We are accustomed to the notion of political wars, and this is what we train and prepare for.
In a political war, our enemy is a particular regime, and it is sufficient simply to target the members of that regime, and to attack the institutions and infrastructure that allows it to function.
This makes for the kind of highly focused, relatively humane kind of war that we now expect.
This kind of war is the norm for us, and we have come to believe that it is what war is. Sadly, though, it is the exception rather than the rule. There is another kind of war, though, which is more common, and that is war between peoples. These are the most deadly, the most horrifying of wars, and these are the kinds of wars that lead to millions dead and entire countries laid waste. With this kind of war, the rules of war and the laws of war go out the window. What would be considered a war crime in a political war, ethnic cleansing for example, is the everyday reality in a war between peoples.
Indeed, in a war between peoples, ethnic cleansing is the whole point.
In a political war, it is usually sufficient to install a new regime, reform the legal system, suppress a political faction, and your work is done. Your enemy is in uniform and he knows who he is.
In a war between peoples, the only way it ends is to establish clear and defensible borders, and for the two peoples to separate to opposite sides of that border. That means the answer to barbaric ethnic cleansing is ethnic cleansing, humanely executed. And continued aggressive policing of the new border until the old generations have grown old and died away, and a new generation has come to power with no memory of the old hatreds.
In a war between peoples, the only way it ends is to establish clear and defensible borders, and for the two peoples to separate to opposite sides of that border. That means the answer to barbaric ethnic cleansing is ethnic cleansing, humanely executed. And continued aggressive policing of the new border until the old generations have grown old and died away, and a new generation has come to power with no memory of the old hatreds.
I dont agree with you.
That was the idea behind "Partition" of India executed by the crafty British, to seperate the "warring" Muslims and non-Muslims (Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians).
It achieved nothing except massacre of the Hindus. The Hindus ended up losing more land, property, and lives to the Muslims. It only emboldend the Muslims to fight and kill for more land, property and women. The result of the "Partition" was 30 millions Hindus killed or clensed out of what was always their homeland, while 160 million Muslims still remained inside India. 12 million Hindus still survive in Bangladesh (although their numbers are dwindling from the once 25 Million strong Hindus post partition ).
In post-partition Muslim enjoyed special status because they were "minorities" while Hindu refugees from Pakistan and Bangladesh who came over to India as beggers had to fend for themselves.
In every such "seperation" non Muslims always end up being the loser because the powers that be always attempts to pacify the anger and ferocity of the Muslims. It only results in more bloodbath for the non-Muslim side. This is what you see even in Palestine. Withdrawl of Gaza has not stopped the Muslims from continueing their war. In 1971 East and West Pakistan seperated resulting in another genocide of millions of Hindus.
The question one must ask is why is that in every "peoples war" (as you call it) one side is always the Muslims? India has plenty of other religions and never had problems with any other religions.
The solution does not lie in seperate lands or division along religious lines. It lies in ruthless and (damning) repression of Islamic fundamentalism and answering terrorism with massive and devastating retribution. Nothing less will do. Border policing does not help and Hindus will never ever lose anymore land to Muslims.