been unconfirmed reports in recent days that India has moved troops to Rajasthan, which borders Pakistan. New Delhi was also reported to have cancelled all military leave until April after the attacks on Mumbai on November 26. The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, met the army, navy and air force chiefs yesterday for the second time in a week.

Pakistan fears that India could launch an invasion from Rajasthan into Sindh province, aiming to cut off the north from the southern half of Pakistan. The calculation from India is thought to be that going into Sindh would not trigger a nuclear response from Pakistan - unlike the risk posed from invading the country's heartland Punjab province.

"Pakistan and India are at some distance from war, but when troops start moving, any misperception, or any miscalculation, can be dangerous," said Hasan Askari Rizvi, an analyst based in Lahore.

The Indian government has at times ruled out war, while at other points suggested that "all options" are open.

Since the Mumbai incident, India has demanded that Pakistan crack down on militant groups and believes that Islamabad's actions so far have not been genuine. "The issue is not war," Singh told reporters earlier this week. "The issue is terror, and territory in Pakistan being used to promote, aid and abet terror here."

Pakistan maintains that it cannot act without evidence. "There is not much that Pakistan will or can do to address Indian demands," said Kamran Bokhari, head of Middle East analysis at Stratfor, a private US geopolitical intelligence firm. "There are signs from both countries of preparation for war. Unilateral military action on the part of New Delhi appears quite likely."

India's foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, said yesterday that "instead of raising war hysteria, they [Pakistan], should address this [militant] problem".

"We are for peace, not conflict," said Pakistan's prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani. "But if there is any action, we will retaliate."

[HSD*^]

the good part? well if sikhs were organized (which were not) a war would strengthen the cause for east punjab independence, allowing us to choose our destiny rather than fighting wars for others. look at previous wars ('71 was it?) sikh regiments prevented the pak army entering east punjab. but if they invaded all along the border and certain parts of india were over run, sikhs could form a seperate state. and if it looked like the paks were going to win we would be able to cut off their supply lines and get them too. but if you guys dont think sikh independence is worth it then please keep telling me how stupid my points are.

[Mehtab Singh]

if it looked like the paks were going to win we would be able to cut off their supply lines and get them too.

I highly doubt the Pakistanis would be that dependent on Sikhs in such a situation. In fact, they would use the Sikh troops to the max in order to intrude into Punjab. Once the war would be over, they would not go back, rather continue to occupy Punjab, and therefore what we would expect to get as an independent homeland would become "Pakistan occupied Punjab". Remember it was Benazir Bhutto who was friends with Rajiv Gandhi and disclosed the locations of a number of jujharoo Singhs who were then either martyred or captured, so trusting Pakistan once again to achieve Khalistan would be nothing short of a blunder.

To cut a long story short, a war is never going to have a positive outcome for anyone. I am not sure about others, but I don't hold the notion that a Sikh lights lamps in his/her house with fire raging in someone else's house, neither does he/she cook/warm his/her food with this fire destroying someone else's house. The rest is up to you guys to judge. None of us on an online forum can change the policies of any government, nor can we thwart them from executing their decisions.