India is a democracy wherein a huge number of parliamentarians or legislators are known to have criminal background or connections. One may say that crime is after all their 'private' life. The same can be said of a lot of graft and sleeze that goes on in high places but no one ever wants to investigate and put an end to.
China is our second most important national obsession at the moment, next only to; no not cricket, Pakistan. On the television I believe that the most spoken single word theses days is Pakistan followed by perhaps 'Atank...'.
We hear all the time about the threat from Pakistan and how it is not acting against terrorists working across our borders from its soil. Do we ever ask what WE are doing about the terrorists here and the providers of shelter and the sleeping cells. Digvijay Singh would say that is an atrocity against Muslims. But these are not only Muslims and the law should be equally tough and proactive irrespective of their religious affiliation. Rather, the religious affiliation, minority tag or whatever other badge of Maulana, Sant or Pandit should not provide the subverters of India licence.
The United States has already delivered punishment to Headley for crimes including terrorism (India) and we are still nowhere near doing anything about Kasab, much less hanging Afzal Guru of the parliament attack case. India is indeed Mahaan!
Chinese are making incursions into our terrirtory at will. We are silently bearing it. We have no wherewithal or the will to fight a mighty enemy. Our foreign policy is an abject failure. The country is in disarray which is only thinly camouflaged by the recent economic glitter and deceptive growth rate data. The communal and caste rivalries and the suspicion amongst them are at an unprecedented level, mutual tolerance amongst various parts of society is at an all time low, sense of humour has been replaced by caution even in a joke, honesty has been thrown away for political correctness - we are sitting on a veritable tinder box. In the name of elimination of the caste divide we have widened it to a point where reconnection is now impossible.
Why is the country going where it is? If you see carefully at out parliament and legislatures you would be appalled at the total absence of discussion and healthy argument on any matter of national security, finance, education and allocation of revenue. The discussion and discourse is mainly about caste, reservations, provisions for pilgrimages, minorities, dalits and so on. Indeed all these need attention but won't for long if the state itself fails, and risks its very existence.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Is India safe?
India is a democracy that is lionised by the whole 'free' world as the largest 'functioning' democracy. There is of course the moot question whether the 'free' world is really free. But that is another topic.
India is being seen as a major emerging market and the interest of the west is very much focused on the possible economic success of this behemoth. The big IF in 'If India becomes economically powerful' is the problem. We notice that India has failed to sell itself to the west as a strong ally and the military interests of the US continue to weigh heavily in favour of Pakistan. India's economic growth has not yet reached the magic triple point where the interests of the west, India and world peace might converge.
China is far more successful than India on the three fronts; economic, military and world standing. There are no moralities in international politics, only self centered moves. China far outweighs India. Actually even Pakistan is far more successful in selling itself to the world community; first - in the old times as a great miltary ally and base for the US/ Allieds against the Iron and Bamboo curtain nations, second - as the rogue state that MUST be nurtured so it does not fall apart lest any last vestiges of organisation in this part of the world vanish, third - as the merchant of terror playing a hapless victim of it itself and fourth, in the context of South Asia - as the right ally to India's traditional adversary China; following the old maxim of an enemy's enemy being a friend. India has miserably failed to place itself in the position of a good neighbour and influencer. Even Nepal and Bangladesh, India's old military proctorate of the yore and the child of India's toil to help it be born respectively are bitter critics of India and are ever willing to allow anti-Indian activities on their soils. I feel that they are certainly much closer to China than to India.
I think it calls for serious introspection on the part of Indian leadership. Why is it that we always fail to convince others? Are we not seen as sincere by the world? Could it be that our policy interlocuters are unable to call a spade a spade for the sake of political correctness or crass vote bank politics at home? Are we sermonising others to the point of causing an affront? Are we inept in stating our point and inarticulate in convincing the world of our problems? Are we trying to impress the world with our philosophical, large hearted world view instead of beeing seen as winners, driving hard bargains even if they are self-centered? Or, is it all of it?
By what authority can we call Pakistan a failed state when huge tracts of our territory are under the control of Naxals and assorted non-government forces? All the big threats of direct action made by Chidambaram some months ago are still just that - empty threats. We are the proverbial soft state where the killer of Inspector Sharma of Batla House episode admits to have shot him, may be with even a bit of pride, but Digvijay Singh sees every investigation as atrocity on a particular community. Does India have a chance?
Hafiz saeed was shouting hoarse on the streets of Lahore two weeks back exhorting people to invade India and to fight for their 'Brethren' on this side. The question is how come not a single Muslim opinion builder (barring the exceptions like M.J. Akbar and Arif Mohammad Khan) never tells these people that Indian Muslims are not their brethren but enemies if they as much as think of harming India, far from invade it? Why are the likes of Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Nawab of Pataudi and his son, Mohd. Azam Khan and Mahesh Bhatt sitting in mysterious silence while many of them shout at the top of their voices when Pakistani players are not bought in an auction (SRK should have bought but didn't) or Maqbool Fida has to go in self-exile. Why don't the Indian Muslim leaders tell pakistan that it would be punished for casting an evil eye on India? I know why. When the late Firoze Khan spoke for India in Pakistan and risked his life and limb, people like them and their cronies like Rajeev Shukla and Mahesh Bhatt were trying to fault Firoze Khan, or busy distancing themselves from the episode. So a devoted Indian Muslim may be afraid of his Hindu counterparts - citizens like these and Digvijay and a plethora of others.
Time to think for all Indians. Let all of us unite against the enemy. If religion were the reason for this kind of dangerous political correctness, let me remind the pseudos that if it were so the Middle East would be one country.
India is being seen as a major emerging market and the interest of the west is very much focused on the possible economic success of this behemoth. The big IF in 'If India becomes economically powerful' is the problem. We notice that India has failed to sell itself to the west as a strong ally and the military interests of the US continue to weigh heavily in favour of Pakistan. India's economic growth has not yet reached the magic triple point where the interests of the west, India and world peace might converge.
China is far more successful than India on the three fronts; economic, military and world standing. There are no moralities in international politics, only self centered moves. China far outweighs India. Actually even Pakistan is far more successful in selling itself to the world community; first - in the old times as a great miltary ally and base for the US/ Allieds against the Iron and Bamboo curtain nations, second - as the rogue state that MUST be nurtured so it does not fall apart lest any last vestiges of organisation in this part of the world vanish, third - as the merchant of terror playing a hapless victim of it itself and fourth, in the context of South Asia - as the right ally to India's traditional adversary China; following the old maxim of an enemy's enemy being a friend. India has miserably failed to place itself in the position of a good neighbour and influencer. Even Nepal and Bangladesh, India's old military proctorate of the yore and the child of India's toil to help it be born respectively are bitter critics of India and are ever willing to allow anti-Indian activities on their soils. I feel that they are certainly much closer to China than to India.
I think it calls for serious introspection on the part of Indian leadership. Why is it that we always fail to convince others? Are we not seen as sincere by the world? Could it be that our policy interlocuters are unable to call a spade a spade for the sake of political correctness or crass vote bank politics at home? Are we sermonising others to the point of causing an affront? Are we inept in stating our point and inarticulate in convincing the world of our problems? Are we trying to impress the world with our philosophical, large hearted world view instead of beeing seen as winners, driving hard bargains even if they are self-centered? Or, is it all of it?
By what authority can we call Pakistan a failed state when huge tracts of our territory are under the control of Naxals and assorted non-government forces? All the big threats of direct action made by Chidambaram some months ago are still just that - empty threats. We are the proverbial soft state where the killer of Inspector Sharma of Batla House episode admits to have shot him, may be with even a bit of pride, but Digvijay Singh sees every investigation as atrocity on a particular community. Does India have a chance?
Hafiz saeed was shouting hoarse on the streets of Lahore two weeks back exhorting people to invade India and to fight for their 'Brethren' on this side. The question is how come not a single Muslim opinion builder (barring the exceptions like M.J. Akbar and Arif Mohammad Khan) never tells these people that Indian Muslims are not their brethren but enemies if they as much as think of harming India, far from invade it? Why are the likes of Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Nawab of Pataudi and his son, Mohd. Azam Khan and Mahesh Bhatt sitting in mysterious silence while many of them shout at the top of their voices when Pakistani players are not bought in an auction (SRK should have bought but didn't) or Maqbool Fida has to go in self-exile. Why don't the Indian Muslim leaders tell pakistan that it would be punished for casting an evil eye on India? I know why. When the late Firoze Khan spoke for India in Pakistan and risked his life and limb, people like them and their cronies like Rajeev Shukla and Mahesh Bhatt were trying to fault Firoze Khan, or busy distancing themselves from the episode. So a devoted Indian Muslim may be afraid of his Hindu counterparts - citizens like these and Digvijay and a plethora of others.
Time to think for all Indians. Let all of us unite against the enemy. If religion were the reason for this kind of dangerous political correctness, let me remind the pseudos that if it were so the Middle East would be one country.
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