The Osama party is over; it's time to get real

New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): The killing of Osama Bin Laden is clearly emerging as the biggest story of the decade . The media everywhere is on overdrive. By now the Indian public knows everything about Osama's personality, lifestyle, wives, family and beard.

We know he was a man of few words and austere, and yet, he did not fight shy of keeping four wives and spawning a whole brood of children. We know that he was vain and did not feel any religious qualms about dyeing his beard to look menacingly good on television .

We know that he maintained an operational control over his organisation right up to his last breath.

Coming to the spillover of the Osama effect, we are seeing the Pakistan government suffering from withdrawal symptoms and splashing around like a child learning how to swim. We are witness to the US trying to understand whether it has won or lost in this particular gamble.

India has been critical of Pakistan harbouring Osama, but has maintained its traditional silence on core issues. There has been a proliferation of new Osama experts who are adding to the confusion with abrasive and contradictory assessments.

It is time to realise that the party is over, Osama is dead, and we, as a country, need to get real and move on. It is time to calmly and logically analyse the impact of this incident on our society, our politics, and above all, our security. It is time to wean out some sane deductions from the volumes of literature that is now available and usher in necessary mid-course corrections in our domestic and foreign policies.

The incident has confirmed the status of Pakistan as a haven for various shades and shapes of international terrorism. It has also thrown light on US proclivity to share information with friendly countries like India rather selectively. The US has little respect for any other nation (ally or enemy) when it comes to its perceived national interest.

The presence of Osama in Pakistan has validated the strength and vibrancy of Islamic religious extremism in Pakistan, and has substantiated that the radical militant leadership in Pakistan has the ingenuity and the means to keep the movement alive for many years to come.

Osama may be dead, but there are many more Osamas', young, intelligent, radical and motivated, waiting in the wings to take over. This new brood is far more dangerous than Osama ever was.

So far as Pakistan is concerned, we can be rest assured that the nation will witness increased radicalisation in the aftermath of this incident. Islamic religious organisations will take centre stage in a manner that was seen after the attack on the Lal Masjid.

The Pakistani Government will throw up its hands in helplessness and state that it is a victim of terrorism . The US is unlikely to contribute much towards clearing up the mess in the subcontinent This vitiated environment will definitely pose critical security challenges for India, especially in Kashmir. India has no option but to stand alone.

India has the inherent strength as a secular, enlightened democracy and an emerging economic power

So where does India go from here? Not much can be achieved by pressurising Pakistan into changing its course. The only option is to isolate ourselves from its septic brand of politics. India's diplomatic offensive has to be run in tandem with a national will to fight terrorism and religious fundamentalism on ground.

Kashmir is the most critical base from where Pakistan and its Lashkars will attempt to gain a foot hold in India. The attempt is likely to gain momentum in the coming few months through increase in terrorist activity, insinuations of human right violations against security forces, raising of political issues like the Shri Amarnath Yatra and general disruption of normal life.

The Indian authorities should clamp down on anti-national and secessionist forces with an iron hand.

The political effort needs to be supplemented with enhanced security and vigilance, the intelligence set up has to be upgraded, crucial gaps in the modernisation of our armed forces have to be filled and a proactive, integrated defence philosophy has to be put in place to counter all possible security challenges.

Pakistan should be given a clear message that we mean business and that we should not be taken lightly.

The US should be told to cease the policy of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds. It should prove its sensitivity for our concerns by sharing all information that it has retrieved from Osama's hideout and then launch a counter strategy in Pakistan in concert with India. It can no longer be allowed to exist in its self delusional world of double speak.

A lot needs to be done and this is possible only if we are decisive and display the courage of conviction. The time for celebration is over. By Jaibans Singh (ANI)

Attn: News Editors/News Desks: The views expressed in the above article are the author's-Mr. Jaibans Singh.