Take a hard look at Kargil crisis

Columnist ZAMAN MALIK takes a dispassionate view of the consequences of Kargil.

Advisor to the Chief Executive on Information and Media Development, Javed Jabbar has claimed, ‘we have also established media deterrence, against India’. He quoted the failure of the recent Indian plane’s hijacking episode as a proof of that. I am afraid, the claim is more misleading than the one made by Syed Mushahid Hussain during the ‘Kargil Crisis’. While boasting about the Media superiority of Pakistan, he had, as a proof said that ‘India had banned PTV’s reception, in India’. However, the people were to see quite the opposite of that during the months of said crisis. Our Sharif’s remained more busy in secret sugar deals with Vajpayee.

The success, in the recent hijacking case created by India herself, was nobody’s. It was due all to the gross mismanagement by India during the period, which resulted into her own failure, and India’s failure always meant Pakistan’s success. Pakistan has to atleast be equal, if not superior to India, in Space Technology, to convince someone about the reality of the ‘Media Deterrence’, besides having reliable and resourceful friends as India had, in the US/ the West. The people of Pakistan are extremely resentful of the false claims and assurances. The Kargil Crisis have left indelible marks on minds. Let us hope, no such fantastic claims are advanced about the promised ‘Economic Recovery’ !

One of the challenges in media operations is that the number of target audiences increase. In peace-time, one is mainly dealing with target audiences, which are probably, benevolently disposed or atleast can be engaged in constructive dialogue. During conflict you have a target audience (the enemy), with whom you have no contact other than through media, and the enemy watches you and your friendly countries to draw conclusions about your stances being adopted and discarded frequently. Media War  is only one element of the campaign. During the Kargil crisis, however, the media was ascended to the status of a key battle front by India. India’s message got through the world instantaneously. Our message got through own public, which of course remained supportive all through the crisis inevitable ups and downs. It can be said that India compelled Pakistan’s political leadership appeal to Mujahideens, because of India’s media victory and Pakistan’s media defeat. Media needs to take a hard look at its lapses to learn lessons, for there will, most certainly be, always a next time.

In 24 hours media age this matters most. The media is more intrusive, more demanding and less trusting of the officialdom. It complains about the lack of access and information and when we put in to provide it, it complains that spin doctors are meddling in military matters. Ofcourse the war is won by the military force, diplomatic resolve and skill, the media backup has become increasingly essential. Military must concentrate to get on with their job, which is far more important. The media is interested to know whether or not our cause was just, our demands were absolute and we were fully determined not to go away until our demands were met. People talk about morale and think up an image of our forces,’ well motivated and happy in their work’. Just as important are their families, who know that their loved ones are risking life and limb and who also know that they are well trained excellent professionals. Let me re-emphasise, winning the battle requires two things: we have to justify the action by showing we had the right cause on our side and the military action has to be seen to be effective.

In the face of an aggressive media, you sometimes need aggression in turn. It may mean journalists getting annoyed when you criticise their reporting. But just as the reporter should be free in reporting what he wants, so also should we be, when those reports may influence public opinion and we disagree with their analysis. Both sides must have equal rights, to freedom of speech/expression. During Kargil Crisis and in the last week of Dec 99, Maj Gen. Rashid Qureshi handled the situation convincingly, but obviously, as things seem developing, we would be urgently needing a separate ‘Media Operation Directorate’. The services, in the immediate future are put at the disposal of this Dte, by the retired officers. About this, I shall be explaining in the next article.

If there are no pictures, there are no News. This factor weighed heavily in favour of India, during the Kargil Crisis. We had only words to hit back with. Compare and contrast the Indian Army’s brutalities, massacres and genocide of the poor India Held Kashmiri Muslims, the rapes and murders of women, carried out as acts of policy. Despite these facts clearly visible on ground, our words - just words, remained merely a ‘Paki’ allegation. Our words were rebutted most effectively by the Indians TV Stations and were promptly repeated verbatim by the West.

Modern communication is about how your message gets through the people, not simply the journalists. It means often communicating through the media, rather than via the media. Just imagine if during the crisis the public opinion had crumbled, as our media did, it would have had a direct impact upon the determination of our military supporting the Freedom Fighters, who ofcourse pursued their goals relentlessly, leaving glaring examples to be emulated by the posterity. Our enemy, as spokesman, was A.B. Vajpayee’s and his friendly Western media, but our judge and Jury was our people, our public’s faith, in the righteousness of the Freedom Fighter’s cause. Our political leadership, seemed to be waiting always for a kind of ‘Blair House’ to receive the orders from. And this is precisely what caused its disgrace. On top of it, Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to Washington extracting threatening warning during his stay there, from US administration, to scare the Opposition and the Armed forces of Pakistan, from taking any steps against the Nawaz government, brought the things down from the fry pan to fire. The attitude of Sharif’s government was most dubious right from the very beginning. He was concerned more to divide and weaken the Armed Forces, like he had done with every other institution/state Organ in the country. To be absolute civilian dictator was his most cherished goal. Thanks to the public opinion that built-up itself against the Sharif’s Kingdom, during the Kargil Crisis; because of our defeat in Information Warfare. People are weary of the misgotten politics which also robbed the country of its Capital.

Atleast the JI should not allow anti-culture and effacement of religious values through it, mainly with the kind courtesy of the Rich and the so-called Elite class. Would they dare raise their voice against them? It is mainly they who are spreading the Hindu Culture and the alien values despite the fact that they are jointly engaged to eliminate Muslims following the Huntington’s ‘The clash of Civilisations’. Army needs help and the JI can save it from overstitching itself. Why should it join the looters and the plunderers of the beautiful garden of Pakistan? It must change its approach to propagation of the Islamic values.

With deeds rather than the use of street power, the JI will win the heart and soul of the people and be able to get majority in the Assemblies automatically. The JI must rise to the occasion and hold seminars of the world renounced religious scholars to form a nucleus to guide the Millat out of its present predicament. Through modern knowledge and technology, JI should lead the nation to progress. Old traditional methods of burning the wires of loudspeakers from the pulpit must be replaced as they have become obsolete. Exhort to seek knowledge if you want the Muslims to lead a respectable life. “KHOL ANKH ZAMEEN DEKH FALAK DEKH FIZZA DEKH MASHRIQ SE UBHARTE HUE SURAJ KO ZARA DEKH”.

(Iqbal) Trans: Open your eyes, see the earth, the sky and the environment; Take a look at the Sun rising in the East.