Anna Hazare's remarks on Pakistan spur virtual war

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India's champion of anti-corruption Anna Hazare's recent remarks on his readiness to fight against Pakistan in the event of hostilities have spurred a virtual Indo-Pakistan war.

Hazare wrote on his blog that he had fought on the India-Pakistan border as a soldier and was ready to take part in a war against Pakistan. "Even today you can see the marks on my forehead left behind by Pakistan's bullet. This is my active conviction that Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so. Today once again if I have to, I am ready to take part in war against Pakistan. But some people can only speak and don't do anything on ground (in reality for Kashmir) and this is unfortunate," Hazare posted on his multi-lingual blog annahazaresays.wordpress.com.

The post was first noticed by a blogger on the website for The Express Tribune daily. "Not long ago, international media saw the rise of a new star; a man who vowed to reincarnate the principles of Gandhi...We hoped his anti-graft movement would come to Pakistan as well. Moreover, we prayed that the Pak-India border would be adorned with flowers and candles rather than barbed wires...However, today all of my hopes suddenly evaporated when I read Anna Hazare's blog," wrote Omair Tariq.

What hurt most Pakistanis was the statement that Hazare was willing to take part in a war against Pakistan. "I don't understand how people can name him as a second Gandhi when Hazare talks about war, something Gandhi was fiercely opposed to. I have heard that Gandhi went on to a fast till death mission on the issue of the distribution of resources to Pakistan and one shouldn’t forget that this was in favour of Pakistan, not against it," Tariq wrote. "...Thus, I don't think Anna Hazare will be welcomed in Pakistan after his arrogant declarations," Tariq concluded.

In response to Tariq's post, Indians and Pakistanis jumped to defend and oppose Hazare. A reader wrote, "This article is our wake-up call, thank you for bringing it up. Everyone in India and here was already eulogising Anna Hazare as though he descended straight from heaven.

However, just brace yourself against a diatribe from Indians here as I am sure you've hit their raw nerve by exposing his 'peaceful' demeanor."

An Indian reader said he couldn't stop laughing at the post. "Dear friend we are not allowing Anna to go anywhere and not to your country to say the least...And by the way...do you think your problems can be solved? Can't see it happening any time soon man..." Another Indian reader who signed in as Shalini Singh posted: "You are perfectly alright from your view point, you are a patriot, you are a peace lover. But you know that in your country people are not so good (except few like you), mainly the politicians, they want to rule the country based on Kashmir issue. They are for no one. And about Anna Hazare, he is also a patriot like you, that's why he said if its needed to defend his country, he will fight war. Won't you fight for Pakistan if needed?"

A.K. Murthy too snubbed Pakistani comments with, "Thank you for not welcoming Anna to Pakistan. After all who in their right minds would wants to visit Pakistan?"