ओ3म्
महर्षि पतंजलि का अष्टांग योग मानव समाज का उत्थान सहस्त्रों वर्षों से कर रहा है। 21वी शताब्दी के आरंभ में इस दिशा में एक महान परिवर्तन हुआ। योगासन और प्राणायाम के क्षेत्र में भारत और भारत से बाहर सात समुद्र पार, इंग्लैंड, अमेरिका, रूस और चीन आदि देशों में प्राणायाम लोकप्रिय होने लगा। इस क्रांतिकारी परिवर्तन के जनक हैं योग ऋषि स्वामी रामदेव। जन जन तक अष्टांग योग के चौथे चरण, प्राणायाम को पहुंचाने का काम निर्विघ्न और सतत रूप से चलता रहे, इसके लिए बाबा रामदेव ने हरिद्वार दिल्ली राजमार्ग पर पतंजलि योगपीठ की स्थापना की। बड़ी संख्या में योग प्रशिक्षक तैयार हो रहे हैं जो देश विदेश में सामान्य नर नारी को उन्ही की भाषा में योग और प्राणायाम सिखाएंगे। यह कार्य इतने बड़े स्तर पर संभवत: पहली बार किया जा रहा है और इससे मानव मात्र लाभांवित हो रहा है।
अभी हाल में स्काटलैंड समुद्र तट के निकट एक छोटा द्वीप कैमरी आईलैंड – वहां रहने वाले भारतीय मूल के परिवार ने स्वामी रामदेव के योग संस्थान को उपहार स्वरूप दिया। उस स्थान का नया नाम स्वामी जी ने दिया – शांति द्वीप। वैदिक यज्ञ और योग के माध्यम से, उस क्षेत्र के स्थानीय जन लाभ उठा रहे हैं। प्राणायाम के माध्यम से शारीरिक और मानसिक स्वास्थ्य का स्तर दिन प्रतिदिन ऊंचा होता जा रहा है। जिन लोगो का वज़न आवश्यकता से कहीं अधिक था और इससे वे विभिन्न रोगों से पीड़ित थे – बाबा रामदेव के प्राणायाम अभियान से उन्हें आशातीत लाभ हुआ और दवाइयां उनसे दूर हो गईं।
क्रांतिकारी परिवर्तन का मूल
अभी हाल में आस्था टी वी चैनल के लिए स्वामी रामदेव का साक्षातकार करते हुए मैनें प्रश्न किया कि प्राणायाम के एकाएक देश विदेश में इतना लोक प्रिय होने का रहस्य क्या है। स्वामी जी ने उत्तर दिया कि इस क्षेत्र में वो 1995 से कार्य कर रहे हैं और पिछली कई शताब्दियों की तुलना में 21वीं शताब्दी में प्राणायाम के जन जन तक पहुंचने के मूल में है इस प्रक्रिया का सरलीकरण। पिछली कई शताब्दियों में योग गुरू एवं आचार्य योग ज्ञान एवं व्यावहारिक अभ्यास को आम आदमी से दूर रखते थे और इस बात पर बल देते थे कि बिना गुरू का सानिध्य पाए यदि कोई इस क्षेत्र में जाएगा तो लाभ के स्थान पर अनिष्ट हो सकता है। इससे लोगों के मन में भय समा गया था और उन्होनें इस मार्ग पर चलना ही छोड़ दिया। स्वामी रामदेव नें भ्रांतियों का उन्मूलन किया और प्राणायाम के बारे में उपजे अंधविश्वासो का खंडन करते हुए कहा कि भली भांति प्राणायाम प्रक्रिया सीखने के बाद स्वंय अभ्यास करते रहिए। इससे लाभ ही लाभ है हानि नही। इस वार्तालाप के दौरान सरलीकरण की इस प्रक्रिया की तुलना स्वामी दयानंद सरस्वती के वेदों की ओर लौट चलो अभियान से की गई। 19वीं शताब्दी से पूर्व स्वार्थी एवं समाज विरोधी तत्वों ने ईश्वीरय ज्ञान वेद को अपने घरों की कोठरियों में ताला बंद कर दिया और स्त्रियों तथा समाज के एक बड़े वर्ग को वेद पाठ से वंचित कर दिया। इससे अंधकार फैल गया। स्वामी दयानंद ने वेदो का हिंदी भाष्य कर के उस ज्ञान को आम आदमी तक पहुंचाया और बल पूर्वक कहा कि वेद मंत्र स्वयं कहता है कि वेद पाठ का अधिकार सार्वजनिक है। गुरूकुल के स्नातक के रूप में, स्वामी रामदेव नें इस ज्ञान बांटने और सरलीकरण की प्रक्रिया को उत्तराधिकार के रूप में पाया और जन जन तक पहुंचा कर अपने को ऋषि ऋण से उऋण कर लिया।
प्राणायाम से भारत स्वाभिमान
भारत की जनसंख्या का एक बड़ा भाग अब योगासन और प्राणायाम के माध्यम से अपने तन, मन और मस्तिष्क में ऊर्जा उत्पन्न कर रहा है। प्रात: काल योगासन और प्राणायाम कर के जो ऊर्जा उत्पन्न हो रही है उसका उपयोग नित्य प्रति के जीवन में करने के अतिरिक्त लोक कल्याण के लिए भी किया जा सकता है। इस समय विभिन्न कारणों से हमारा भारत जाति, धर्म और क्षेत्र के आधार पर मानसिक रूप से बंटा हुआ है। इससे देश का संगठन सबल नहीं हो रहा है और हमारे शत्रु इसका फायदा उठा कर हमारे देश को तोड़ने का लगातार प्रयास कर रहे हैं। सीमा पर अनेक शत्रु एक दूसरे से संधि कर भारत विरोधी कार्य कर रहे हैं। इस स्थिति में क्या हम भारत वासी उन्हें असहाय हो कर मूक भाव से देखते रहें। आवश्यकता है निश्चय के साथ शत्रु शक्तियों का विरोध किया जाए। यह तभी संभव है जब हम अपने देश पर गर्व करें और देश के स्वाभिमान के लिए और देश के सुरक्षा के लिए अपने निहित स्वार्थों का त्याग करें।
अपने लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए, देश वासियों में वैचारिक जागरूकता की आवश्यकता है। स्वामी रामदेव नें अपने योग संस्थान के माध्यम से इस दिशा मे सक्रिय कदम उठाया है। भारत स्वाभिमान ट्रस्ट की स्थापना की है और स्वयं भी अपनी जन सभाओं में लोगो को प्रेरणा दे रहे हैं। जब जन जन में देश के लिए कार्य करने का और यदि आवश्यकता हुई तो तन, मन और धन न्योछावर करने का निश्चय जाग जाएगा तो भारत एक सबल राष्ट्र के रूप में उठ खड़ा होगा। यह कार्य अब हर उस व्यक्ति का कर्तव्य होगा जिसमें देश प्रेम की भावना प्रबल है। देश के उत्तरी, दक्षिणी, पूर्वी और पश्चिमी क्षेत्रों में और विभिन्न मत मतांतर के मानने वालों के बीच प्रचार करके देश प्रेम की अलख जगाने की आवश्यकता है। स्वामी रामदेव स्वयं आशावान हैं और उनके साथ काम करने वाले व्यक्तियों में भी आशा का संचार है। आवश्यकता इस बात की है कि समाचार माध्यमों के द्वारा हम इस देश प्रेम की भावना को कोने कोने तक पहुंचाएं और जहां कार्यकर्ता स्वयं नहीं जा सकते वहां टी वी, रेडियो और इंटरनेट के माध्यम से जन मानस जागृत करें। वैचारिक क्रांति का आधार है मानसिक जागरूकता जिससे प्रेरणा मिलेगी कर्म करने की और क्रियाशील बने रहने की।
व्यवस्था परिवर्तन
भारत को एक समृद्ध देश बनाने के लिए राजतंत्र के समर्थन की भी आवश्यकता होगी। ऐसा भी संभव है कि एक निर्बल राजतंत्र इस दिशा में निश्चय के साथ कोई कार्य करने की स्थिति में न हो। राजनेताओं में कोई ऐसी इच्छा जागृत न हो जैसा पहले हो भी चुका है। इस स्थिति में वर्तमान व्यवस्था को परिवर्तित करना आवश्यक हो जाएगा। सामाजिक व्यवस्था, राजनैतिक व्यवस्था, न्यायिक और शिक्षा व्यवस्था – ये सभी मिल जुल कर एक ऐसा चित्र प्रदर्शित कर रहे हैं कि जैसे हमारा भारतीय समाज अंदर से खोखला हो रहा है। शासन तंत्र में अभी भी मंत्री एवं अधिकारी जनता से दूर बंद कमरों में बैठते है और सामान्य जनता की करूण कथा सुनने के लिए कोई समय नही देते। समाज का सक्षम वर्ग पुराने उपेक्षित वर्ग को अपने से दूर रखता है और प्रगति का फल उन तक नहीं पहुंचने देता। हमारी शिक्षा व्यवस्था जैसी अंग्रेज़ो के समय में थी वैसी ही निर्विघ्न चली आ रही है। मैकोले की शिक्षा नीति को दोष देते रहने के बावजूद हम उसी की चलाई गई शिक्षा नीति को अपनाते रहे हैं और परिवर्तन करने से हिचकते रहे हैं। विश्वविद्यालयों के स्नातक कई बार नौकरी नही पाते और मज़दूरी कर अपना पेट पालते हैं। न्याय व्यवस्था में ज़िला स्तर के न्यायालयों से लेकर उच्चतम न्यायालय तक लाखों और करोड़ों मुकदमें कई वर्ष बीत जाने पर भी सुने नहीं जाते निर्णय की कौन कहे। सबसे घिनौनी बात तो यह है कि भ्रष्टाचार हर तंत्र में ऐसा घर कर गया है कि समाज को अंदर से दीमक की तरह खाए जा रहा है।
शांतिमय क्रांति
इसका एक ही उपाय है कि आज के इस तंत्र को, आज की इस दीमक लगी व्यवस्था को हम बदल दें। स्वामी रामदेव शांतिमय क्रांति के पक्षधर हैं। उनका मानना है कि हम भारत स्वाभिमान अभियान जैसी वैचारिक क्रांति के माध्यम से संसद में ऐसी विचारधारा के सदस्य भेजेंगे जो संविधान में परिवर्तन करेंगे। नया संविधान लाएगा नया तंत्र – जिसमें राजतंत्र कार्य करेगा सामान्य जन के कल्याण के लिए। उन्हें आशा और विश्वास है कि वो दिन दूर नहीं जब शांतिमय क्रांति के माध्यम से व्यवस्था परिवर्तन संभव होगा और आम आदमी के मुख पर एक बार फिर मुस्कान आ सकेगी।
ब्रिगेडियर चितरंजन सांवत, वी.एस.एम
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Seven Blunders that Will Always Haunt India !
History is most unforgiving. As historical mistakes cannot be undone, they have complex cascading effect on a nation’s future. Here is a saga of seven historical blunders that have changed the course of independent India’s history and cast a dark shadow over its future. These costly mistakes will continue to haunt India for generations. They have been recounted here in a chronological order with a view to highlight inadequacies of India’s decision making apparatus and leadership’s incompetence to act with vision.
1. The Kashmir Mess
There can be no better example of shooting in one’s own foot than India’s clumsy handling of the Kashmir issue. It is a saga of naivety, blinkered vision and inept leadership. Hari Singh
was the reigning monarch of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. He was vacillating when tribal marauders invaded Kashmir in October 1947, duly backed by the Pakistan army. Unable to counter them, Hari Singh appealed to India for assistance and agreed to accede to India. Indian forces blunted the invasion and re-conquered vast areas.
First, India erred by not insisting on unequivocal accession of the state to the Dominion of India and granted special status to it through Article 380 of the Constitution. Secondly, when on the verge of evicting all invaders and recapturing the complete state, India halted operations on 1 January 1949 and appealed to the Security Council. It is the only case in known history wherein a country, when on the threshold of complete victory, has voluntarily forsaken it in the misplaced hope of winning admiration of the world community. Thirdly and most shockingly, the Indian leadership made a highly unconstitutional offer of plebiscite in the UN.
Forty percent area of the state continues to be under Pakistan’s control, providing it a strategic land route to China through the Karakoram ranges. As a fall out of the unresolved dispute, India and Pakistan have fought numerous wars and skirmishes with no solution in sight. Worse, the local politicians are holding India to ransom by playing the Pak card. Kashmir issue is a self created cancerous furuncle that defies all medications and continues to bleed the country.
2. Ignoring Chinese Threats and Neglect of the Military
Memories of the year 1962 will always trouble the Indian psyche. A nation of India’s size had lulled itself into believing that its protestations and platitudes of peaceful co-existence would be reciprocated by the world. It was often stated that a peace loving nation like India did not need military at all. The armed forces were neglected. Political leadership took pride in denigrating the military leadership and meddled in internal affairs of the services to promote sycophancy. Foreign policy was in shambles. Intelligence apparatus was rusted.
Even though signs of China’s aggressive intentions were clearly discernible for years in advance, Indian leadership decided to keep its eyes shut in the fond hope that the problem would resolve itself. When China struck, the country was caught totally unprepared. Troops were rushed to snowbound areas with summer clothing and outdated rifles. Despite numerous sagas of gallantry, the country suffered terrible embarrassment. India was on its knees. With national morale and pride in tatters, India was forced to appeal to all nations for military aid. Inept and incompetent leadership had forced a proud nation to find solace in Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo’.
3. The Tashkent Agreement and Return of Haji Pir Pass
Following the cease-fire after the Indo-Pak War of 1965, a Russian sponsored agreement was signed between India and Pakistan in Tashkent on 10 January 1966. Under the agreement, India agreed to return the strategic Haji Pir pass to Pakistan which it had captured in August 1965 against heavy odds and at a huge human cost. The pass connects Poonch and Uri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir and reduces the distance between the two sectors to 15 km whereas the alternate route entails a travel of over 200 km. India got nothing in return except an undertaking by Pakistan to abjure war, an undertaking which meant little as Pakistan never had any intention of honouring it.
Return of the vital Haji Pir pass was a mistake of monumental proportions for which India is suffering to date. In addition to denying a direct link between Poonch and Uri sectors, the pass is being effectively used by Pakistan to sponsor infiltration of terrorists into India. Inability to resist Russian pressure was a manifestation of the boneless Indian foreign policy and shortsighted leadership.
4. The Simla Agreement
With the fall of Dhaka on 16 December 1971, India had scored a decisive victory over Pakistan. Over 96,000 Pak soldiers were taken Prisoners of War (PoWs). Later, an agreement was signed between the two countries on 2 July 1972 at Shimla. Both countries agreed to exchange all PoWs, respect the line of control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir and refrain from the use of threat or force. Additionally, Bhutto gave a solemn verbal undertaking to accept LOC as the de facto border.
India released all Pak PoWs in good faith. Pakistan, on the other hand, released only 617 Indian PoWs while holding back 54 PoWs who are still languishing in Pakistani jails. The Indian Government has admitted this fact a number of times but has failed to secure their release. India failed to use the leverage of 96,000 Pak PoWs to discipline Pakistan. A rare opportunity was thus wasted. What to talk of establishing permanent peace in the sub-continent, India failed to ensure release of all Indian PoWs – a criminal omission by all accounts.
Naivety of the Indian delegation can be seen from the fact that it allowed Pakistan to bluff its way through at Shimla. The Indian leadership was fooled into believing Pakistan’s sincerity. Unquestionably, Pakistan never intended to abide by its promises, both written and verbal. Fruits of a hard fought victory in the battlefield were frittered away on a negotiating table by bungling leadership.
5. The Nuclear Muddle
Subsequent to the Chinese Nuclear Test
at Lop Nor
in 1964, India showed rare courage in carrying out its first nuclear test on 18 May 1974 at Pokharan. Outside the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, India was the only nation to prove its nuclear capability. The whole country was ecstatic and every Indian felt proud of its scientific prowess. But Indians had not contended with their Government’s penchant for converting opportunity into adversity and squandering hard earned gains.
Instead of asserting India’s newly acquired status of a nuclear power and demanding recognition, India turned apologetic and tried to convince the world that it had no nuclear ambitions. Strangely, it termed the Pokharan test as a ‘peaceful nuclear explosion’ – a term unheard of till then. The Defence Minister went to the extent of claiming that the Indian nuclear experiment was “only for mining, oil and gas prospecting, for finding underground sources of water, for diverting rivers, for scientific and technological knowledge.” It was a self-deprecating stance. Displaying acute inferiority complex, India did not want to be counted as a member of the exclusive nuclear club.
Criticism and sanctions were expected and must have been factored in before opting for the nuclear test. Whereas a few more assertive follow-on tests would have forced the world to accept India as a member of the nuclear club, India went into an overdrive to placate the world through a self imposed moratorium on further testing. It lost out on all the advantages provided to it by its scientists. It suffered sanctions and yet failed to gain recognition as a nuclear power. The country missed golden opportunities due to the timidity and spinelessness of its leaders.
6. Kandahar Hijack
Hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar by Pakistani terrorists in December 1999 will continue to rile India’s self-respect for long. According to the Hindustan Times, India lost face and got reduced to begging for co-operation from the very regimes that were actively undermining its internal security. The hijacking revealed how ill-prepared India was to face up to the challenges of international terrorism.
The eight day long ordeal was over when India’s National Security Adviser brazenly announced that an agreement had been reached for the release of all the hostages in exchange for three Kashmiri militants including Maulana Masood Azhar. Sadly, the Prime Minister claimed credit for forcing the hijackers to climb down on their demands. The worst was yet to follow. India’s Foreign Minister decided to accompany the released militants to Kandahar, as if seeing off honoured guests.
Government’s poor crisis-management skills and extreme complacency in security matters allowed the hijackers to take off from Amritsar airport after 39 minutes halt for refueling, thereby letting the problem get out of control. India’s much vaunted decision making apparatus collapsed and was completely paralysed by the audacity of a bunch of motivated fanatics. It was a comprehensive failure of monumental proportions. India’s slack and amateurish functioning made the country earn the tag of a soft nation which it will find very difficult to shed.
7. Illegal Immigration and Passage of IMDT Act
It is a standard practice all over the world that the burden of proving one’s status as a bonafide citizen of a country falls on the accused. It is so for India as well under Foreigners Act, 1946. Political expediency forced the Government to make an exception for Assam. In one of the most short-sighted and anti-national moves, India passed Illegal Migrants – Determination by Tribunals (IMDT) Act of 1984 for Assam. It shifted the onus of proving illegal status of a suspected immigrant to the accuser, which was a tall and virtually impossible order. Detection and deportation of illegal immigrants became impossible.
Whenever demands were raised for repealing the Act, Congress, Left Front and United Minorities Front resisted strongly. Illegal immigrants had become the most loyal vote bank of the Congress. Worse, every protest against the Act was dubbed as ‘anti-minority’, thereby imparting communal colour to an issue of national security. Government’s ‘pardon’ of all Bangladeshis who had come in before 1985 was another unconstitutional act that aggravated the problem.
The Act was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on July 13, 2005, more than 20 years after its enactment. The Apex Court was of the view that the influx of Bangladeshi nationals into Assam posed a threat to the integrity and security of northeastern region. Unfortunately immense damage had already been done to the demography of Assam and the local people of Assam had been reduced to minority status in certain districts. Illegal immigrants have come to have a stranglehold over electioneering to the extent that no party can hope to come to power without their support. Nearly 30 Islamic groups are thriving in the area to further their Islamist and Pan Bangla Desh agenda. It is incomprehensible that a nation’s leadership can stoop so low and endanger even national security for garnering votes.
Finally, is India Wiser Today?
Two features are common to all the above mentioned blunders. First, all decisions were taken by the political leadership and the bureaucracy. The military leadership was neither taken into confidence nor consulted. As a matter of fact it was deliberately kept out of the decision making loop. Although military is the primary stake holder in India’s nuclear prowess, it was not considered necessary to take it in confidence while taking decisions of strategic proportions.
Both Tashkant and Shimla Agreements were preceded by bitterly fought wars. They entailed negotiating the extent, scope and modalities of withdrawal from occupied areas. Even then, no need was felt to seek military’s advice and no service officer was included in the Indian delegations. Political leaders and the bureaucracy abrogated the right to negotiate military matters, in the egoistic belief that they were more qualified for the task. The results were disastrous, as mentioned above.
The second common feature is that no political leader or bureaucrat was ever held accountable for monumental blunders made by them. On the contrary, every single bureaucrat made it to the higher grades and was even given lucrative post-retirement appointments. It is an obnoxious sight to see the guilty men of the above blunders masquerading as foreign policy experts on TV shows and unabashedly offering their pearls of wisdom.
The above mentioned seven indefensible blunders have had enormous impact on the security, standing and history of India. Future generations will rue the fact that the Indian leadership failed the nation at critical junctures due to incompetence, ineptitude and selfish interests. Proclivity for perpetuating personal power made the leadership shortsighted and egocentric. But for the historical blunders, the current Indian geo-political scenario would have been totally different.
Has India learnt any lesson? Unfortunately, none whatsoever. Even now, military leadership is consciously and willfully kept out of all decision making apparatus. Even issues that affect security of the nation are decided by the bureaucrats who do not possess even elementary knowledge of military matters. It is only in India that well connected retired bureaucrats are offered membership of the National Security Council (NSC) as a rehabilitation measure. Merit and expertise are of little consequence. Further, India is perhaps the only country in the world wherein NSC does not have a single military member. Bureaucrats and ex-police officers have made NSC their exclusive domain, thereby depriving the nation of expert military advice. Resultantly, recurring blunders will continue to cost the country dear.
By Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD
1. The Kashmir Mess
There can be no better example of shooting in one’s own foot than India’s clumsy handling of the Kashmir issue. It is a saga of naivety, blinkered vision and inept leadership. Hari Singh
was the reigning monarch of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. He was vacillating when tribal marauders invaded Kashmir in October 1947, duly backed by the Pakistan army. Unable to counter them, Hari Singh appealed to India for assistance and agreed to accede to India. Indian forces blunted the invasion and re-conquered vast areas.
First, India erred by not insisting on unequivocal accession of the state to the Dominion of India and granted special status to it through Article 380 of the Constitution. Secondly, when on the verge of evicting all invaders and recapturing the complete state, India halted operations on 1 January 1949 and appealed to the Security Council. It is the only case in known history wherein a country, when on the threshold of complete victory, has voluntarily forsaken it in the misplaced hope of winning admiration of the world community. Thirdly and most shockingly, the Indian leadership made a highly unconstitutional offer of plebiscite in the UN.
Forty percent area of the state continues to be under Pakistan’s control, providing it a strategic land route to China through the Karakoram ranges. As a fall out of the unresolved dispute, India and Pakistan have fought numerous wars and skirmishes with no solution in sight. Worse, the local politicians are holding India to ransom by playing the Pak card. Kashmir issue is a self created cancerous furuncle that defies all medications and continues to bleed the country.
2. Ignoring Chinese Threats and Neglect of the Military
Memories of the year 1962 will always trouble the Indian psyche. A nation of India’s size had lulled itself into believing that its protestations and platitudes of peaceful co-existence would be reciprocated by the world. It was often stated that a peace loving nation like India did not need military at all. The armed forces were neglected. Political leadership took pride in denigrating the military leadership and meddled in internal affairs of the services to promote sycophancy. Foreign policy was in shambles. Intelligence apparatus was rusted.
Even though signs of China’s aggressive intentions were clearly discernible for years in advance, Indian leadership decided to keep its eyes shut in the fond hope that the problem would resolve itself. When China struck, the country was caught totally unprepared. Troops were rushed to snowbound areas with summer clothing and outdated rifles. Despite numerous sagas of gallantry, the country suffered terrible embarrassment. India was on its knees. With national morale and pride in tatters, India was forced to appeal to all nations for military aid. Inept and incompetent leadership had forced a proud nation to find solace in Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo’.
3. The Tashkent Agreement and Return of Haji Pir Pass
Following the cease-fire after the Indo-Pak War of 1965, a Russian sponsored agreement was signed between India and Pakistan in Tashkent on 10 January 1966. Under the agreement, India agreed to return the strategic Haji Pir pass to Pakistan which it had captured in August 1965 against heavy odds and at a huge human cost. The pass connects Poonch and Uri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir and reduces the distance between the two sectors to 15 km whereas the alternate route entails a travel of over 200 km. India got nothing in return except an undertaking by Pakistan to abjure war, an undertaking which meant little as Pakistan never had any intention of honouring it.
Return of the vital Haji Pir pass was a mistake of monumental proportions for which India is suffering to date. In addition to denying a direct link between Poonch and Uri sectors, the pass is being effectively used by Pakistan to sponsor infiltration of terrorists into India. Inability to resist Russian pressure was a manifestation of the boneless Indian foreign policy and shortsighted leadership.
4. The Simla Agreement
With the fall of Dhaka on 16 December 1971, India had scored a decisive victory over Pakistan. Over 96,000 Pak soldiers were taken Prisoners of War (PoWs). Later, an agreement was signed between the two countries on 2 July 1972 at Shimla. Both countries agreed to exchange all PoWs, respect the line of control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir and refrain from the use of threat or force. Additionally, Bhutto gave a solemn verbal undertaking to accept LOC as the de facto border.
India released all Pak PoWs in good faith. Pakistan, on the other hand, released only 617 Indian PoWs while holding back 54 PoWs who are still languishing in Pakistani jails. The Indian Government has admitted this fact a number of times but has failed to secure their release. India failed to use the leverage of 96,000 Pak PoWs to discipline Pakistan. A rare opportunity was thus wasted. What to talk of establishing permanent peace in the sub-continent, India failed to ensure release of all Indian PoWs – a criminal omission by all accounts.
Naivety of the Indian delegation can be seen from the fact that it allowed Pakistan to bluff its way through at Shimla. The Indian leadership was fooled into believing Pakistan’s sincerity. Unquestionably, Pakistan never intended to abide by its promises, both written and verbal. Fruits of a hard fought victory in the battlefield were frittered away on a negotiating table by bungling leadership.
5. The Nuclear Muddle
Subsequent to the Chinese Nuclear Test
at Lop Nor
in 1964, India showed rare courage in carrying out its first nuclear test on 18 May 1974 at Pokharan. Outside the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, India was the only nation to prove its nuclear capability. The whole country was ecstatic and every Indian felt proud of its scientific prowess. But Indians had not contended with their Government’s penchant for converting opportunity into adversity and squandering hard earned gains.
Instead of asserting India’s newly acquired status of a nuclear power and demanding recognition, India turned apologetic and tried to convince the world that it had no nuclear ambitions. Strangely, it termed the Pokharan test as a ‘peaceful nuclear explosion’ – a term unheard of till then. The Defence Minister went to the extent of claiming that the Indian nuclear experiment was “only for mining, oil and gas prospecting, for finding underground sources of water, for diverting rivers, for scientific and technological knowledge.” It was a self-deprecating stance. Displaying acute inferiority complex, India did not want to be counted as a member of the exclusive nuclear club.
Criticism and sanctions were expected and must have been factored in before opting for the nuclear test. Whereas a few more assertive follow-on tests would have forced the world to accept India as a member of the nuclear club, India went into an overdrive to placate the world through a self imposed moratorium on further testing. It lost out on all the advantages provided to it by its scientists. It suffered sanctions and yet failed to gain recognition as a nuclear power. The country missed golden opportunities due to the timidity and spinelessness of its leaders.
6. Kandahar Hijack
Hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar by Pakistani terrorists in December 1999 will continue to rile India’s self-respect for long. According to the Hindustan Times, India lost face and got reduced to begging for co-operation from the very regimes that were actively undermining its internal security. The hijacking revealed how ill-prepared India was to face up to the challenges of international terrorism.
The eight day long ordeal was over when India’s National Security Adviser brazenly announced that an agreement had been reached for the release of all the hostages in exchange for three Kashmiri militants including Maulana Masood Azhar. Sadly, the Prime Minister claimed credit for forcing the hijackers to climb down on their demands. The worst was yet to follow. India’s Foreign Minister decided to accompany the released militants to Kandahar, as if seeing off honoured guests.
Government’s poor crisis-management skills and extreme complacency in security matters allowed the hijackers to take off from Amritsar airport after 39 minutes halt for refueling, thereby letting the problem get out of control. India’s much vaunted decision making apparatus collapsed and was completely paralysed by the audacity of a bunch of motivated fanatics. It was a comprehensive failure of monumental proportions. India’s slack and amateurish functioning made the country earn the tag of a soft nation which it will find very difficult to shed.
7. Illegal Immigration and Passage of IMDT Act
It is a standard practice all over the world that the burden of proving one’s status as a bonafide citizen of a country falls on the accused. It is so for India as well under Foreigners Act, 1946. Political expediency forced the Government to make an exception for Assam. In one of the most short-sighted and anti-national moves, India passed Illegal Migrants – Determination by Tribunals (IMDT) Act of 1984 for Assam. It shifted the onus of proving illegal status of a suspected immigrant to the accuser, which was a tall and virtually impossible order. Detection and deportation of illegal immigrants became impossible.
Whenever demands were raised for repealing the Act, Congress, Left Front and United Minorities Front resisted strongly. Illegal immigrants had become the most loyal vote bank of the Congress. Worse, every protest against the Act was dubbed as ‘anti-minority’, thereby imparting communal colour to an issue of national security. Government’s ‘pardon’ of all Bangladeshis who had come in before 1985 was another unconstitutional act that aggravated the problem.
The Act was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on July 13, 2005, more than 20 years after its enactment. The Apex Court was of the view that the influx of Bangladeshi nationals into Assam posed a threat to the integrity and security of northeastern region. Unfortunately immense damage had already been done to the demography of Assam and the local people of Assam had been reduced to minority status in certain districts. Illegal immigrants have come to have a stranglehold over electioneering to the extent that no party can hope to come to power without their support. Nearly 30 Islamic groups are thriving in the area to further their Islamist and Pan Bangla Desh agenda. It is incomprehensible that a nation’s leadership can stoop so low and endanger even national security for garnering votes.
Finally, is India Wiser Today?
Two features are common to all the above mentioned blunders. First, all decisions were taken by the political leadership and the bureaucracy. The military leadership was neither taken into confidence nor consulted. As a matter of fact it was deliberately kept out of the decision making loop. Although military is the primary stake holder in India’s nuclear prowess, it was not considered necessary to take it in confidence while taking decisions of strategic proportions.
Both Tashkant and Shimla Agreements were preceded by bitterly fought wars. They entailed negotiating the extent, scope and modalities of withdrawal from occupied areas. Even then, no need was felt to seek military’s advice and no service officer was included in the Indian delegations. Political leaders and the bureaucracy abrogated the right to negotiate military matters, in the egoistic belief that they were more qualified for the task. The results were disastrous, as mentioned above.
The second common feature is that no political leader or bureaucrat was ever held accountable for monumental blunders made by them. On the contrary, every single bureaucrat made it to the higher grades and was even given lucrative post-retirement appointments. It is an obnoxious sight to see the guilty men of the above blunders masquerading as foreign policy experts on TV shows and unabashedly offering their pearls of wisdom.
The above mentioned seven indefensible blunders have had enormous impact on the security, standing and history of India. Future generations will rue the fact that the Indian leadership failed the nation at critical junctures due to incompetence, ineptitude and selfish interests. Proclivity for perpetuating personal power made the leadership shortsighted and egocentric. But for the historical blunders, the current Indian geo-political scenario would have been totally different.
Has India learnt any lesson? Unfortunately, none whatsoever. Even now, military leadership is consciously and willfully kept out of all decision making apparatus. Even issues that affect security of the nation are decided by the bureaucrats who do not possess even elementary knowledge of military matters. It is only in India that well connected retired bureaucrats are offered membership of the National Security Council (NSC) as a rehabilitation measure. Merit and expertise are of little consequence. Further, India is perhaps the only country in the world wherein NSC does not have a single military member. Bureaucrats and ex-police officers have made NSC their exclusive domain, thereby depriving the nation of expert military advice. Resultantly, recurring blunders will continue to cost the country dear.
By Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD
Saturday, May 21, 2011
AMERICA ISRAEL RELATIONS WORSEN
AUM
AMERICA AND ISRAEL ON COLLISON COURSE
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Unbelievable but true it is that the United States of America and Israel are not bosom friends any more. The closeness that the two countries experienced since the birth of the only Jewish state in the world in the late 1940s on cessation of hostilities in World War II is conspicuous by its absence now. The change in the very warm and friendly relationship between the two countries is a direct result of the new Middle-East policy formulated by President Barack Obama. He extended his hand of friendship to the Muslim community to end the confrontation between the major Christian but secular state, USA and the Arab-Muslim countries of the Middle-East. Obama’s idea was to have bon-homie, peace and prosperity in the conflict region so that America does not have to do Policing time and again. Of course making peace overtures to the Islamic countries of the region did not go well with Israel as it hurt its vital interests.
The Jewish community in the United States, especially in the New York state is sizeable in numbers and economic prosperity and thereby exercises political influence. The changed Mid-East policy of USA has not gone well with the Jewish-Americans. The general perception is that Obama has shown this tilt towards Muslim interests because of his own Islamic background. Isn’t it a fact that his biological and real father is a practising Muslim from Kenya and was introduced as such at the Presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington DC. Further, Barack Obama spent the impressionable period of his life in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country. Perhaps that explains the tilt towards Islam in the new foreign policy of USA being promoted byBarack Obama now.
CONFLICT AREAS
The eye of the Islamic world is presently focussed on the manner and method that USA will adopt to implement the new foreign policy of keeping both Israel and Palestine on board in the formation of a new full fledged State with economically viable and militarily defensible borders. The real clash of political interest between Israel and Palestine starts here. America wants to create a new state of Palestine with boundaries that existed prior to the 1967 war between Arabs and Israel that the former lost. Under no circumstances is Israel prepared to cede the territory to Arabs that it had won in the 1967 Arab-Israel war of six days. Benjamin Netanyahu, the present Prime Minister of Israel has already declared the new boundaries of Israel, as proposed by America, as indefensible. The Palestinians wish to have Jerusalem as their capital whereas the Israelis already have the ancient city as their symbolic capital. Jerusalem is dear to heart of Muslims, Christians, and now Jews too. Eventually Jerusalem may turn out to be the main bone of contention. So, one may say that fruits will belong to the man who nurtured the plants and helped them grow into trees.
PERSONAL EQUATIONS
In a round of negotiations,it is the final word that matters. Likewise, it is the Supreme Court that will be the final arbiter of thousands of feet, hands and mouths to feed. Americans were cool, calm and collected when the chips were down and it was a matter of life and death. The Americanshad cheese in their custody what they wanted most.
Sri Benjamin Netanyah, PrimeMinister of the youngest powerful State of the world, Benjamin Netanyahu may find no reception organised for him because of some misunderstanding among the major negotiating powers. In the last two years, that is since Obama became the President of the United States, the relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu, Youngish looking President of the United States do not enjoy a close friendly relationship, what to say of being bosom friends where they can boast of breaking bread together when they move out of the negotiation room. Since the two Prime Ministers have come to the negotiation tables more to poke fun at each other and peep into his private life, if any. Even the Prime Minister of the youngest baby on the world stage has blessed the ongoing talks but did not display own car keys. While discussing the matters of state, it is the tiny tot that draws your attention and leaves the rest to the world community to work on the ticklish state.
In any case it is well known from day one that Barack Obama and Benyamin Netanyahuare not warm to each other. They are barely on nodding terms and hate to look into apple of the eye or find out what the grand child is doing. Even a beginner of military psychology will say that how can they negotiate since the bandage helps commence conversation. It would not be inappropriate for the Prime Minister of country X to say Hello to the Prime Minister of country Y so that there is some thaw in the otherwise cold conversation that had failed to commence.
NO SILVER LINING
The dark clouds are in abundance. There is no silver lining, though. If the doctors do that, the hospital building will collapse. It is said that mere touch of human beings who are blessed with holistic healing will go a long way in making or unmaking of a real hospital.
As of now, leaders of important countries of the world feel cheated on being left out. It is not the food that matters, it is the fact of being seen at the negotiating table that matters. After all it is the human society where one upmanship will remain in currency. It is applicable to men and women of all professions and this kind of politico-social mixing gives the prime minister or any other minister that all important aura that all of us crave for.
Benyamin Netanyahu has already rejected the call of Barack Obama to make the boundaries that existed in 1967 as the base for the negotiation to take off. He has reiterated that those boundaries for Israel are indefensible and, therefore, will render the State of Israel vulnerable even to feeble attacks of one-man army of some unimportant Islamist terror outfit. It appears that the situation will be back to square one and all concerned will go home for a homely reunion with own folks.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, Noida – 201303, INDIA. Mobile : 0091-9811173590.
Email – upvanom@yahoo.com and sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
AMERICA AND ISRAEL ON COLLISON COURSE
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Unbelievable but true it is that the United States of America and Israel are not bosom friends any more. The closeness that the two countries experienced since the birth of the only Jewish state in the world in the late 1940s on cessation of hostilities in World War II is conspicuous by its absence now. The change in the very warm and friendly relationship between the two countries is a direct result of the new Middle-East policy formulated by President Barack Obama. He extended his hand of friendship to the Muslim community to end the confrontation between the major Christian but secular state, USA and the Arab-Muslim countries of the Middle-East. Obama’s idea was to have bon-homie, peace and prosperity in the conflict region so that America does not have to do Policing time and again. Of course making peace overtures to the Islamic countries of the region did not go well with Israel as it hurt its vital interests.
The Jewish community in the United States, especially in the New York state is sizeable in numbers and economic prosperity and thereby exercises political influence. The changed Mid-East policy of USA has not gone well with the Jewish-Americans. The general perception is that Obama has shown this tilt towards Muslim interests because of his own Islamic background. Isn’t it a fact that his biological and real father is a practising Muslim from Kenya and was introduced as such at the Presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington DC. Further, Barack Obama spent the impressionable period of his life in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country. Perhaps that explains the tilt towards Islam in the new foreign policy of USA being promoted byBarack Obama now.
CONFLICT AREAS
The eye of the Islamic world is presently focussed on the manner and method that USA will adopt to implement the new foreign policy of keeping both Israel and Palestine on board in the formation of a new full fledged State with economically viable and militarily defensible borders. The real clash of political interest between Israel and Palestine starts here. America wants to create a new state of Palestine with boundaries that existed prior to the 1967 war between Arabs and Israel that the former lost. Under no circumstances is Israel prepared to cede the territory to Arabs that it had won in the 1967 Arab-Israel war of six days. Benjamin Netanyahu, the present Prime Minister of Israel has already declared the new boundaries of Israel, as proposed by America, as indefensible. The Palestinians wish to have Jerusalem as their capital whereas the Israelis already have the ancient city as their symbolic capital. Jerusalem is dear to heart of Muslims, Christians, and now Jews too. Eventually Jerusalem may turn out to be the main bone of contention. So, one may say that fruits will belong to the man who nurtured the plants and helped them grow into trees.
PERSONAL EQUATIONS
In a round of negotiations,it is the final word that matters. Likewise, it is the Supreme Court that will be the final arbiter of thousands of feet, hands and mouths to feed. Americans were cool, calm and collected when the chips were down and it was a matter of life and death. The Americanshad cheese in their custody what they wanted most.
Sri Benjamin Netanyah, PrimeMinister of the youngest powerful State of the world, Benjamin Netanyahu may find no reception organised for him because of some misunderstanding among the major negotiating powers. In the last two years, that is since Obama became the President of the United States, the relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu, Youngish looking President of the United States do not enjoy a close friendly relationship, what to say of being bosom friends where they can boast of breaking bread together when they move out of the negotiation room. Since the two Prime Ministers have come to the negotiation tables more to poke fun at each other and peep into his private life, if any. Even the Prime Minister of the youngest baby on the world stage has blessed the ongoing talks but did not display own car keys. While discussing the matters of state, it is the tiny tot that draws your attention and leaves the rest to the world community to work on the ticklish state.
In any case it is well known from day one that Barack Obama and Benyamin Netanyahuare not warm to each other. They are barely on nodding terms and hate to look into apple of the eye or find out what the grand child is doing. Even a beginner of military psychology will say that how can they negotiate since the bandage helps commence conversation. It would not be inappropriate for the Prime Minister of country X to say Hello to the Prime Minister of country Y so that there is some thaw in the otherwise cold conversation that had failed to commence.
NO SILVER LINING
The dark clouds are in abundance. There is no silver lining, though. If the doctors do that, the hospital building will collapse. It is said that mere touch of human beings who are blessed with holistic healing will go a long way in making or unmaking of a real hospital.
As of now, leaders of important countries of the world feel cheated on being left out. It is not the food that matters, it is the fact of being seen at the negotiating table that matters. After all it is the human society where one upmanship will remain in currency. It is applicable to men and women of all professions and this kind of politico-social mixing gives the prime minister or any other minister that all important aura that all of us crave for.
Benyamin Netanyahu has already rejected the call of Barack Obama to make the boundaries that existed in 1967 as the base for the negotiation to take off. He has reiterated that those boundaries for Israel are indefensible and, therefore, will render the State of Israel vulnerable even to feeble attacks of one-man army of some unimportant Islamist terror outfit. It appears that the situation will be back to square one and all concerned will go home for a homely reunion with own folks.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, Noida – 201303, INDIA. Mobile : 0091-9811173590.
Email – upvanom@yahoo.com and sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com
Friday, May 6, 2011
Track works-002
X¼n-bp-sS kZv_p²n
X-¼n hopw Nn-´m-Ip-g-¸¯nem-bn.... A-t¸mÄ th-Zw sh-sdbpw D-tm? H-cp ]p-kv-X-Iw kzXth \Ã-Xm-sW-¦n AXn\v C-¯-c-sam-cp t]-cn-sâ B-h-iy-I-X-sb-´mWv?
hopw X¼n Zpx-J-t¯m-sS Ic-ªp {]m-À-°n¨p: P-K-Zo-iz-cm... k-Xyw sh-fn-s¸-Sp-¯n- X-tcW-ta...!
G-Iw k-Zv hn-{]m-x _lp-[m- hZ´n
]et]cpIÄ ]dbpt¼mgpw kXyhkvXphmb ]-c-am-ßm-hv H¶pam{XamWv; AXn\v ]ecq]anÃ. I]S]ptcmlnXÀ aäp ]eXpw ]dtª¡mw. E-tKz-Zw 164.46
Bcy-k-am-Pw
]n._n. \-¼À þ 44,
Xn-cp-h-\-´-]pcw.
94 00 000 600
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
