INDIA & PAKISTAN

S. Sivasubramanian               
7 July  2002                      

In a recent article, Tavleen Singh, a noted columnist from India, was describing her experiences in Pakistan this summer.  She says that she was appalled at the hatred poured on India by old and young, learned and illiterates and by haves and have-nots.  In fact she had to cut short her interviewing to be alive and heavily edit her material to be telecast-worthy.  She says that the entire Pakistan is brainwashed to hate India and treat Kashmir a part of their blood.

This article vindicates my belief about Pakistan’s psyche.  Over the last fifteen years talking with Pakistanis and watching TV interviews on the western media, I used to feel that Pakistanis hatred towards India is total and complete.  Since its inception, every Pakistan ruler was baying for Indian blood and during the last fifty years the rulers of Pakistan have created a new generation of masses with absolute hatred for India.

Whenever I hear the Indian intelligentsia speaks of peaceful resolution between the warring neighbors, it seems like a wishful thinking born out of weakness than out of nobleness of purpose.

When Pakistan invaded Kashmir in 1948, Nehru abdicated his primary duty to defend the nation – a clause by which he swore to office- but appealed to UN for justice, primarily to avoid any jeopardy to the chances for his pipe dream, the Nobel Peace Prize.  This illustrious son of the country set the tone of weakness and double dealing when comes to external aggression.

When Zulfikhar Bhutto was a primer he wowed for a 1000-year war with India.  When Zia hanged him, the elderly statesmen of India like JP and Kirpalani pleaded with Zia to spare Bhutto’s life and offered to exchange their lives for him.  This lunatic behavior was hailed as the epitome of humanity and supreme statesmanship.  The ruling elite, spineless to the core could not arrest these jokers for treason.  I do not understand what you term this action of pleading for a person who swore to destroy your country and plead to a country, whose very purpose of existence is to destroy your country.  To any individual with a modicum of commonsense it will seem as unadulterated lunacy.

Punjab crisis is an open and shut case of Pakistani destabilizing adventures, but the country went about playing cricket with Pakistan.  During the same time the country was witnessing a rampant rise in Islamic fundamentalism with its attendant Pakistani sponsored terrorism.  The illustrious Mrs. Gandhi, turned a Nelson’s eye not wanting to upset her Muslim vote banks.

When Berlin wall collapsed, the Germanys unified and the cold war between USSR and USA ended the Indian intelligentsia started croaking for a return to brotherhood with Pakistan.  But there was not a murmur on this sentiment from across the border.

The former Indian Foreign Secretary Parthasarathy, once said in an interview to ABC, “My best of the friends are Pakistanis.  The two countries eat the same cuisine, enjoy the same type of music, cheer the same movies – and so I do not foresee any problems in the two countries becoming friends again”.  This is the word of the man who when serving as Ambassador to Pakistan, was beaten up right at his embassy by the Pakistan security forces.

Last summer, Pakistan invaded Kashmir and India instead of deploying our army to repulse the invasion, the country went about pleading to world leaders.  They pulled Clinton from the laps of Monica to prevail upon his friend Shariff Nawaz to pull back the Pakistan army.  The reason given by the Indian rulers and press was India’s penchant for peace.

During the last twenty years, Pakistan has been systematically building terrorist bases in India and fanning Muslim militancy.  There has been no concerted response to this problem from the Indian rulers excepting to prattle some rhetoric flourishes in speeches such as “Nani Maa’s Yaad Dil Dega”  or “Churi Nai Phen sekta”.

Pakistan sent its terrorist squads to bomb the parliament of Kashmir.  Unlike any other self-respecting country that would respond militarily, India promptly appealed to world leaders.  This spineless gesture was dubbed as ‘diplomatic initiatives’.  Press in India was lauding India’s success on diplomatic front but there was no trace of this news in any western media.  The common westerner who relies on TV for his news and world happenings gets to hear periodic Pakistani statements that India is aggressing the small Muslim country to its west.

Unable to spur India into any action, Pakistan sent the next squad of terrorists to bomb the Parliament at New Delhi.  This time the rulers appealed pointedly to Bush for redress.  And Mr. Bush was busy declaring Musharaff as “the true friend and friend in need”.  The rightwing extremist magazine Economist thundered that India should keep off from Pakistan, as Musharaff is needed by USA in its quest at Afghanistan.

When shelling and incursions at the border became acute, the Indian army was reluctantly deployed for avenging the damaged pride.  Pakistan promptly threatened of nuclear attack use of tactical mini nuclear weapons on battlefield.  India on the advise of Bush and his pet puppy Blair, deescalated the military readiness.

The country’s ruling elite and press are now very proud that the world leaders were praising the country for its restraint.  No one seems to realize the extent of damage it causes to the morale of its defense forces.  In India, we brag about our bravery by saying “A sword that was drawn out will go back into the cover without tasting blood”.  But when it comes to the military deployment, we are at our unsure best.  How on earth we will get high quality military recruits?  Which self-respecting young man would aspire for a military career?  With these recurrent spineless actions have seriously damaged the pride and prestige of our defense forces.

Why India is not acting decisively when its sovereignty is challenged?  What did India do to counter the destabilization maneuvers of Pakistan for the past two decades?  Why, no Indian leadership acknowledged the creation of anti Indian psyche in Pakistan?  Why, no leadership has recognized let alone acted on the systematic build up of Pakistani military might.  But all political parties when in opposition always questioned the defense spending!

India’s impotence is stemming from within.  Over the last 50 years our political system has weakened the governance and diluted the active patriotic spirit (I do not mean the armchair patriotic outbursts, on which we are uncrowned monarchs).  The leadership is precluded from acting.  The CEO of the country is neither respected nor is allowed to act decisively.  The opposition is waiting in its wings to pull the rugs.  The primary role of the opposition seems to be embarrassing the ruling leadership and challenging every routine governance activity.

Consider the defense scandal, it was very unfortunate.  Instead of handling it sensitively without debasing the institution that guards the country and provides its freedom; the press and the opposition went about weakening that institution on whose strength our very existence depends.

When Bush ordered CIA to destabilize Iraq, there was no dissenting opinion from democrats.  They respected the prerogative of the CEO in making a call and were satisfied with the method he followed in making the decision.

In Australia, Liberals were contesting the election with a controversial tax reform package.  The opposing Labor party was asked if they would stall the tax reform in the upper house where Labor had majority and they responded, “No.  We will let the reform pass.  If the people vote for the party and its policies, we will not stand in its way of implementation”.

When terrorist attacked a US Naval Ship.  USA bombed Yemen.  When World Trade Center was attacked on 9-11, USA decimated Afghanistan for its only crime of housing Bin Laden.  When the Palestinian suicide bomber exploded in Tel Aviv, Israel overran Palestine, put Arafat in house arrest.  Mr. Bush accused Arafat for the terrorism.  When Israel escalated its operation on Palestine, Bush and his faithful pet declared that Arafat should go.

When will we ever find these levels of maturity in governing the country and decisive responses for external threats?  Even a child knows that actions by India are considered as cowardice and its restraint in response to opinions is interpreted as incapability of its political governance.

The root cause for our governance troubles is not just the politicians or the political system but the press is the main cause.  I accuse press because; they sensationalize the weakness, analyze the infighting but never rally the masses towards a common goal for the goodness of the country.  The press tend to act like frenzied terriers opinionating on every single sensationalism and providing such detailed analysis that make these pitiful politicians feel as if they are Kaundilya incarnates.

When the opposition parties disapproved of India going on war because that would put BJP back in power, how many journalists lambasted this blatant opportunism?  How many columns in press grilled Vajpayee for his chickening out under American pressure?  What was the awareness built on the real threat on the Indian sovereignty?  But the press was happy to play the role of anti-establishment hero, strengthening the already strong hands of the politicians.

Mahatma Gandhi used his writing to unite India; he focused the country on a unified goal and aligned the masses towards that single goal.  We cannot expect a politician - statesman to rise from the gutters of politics to do this but a corps of journalists can accomplish this.  The press, instead of whipping hysteria on leftwing propagandas on privatization of state enterprises as selling of country’s crown jewels to buy bullets, the real issues must be articulated and made understood by the masses.

It is time India realizes its true power, it lies in its population and its consumer base.  Like the Arab world realized their power of oil, we must realize our power of consumption, our power as the market for MNCs that control the world.  When China stole nuclear secrets from USA, Uncle Sam was the one who placated China.  When China shot down a US spy plane, Uncle Sam was on his knees wooing China to give back the plane.  The reason was access to the Chinese Economy.  We should learn from these contemporary events.  With one swipe or even a threat of a swipe to disrupt the access of the west to Indian markets would send jitters in the London and New York stock changes.  Bush’s language towards India will be significantly different.  He and his pet puppy will be at New Delhi to woo India.  Their language to Musharaff will change.  To win this respect we must act, act with spine.  The change agents to this dream are the PRESS.