Pakistan waging war through state media

ing states with its circumference engulfing almost all possible ethnic communities.

To get the best desirable impact, these nations exploit the local media to spread hate messages among people and feed them with anti-India sentiments.

Yes, attempts to curtail their presence were made by the UPA government, which amended the Cable TV Act giving additional latitude to the enforcing agencies to increase fine or even imprison the infiltrators.

However, for political reasons, it has been difficult to attain a consensus on the issue.

An interesting fact from the past: during the Bosnia bombings in 1997, Serbians resorted to radio to broadcast messages against Muslims, Americans and against the Dayton peace deal. The Americans had then retaliated by seizing various transmitters, and thus halting the hate broadcasts.

What the Americans could do in an alien land, the Indian authorities haven’t been able to do in their home turf.

There is no specialised cell, no expertise, no fund disbursements worth mentioning, and most importantly, no initiatives from our authorities as they are sweeping the matter below the carpet in their typical “chalta-hai” style.

The downright disregard to acknowledge the gravity of the situation has given rise to a ticking time bomb, especially in the backdrop of ongoing discontentment in the bordering states.

In multi-religious and multicultural societies as ours, it is even easier to break the back of the very delicately poised domestic harmony — a fact that never seems to get interest of our authorities and least of all our ministers.

The writing on the wall is vivid and clear — our neighbours are not only invading our sovereignty but have virtually waged a psychological war across the border! And we seem to be nothing but sitting ducks.

(The writer is a management guru and hony director of IIPM Think Tank.

The views expressed in this column belong to the writer and do not reflect those of this newspaper)