Nobody knows how one looks.To see how you appear you need the help of a mirror. Keeping this axiom in mind its worth while to learn as to how our biggest competitor China looks at us. One can dismiss the Chinese point of view as mere rhetoric, but as Chanakya has said never dismiss the enemy's assessments out of hand.The Chinese institute of strategic studies has compiled an article on India. As per this study the Institute think tank feel that India is ripe for disintegration- something akin to the erstwhile Soviet Union.
Firstly the Chinese feel that the Hindu religion itself will be part of this disintegration.With a caste system that exists in no other religion and being perpetuated for the next 500 years by the government a division in society is already created( with the blessings of the Indian political leadership).Secondly creation of linguistic states leading to a clear cut demarcation with so called sons of the soil theory, the concept of India is sadly eroded. Again India is surrounded by states inimical to it from all side-Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri lanka and China. Add to this the insurgency in 30% of Indian territory in 6 states led by the Maoists the siege of the Indian nation is from within itself. What next? Chinese feel that India can only prosper once its broken up into smaller states .
All this is pretty disturbing.But is it all propaganda? The Indian government has created and perpetuated the caste system with the congress leader Moily even recommending a census based on caste.In addition the Maoist insurgency exists in vast tracts of India where the central governments writ does not run.The North East and Kashmir are joined to us with massive force .Will they be with the mother country if the Army is withdrawn ? why do we have anachronisms like article 370 and reservations based on caste.? Lets have some introspection and hope and pray that a person of the caliber of Fredrick The Great or Bismark will rise in India and lead us forward.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Army and the Indian Government *
When India was given freedom by the British the new Congress government failed to realise that over 1600 years of foreign rule was gone and Hindus in India had at last a say in their own governance.There were thus misplaced notions and idealism where the military never figured.Thus the finest fighting machine in Asia was allowed to wither away. The sense of neglect of the armed forces shows by the statement of Dr Rajender Prasad the first President of India who went on to suggest that the Indian Army be disbanded.
Even the euridite Nehru had no comprehension of power politics and followed the policy of neglect of the Armed forces.He talked of civil supremacy over the army and ended up playing into the hands of the ICS/IAS lobby. The result is there for all to see. Successive governments over the decades have reduced the efficacy of the Army. Clausewits dictum that the best form of defence is offence is sadly forgotten. Again whether it be OROP or order of precedence the Armed forces are at the receiving end. What next ?
To play a role as a world power six decades of neglect has to be rectified.The Indian armed forces must be made the wagon that can propel the Hindu nation forward as a world power.
Even the euridite Nehru had no comprehension of power politics and followed the policy of neglect of the Armed forces.He talked of civil supremacy over the army and ended up playing into the hands of the ICS/IAS lobby. The result is there for all to see. Successive governments over the decades have reduced the efficacy of the Army. Clausewits dictum that the best form of defence is offence is sadly forgotten. Again whether it be OROP or order of precedence the Armed forces are at the receiving end. What next ?
To play a role as a world power six decades of neglect has to be rectified.The Indian armed forces must be made the wagon that can propel the Hindu nation forward as a world power.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Review Jaswant Singh Book' Jinnah partition ,India"
Jaswant left the Indian Army about four decades back and joined the BJP, the Hindu political party floated with the backing of nationalist Hindu organizations like the RSS (Rashtra Swaym sewak Sangh). In fact he was a founder member of the party in 1980.Jaswant rise over the last 3 decades was meteoric and he achieved a great deal of prominence in the BJP. He had the distinction of being India's foreign Minister during the erstwhile rule of the BJP when Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
With the defeat of the BJP in 2004 at the hustings, Mr. Jaswant has used his spare time well by writing scholarly articles and books. His latest Book 'Jinnah-partition, India ' is one such exercise. It’s a well written book and Jaswant cannot be faulted in his rendering of that tortuous period in the history of the sub continent.
!947 was a momentous period in Indian history. Pakistan and India were given freedom from British colonial rule after nearly 150 years. The two nation theory was accepted and the independent Muslim state of Pakistan was created. Singh points out that Jinnah now revered as the founder of Pakistan was not a rabid communal as made out by Hindu leaders of the Congress. He was basically secular and if at all he had any hatred it was not for the Hindus but the Congress which was dominated by Hindu leaders Nehru and Patel.
Jaswant brings out the fact that Nehru and Patel for their personal ambitions persuaded Gandhi to agree to Partition and the creation of Pakistan. Jaswant has thus stirred a hornets’ nest and gone against the national policy of the BJP which wishes to think that Sardar V Patel was a pro Hindu leader. They forget that Patel was the first Congress leader to ban the RSS in 1948.
But Jaswant does not analyse the reasons and the mind of Jinnah as to why he called for 'Direct Action' in 1946.The result of this call was disastrous as communal riots erupted all over India, as Muslims resorted to violence on Jinnah’s call and the Hindus retaliated, leading to the biggest carnage in world history.
The book would have had added value if Jaswant had dissected this aspect of Jinnah. However despite this lacuna the period of Indian History at that time is lucidly presented by Jaswant Singh. One may or may not agree with him, but the book is eminently readable. Jaswant has already paid the price for his scholarly work by being expelled from the BJP, but that should not deter serious students of Indian History to read this book
I for one recommend this book to all and sundry that has some interest in the sub continent.
Monday, September 7, 2009
India China Border Dispute-A perspective
A Long Border but minimal Association
China and India have been neighbours for as long as history. The two nations were separated by the Himalayas which was a barrier between the two nations. Though some Chinese travellers did came to India, yet because of this massive Mountain range the people to people contact was minimal.
Over the centuries the Hindus lost power and were successively governed by the Muslims and the British.
Chinese did have a massive expansion but soon became insular and fell back economically and allowed themselves to be exploited by the Japanese and the Western powers.Thus both nations were not masters of their own destiny. In 1947 India won freedom and Mao led a resurgent Red Army to complete domination by the communists and centralised power. Comparisons are odious-but the dawn of a new beginning for both was ominous.
The Emergence of China and India
China started a campaign of consolidation and rectification of 'historical wrongs'.Tibet was the central piece with China invading and occupying the mountain region with the Indian leadership steeped in Gandhian philosophy of non violence unable to help the Tibetans. This brought the Chinese power on to India's door step.India started a democratic process copied from West minister and the leadership showed naivety by not laying stress on the northern borders with China and also allowed Tibet to be engulfed by China.Thus Tibet as a buffer was lost for ever.
Inevitable Clash
Sensing that India could challenge China's supremacy the Chinese occupied vast tracts ( 30,000 sq mile)in Ladakh and did not accept the McMahon line as a frontier in the East. The Simla pact earlier attended by the representatives of Tibet, China and British on which India relied for an interpreting of the border with Tibet was ignored by the Chinese. Lack of clear strategic insight on the part of India cost India heavily and it was forgotten that even at that conference the Chinese did not sign on the dotted line.
Indian Leadership and Throwing the Towel
Power rivalry led to the 1962 India China war and established China as the dominant power in Asia.The trend of keeping the fire burning and also as a reminder of China's great power status has led to the present Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.India has not understood the game of power politics.The Chinese will not settle the border issue and at any time can stoke up the flames, as the Chinese have made assiduous plans and in contrast India appears as a weakling . A complete change in the Indian thinking and the further development of the Indian armed might can only deter China. Historical blunders and lack of a strategic concept to be a world power has cost India dear.
China and India have been neighbours for as long as history. The two nations were separated by the Himalayas which was a barrier between the two nations. Though some Chinese travellers did came to India, yet because of this massive Mountain range the people to people contact was minimal.
Over the centuries the Hindus lost power and were successively governed by the Muslims and the British.
Chinese did have a massive expansion but soon became insular and fell back economically and allowed themselves to be exploited by the Japanese and the Western powers.Thus both nations were not masters of their own destiny. In 1947 India won freedom and Mao led a resurgent Red Army to complete domination by the communists and centralised power. Comparisons are odious-but the dawn of a new beginning for both was ominous.
The Emergence of China and India
China started a campaign of consolidation and rectification of 'historical wrongs'.Tibet was the central piece with China invading and occupying the mountain region with the Indian leadership steeped in Gandhian philosophy of non violence unable to help the Tibetans. This brought the Chinese power on to India's door step.India started a democratic process copied from West minister and the leadership showed naivety by not laying stress on the northern borders with China and also allowed Tibet to be engulfed by China.Thus Tibet as a buffer was lost for ever.
Inevitable Clash
Sensing that India could challenge China's supremacy the Chinese occupied vast tracts ( 30,000 sq mile)in Ladakh and did not accept the McMahon line as a frontier in the East. The Simla pact earlier attended by the representatives of Tibet, China and British on which India relied for an interpreting of the border with Tibet was ignored by the Chinese. Lack of clear strategic insight on the part of India cost India heavily and it was forgotten that even at that conference the Chinese did not sign on the dotted line.
Indian Leadership and Throwing the Towel
Power rivalry led to the 1962 India China war and established China as the dominant power in Asia.The trend of keeping the fire burning and also as a reminder of China's great power status has led to the present Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.India has not understood the game of power politics.The Chinese will not settle the border issue and at any time can stoke up the flames, as the Chinese have made assiduous plans and in contrast India appears as a weakling . A complete change in the Indian thinking and the further development of the Indian armed might can only deter China. Historical blunders and lack of a strategic concept to be a world power has cost India dear.
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