At last there are signs that the Government of India has had enough of Pakistan thumbing its nose at us. Last week the Home Minister said loudly, without the hint of a pulled punch, that Pakistan had done nothing to bring the men who attacked Mumbai to justice. He mentioned Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed by name and said it was preposterous for the Pakistani government to claim that he could not be arrested on grounds of insufficient proof. How dare proof even be asked for? The Lashkar-e-Toiba was behind the attack on Mumbai and Sayeed is the man who founded this dreadful organisation. What more proof is needed? So, well done Mr Chidambaram.

The vast majority of Indians are sickened by Pakistan’s constant prevarication and silly excuses. Personally, I find deeply offensive the manner in which Pakistani ministers draw comparisons between what happened in Mumbai with what is happening in Swat and Waziristan. We are victims too, they like to say, and this is nonsense. Pakistan is a victim of its own malevolent policies. India is a victim of violent, religious fanatics whom we neither funded nor spawned. They hate India with a hatred that we can do nothing about.

Now that the Government of India is showing some spine can it go one step further and state categorically that there will be no dialogue with Pakistan until it shows understanding of the gravity of the attack on Mumbai. It cannot be compared with any other act of terrorism because, as with 9/11, it crossed the boundaries of terrorism and became an act of war. If the Pakistan government cannot see this then there is no point in dialogue of any kind. There is nothing to talk about.

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