Noting that engaging Pakistan is the “only answer” that India has, Chidambaram said the present government started at one extreme and has now swung to another extreme.
“The first extreme was over-enthusiasm and the second is their own making. Eventually you have to live with your neighbours. The only answer is to engage Pakistan through trade, cultural exchanges or people to people exchanges,” he said.
About surgical strikes, Chidambaram said the ownership should have been left to the army.
“First, the ownership should have been left to the army like we have in the past. Second, we should not make statements like ‘Pakistan called us yesterday and begged us to stop’ or make statements like ‘I will gouge their eyes’. These statements make us a laughing stock.
“Our cross-border strikes do not deter Pakistan sufficiently. There are other options that can be explored.
Going public about surgical strikes limits your options,” he said at the launch which was also attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He said though India’s response to 26/11 attacks was “extremely poor”, it gained “enormously” by choosing not to retaliate militarily.
(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:oneindia.com)
