The former National Security Adviser (NSA) MK Narayanan says the war with Pakistan has just begun.
“Our war with Pakistan is far from over. It is only beginning,” Narayanan said on Saturday at an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata. “Operation Sindoor was an example of what we can do. It was not the end.”
The 91-year old Narayanan, who had served as the NSA from 2005 to 2010 and as the Governor of West Bengal (2010-14), said India should be cautious about the rise of Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of army staff.
“Pakistan is a country which is at war with itself. Troubles in Balochistan and elsewhere are getting stronger while new flash-points are emerging. The spectre of military rule in the country again is looming. The political strength in the country is with the army. The military influence has been Pakistan’s bane for several decades.” Narayanan said.
A week before the attack in Pahalgam, Munir had stressed on the differences between India and Pakistan at a speech in Islamabad, which Narayanan believes should set the alarm bells ringing in India.
“He had said, our religion is different, our customs are different and our traditions are different. He poses a direct threat to us. Pakistan is an impeccable foe for India. No everlasting peace is possible in the region. The army chief who is the de facto leader of the country is expressing his views in no uncertain terms. We cannot lower our guards,” Narayanan said.
Reminding of India’s principled stand on “No first use” of nuclear arsenal, Narayanan said, “Any nuclear confrontation with Pakistan would be catastrophic, unleashing devastation on a scale that would transcend borders and generations.”
The former NSA believes China is more of a civilisational threat for India.
“We are two great civilisations. We can’t afford a war with China. I believe China does not want a war. Rather it wants acknowledgment as the major civilisation in this part of the world. We can manage that situation,” he said. “China, propelled by civilizational imperatives, engages in calibrated provocation rather than overt hostility. India needs a diplomatic strategy that blends resolve, prudence, and confidence in the depth of our civilizational ethos.
Narayanan feels Sheikh Hasina’s forced ouster from Bangladesh was a setback for India.
“The eclipse of Sheikh Hasina’s regime is a major setback. I believe Bangladesh is integral part of India. Bangladesh is a microcosm of India. We cannot afford to lose Bangladesh. In whatever way we can we have to keep Bangladesh. That side has a more vibrant history than this part of Bengal. Their voice needs to be attended to,” he said.
Hasina fled Bangladesh last August and has been in exile in India, while Bangladesh is administered by an interim government. The chief adviser Mohammad Yunus, according to reports in Bangladesh media, last expressed his desire to quit. Yunus and the interim government is under pressure from both the political parties and the Bangladesh Army to hold national elections by the end of this year.
Narayanan was also critical of Israel’s continued engagement in Gaza, which he said should be called out.
“You cannot accept the pogrom going on in Gaza. India’s greatness lies in the fact that we do not want people to be killed. Therefore, no hesitation in saying Israel is committing genocide. Israel’s domination cannot be at the cost of human lives,” he said. “How India is going to maintain its friendship with Israel on one hand and the west Asian countries on the other, is a question that will torment us for some time.”
Narayanan said in the present times, the international order is in great danger.
“The US is no longer a bulwark of democracy. Europe is wallowing in self-pity. Europe is in shambles and cannot protect itself. Europe wants the vestiges of power without the strength,” Narayanan said.
Narayanan said the advent of AI had altered the nature of war and the role of the military.
“Into a blind darkness they enter who are devoted to ignorance; but into a greater darkness they enter who engage in knowledge of deity alone,” Narayanan signed off quoting from the Isa-Upanishad.