Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts is a military doctrine followed by Pakistan against India.[1] It comprises of waging covert war against India using insurgents at multiple locations.[2]

Pakistani Prime Minister ZA Bhutto had declared a thousand year war against India during his speech to the UN Security Council in 1976.[3] Pakistani Army Chief General Zia-ul-Haq after deposing Bhutto in a military coup assumed the office of President of Pakistan. Zia gave form to Bhutto's "thousand years war" with 'Bleed India Through A Thousand Cuts' doctrine using covert and low intensity warfare with militancy and infiltration.[4] This doctrine was first attempted during the Punjab insurgency and then in Kashmir insurgency using India's western border with Pakistan.[5][4] Borders with Nepal and Bangladesh have been used to launch the trained militants into India.[6]

India was able to overcome its losses without weakening of its strength. Pakistan's continuation of its covert war Jihad in Kashmir has caused loss of international support for Pakistan's Kashmir policy.

Origins

The origins of this strategic doctrine is attributed to Pakistani Prime Minister ZA Bhutto, who had declared a thousand year war against India during his speech to the United Nations Security Council in 1976.[3] He had stated that such a was would be carried out by "inflicting a thousand cuts" on India.[7] According to The Pioneer Bhutto had declared that Pakistan's success in its 'national' goal of destruction of India is possible only by "delivering a thousand cuts on its body politic" and not through a direct conventional war. The purpose of such a declaration was to deviate the public attention from the internal problems faced by Pakistan.[7]

On 5 July 1977, Bhutto was deposed by his appointed army chief General Zia-ul-Haq in a military coup before being controversially tried and executed.[8][9] Zia then assumed the office of President of Pakistan in 1978. Zia's Thousand cut policy began taking shape since he assumed power. After the defeat of Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Pakistan was divided and Bangladesh was created. The war clarified that Kashmir could no longer be taken from India by a conventional war.[10] Zia gave form to Bhutto's "thousand years war" with 'Bleed India Through A Thousand Cuts' doctrine using covert and low intensity warfare with militancy and infiltration.[4][5]

Punjab

Pakistan had been helping the Sikh secessionist movement in India since the 1970s.[11] Since the early 1980s Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI created a special Punjab cell in its headquarter to support the militant Sikh followers of Bhindranwale and supply them with arms and ammunitions. Terrorist training camps were set up in Pakistan at Lahore and Karachi to train the young Sikhs.[11] Hamid Gul (who had led ISI) had stated about Punjab insurgency that "Keeping Punjab destabilized is equivalent to the Pakistan Army having an extra division at no cost to the taxpayers."[2]

Kashmir

After the conclusion of the Soviet–Afghan War the fighters of the Sunni Mujahideen and other Islamic militants had successfully removed the Soviet forces from Afghanistan. These islamic militants needed another venue for carrying out their holy war (Jihad). The military and civil government of Pakistan then decided to utilize these militants in the Kashmir conflict against the Indian forces in accordance with the "thousand cuts" doctrine.[7] In the 1980s Cross-border terrorism started in the Kashmir region as armed and well-trained groups of terrorists were infiltrated into India through the border. Pakistan officially maintained that the terrorism in Kashmir was "freedom struggle" of Kashmiris and Pakistan only provided moral support to them. But this turned out to be inaccurate as Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) stated in the National Assembly of Pakistan that the ISI was sponsoring this support in Kashmir.[10]

Present

Presently the Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh and Pakistan, controlled by the ISI, have joined forces to carry out terrorist attacks on India.[12] Nepal and Bangladesh have been used to launch the trained militants into India.[6]

Pakistan has decided to bleed India with thousand cuts. It's the policy of Pakistan. The creation of Bangladesh, which happened with the help of India, was a very humiliating defeat for them, and they feel that this is one way of avenging that defeat. They are avenging this defeat by causing casualties to our security forces and creating mayhem amongst the people.

— Chief of the Indian Army General Bipin Rawat in September 2018[13]

According to Pakistani commentator Pervez Hoodbhoy, "Pakistan's 'thousand cuts' policy is in shambles".[14] India was able to overcome its losses without weakening of its strength. The International community abhors Jihad. Pakistan's continuation of its covert war, called Jihad in Kashmir has caused loss of international support for Pakistan's Kashmir policy. This loss of support is evident even in the Muslim countries. Every Jihadist attack reduces Pakistan's moral high ground.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Gates, Scott, Kaushik Roy (2016). Unconventional Warfare in South Asia: Shadow Warriors and Counterinsurgency. Routledge. ISBN 9781317005407.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b Sirrs, Owen L. (2016). Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations. Routledge. p. 167. ISBN 9781317196099. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Speech delivered at the UN Security Council on September 22, 1965 on Kashmir Issue". Bhutto.org. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Here Are Major Long Term War Doctrines Adopted By India And Pakistan Over The Years". Indiatimes. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b Dogra, Wg Cdr C Deepak (2015). Pakistan: Caught in the Whirlwind. Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN 9781940988221. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  6. ^ a b Prakash, Ved. Terrorism In India. Gyan Publishing House. p. 700. ISBN 9788178357478. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "A thousand cuts bleed Pakistan to death". The Tribune. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  8. ^ Pakistan, Zia and after. Abhinav Publications. 1989. pp. 20–35. ISBN 978-81-7017-253-6.
  9. ^ Blood, Peter Blood (editor) (1994). "Pakistan – Zia-ul-Haq". Pakistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress. Retrieved 28 December 2007. ... hanging ... Bhutto for complicity in the murder of a political opponent... ((cite web)): |author= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ a b Katoch, Dhruv C (2013). "Combatting Cross-Border Terrorism: Need for a Doctrinal Approach" (PDF). CLAWS Journal (Winter). Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  11. ^ a b Kiessling, Hein (2016). Faith, Unity, Discipline: The Inter-Service-Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781849048637. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  12. ^ Khullar, Darshan (2014). Pakistan Our Difficult Neighbour and India's Islamic Dimensions. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789382652823. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  13. ^ "'Pakistan Wants To Bleed India With Thousand Cuts', Says Army Chief General Bipin Rawat". Outlook. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  14. ^ a b Hoodbhoy, Pervez (14 October 2016). "'Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts' Policy Is in a Shambles". Open Magazine. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
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