Same Old 'Pakistani' Mentality

Islamabad's clamorous denial that soldiers of the Indian Army never stepped across the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir's Uri sector to lend a helping hand to Pakistani soldiers in the immediate aftermath of last Saturday's devastating earthquake reflects its cussedness even when faced with a crisis involving human lives. If Indian soldiers actually crossed the LoC near the Aman Setu to lend a helping hand to Pakistani soldiers trapped in the debris of a bunker, as they did, it only shows that our men in khaki are not bereft of human kindness and can justly claim to have an enormous sense of honor.

Had they been lacking in these qualities, they would have let their "enemies" on the field of action die a horrible death and celebrated the Pakistani Army's loss. The import of such act of true valor is obviously lost on Pakistan's politicians who would rather play to the gallery and pander to anti-India sentiments than graciously acknowledge a good deed. Cynics would argue that it is foolish to expect Pakistan to say thank you; they have a point. Let us not forget, even as naïve do-gooders, especially those whose hearts beat faster for Pakistan than for India, demand that New Delhi should rush to Islamabad's assistance at the latter's hour of crisis, the mind-numbing brutality to which Lt Saurabh Kalia and his five men were treated by Pakistani soldiers for straying into Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

They could have been held as prisoners of war - the Kargil conflict was on - but their skulls were smashed, their bones were broken and body organs were sliced off. That criminality betrayed the true mindset of Pakistani soldiers and their masters in Islamabad. India has reason to be proud that its men in uniform, even in the most trying of circumstances, have never stooped, nor shall they ever stoop, to such levels of animal viciousness. The grand gesture at Uri only proves this point.

Thursday's official denial issued by Islamabad is of a piece with its policy of showing little or no enthusiasm towards India's offer of help to provide relief material for those who survived the killer earthquake. The Indian Air Force flight carrying relief material was initially turned away on the specious plea that the airspace was too crowded with foreign aircraft. Subsequent offers of help have not elicited much response.

Yet, Pakistan has cravenly sought and accepted Western aid to provide relief to the victims; it would seem that Pakistanis find American dollars more respectable than Indian rupees. That only shows the other facet of the mindset of those who rule Pakistan - while they feel compelled to bad mouth India and refuse to break bread with Indians, they are happy to receive scraps from the tables of Americans and Europeans. Dignity and national honor, of which much is made by Pakistan's ruling elite, in uniform and mufti, while dealing with India, miraculously disappear when they queue up for Western aid.

Cruel as it may sound to suggest this at a time when people are dying of hunger, cold and lack of medical care in and around Muzaffarabad, it is anybody's guess as to how much of the promised financial assistance will actually reach the survivors. Pakistanis, more than anybody else, know the route which American and European aid meant for them takes - more often than not, the money lands in foreign accounts whose beneficiaries are in the forefront of denouncing any suggestions that Indian soldiers stepped across the LoC.