Tavleen Singh puts into far more clearer and wise words, what I have been saying all along. It is time for India to rise up to the challenge of terrorism and face it. It is not enough to keep the fire burning and blaming everyone else for it, instead of being pro-active. It is also not enough to keep whining at everyone else and try to pull everyone else back, just because we Indians can't seem to be able to grow a backbone and fight our own good fight.
Is it any wonder that most in Pakistan still think that they won every single war with India including Kargil? When in history has the winner of a war ever ceded ground to the loser? The problem has been there since the beginning of India's modern history. Nehru allegedly lead India to victory in the first Pakistan war, but then landed the country in the mess that it is now, by taking the issue to the UN, that hasn't helped budge the issue one inch, but instead provided Pakistan more arms to propagandize with. If we took the whole thing to the UN, who is going to take us seriously when we whine about Kashmir being a bilateral issue?
Remember "Hindu, Chini, Bhai-Bhai"? And then China stabbed us in the back and beat us up till we ran with our tails between our legs and ceded territiry to them too. Our only seeming success has been the division of Pakistan into Bangladesh and Pakistan, which didn't really help us much, except to satisfy our ego.
And then the Sri Lanka Peace-keeping debacle and then more peace talk and then Kargil....Seriously, wasn't the Kargil war reason enough for the Indian Government to launch an attack on Pakistan and teach it a lesson to remember? Nooo, instead, we offered the surrendered enemy safe-passage, buried their unclaimed Pakistani soldiers according to the Muslim rites and then received tortured and mutilated bodies of captured Indian soldiers without a uttering a peep.
Where is the backbone? Where is the spirit? The public is absolutely right to feel disillusioned of such a government and look upon thugs as heroes. This is not something Tavleen is making up - check out the comments on this story by Shobha Warrior - almost all wonder where are the rallies supporting the murdered Kashmiri Pundits.
This is why it is totally laughable that Indian government and media are so obsessed with the war on Iraq. Yes, it is going to affect India - more than the slow-bleeding caused by Kashmir? More than the high cost of maintaining soldiers on the SiaChin glacier (the highest military post on earth)? More than the tens of thousands of people being murdered in cold blood over the decades and the hundreds of thousands being displaced from their ancestral homes? I don't think so. I really wish that the next time these people talk about those "poor Iraqis" and the "poor, poor Palestinians", they take off their ideological blinders and look around and see the state of the poor Indians in India sometime. Charity begins at home, you know - there is no credibility for someone crying rivers at a stranger's misfortune, while the someone's close relatives are being murdered in cold blood daily.
Why can’t we strike shock, awe?
It would not be untrue to say that there is widespread, silent support in India for the war on Iraq. Not only have there been fewer anti-war protests than in most other countries but, since the assault began, it is possible to meet in the Indian street an unusually large number of people who admit that they admire America for reacting forcefully to what happened on September 11.(link via UncleDuke)Posted by shanti at March 30, 2003 8:32 PMIt shames them, they add, that the Indian state is such a feeble creature that "anyone can come and slap us in the face and get away with it". They point out that it took less than 3,000 Americans to be killed in a terrorist attack for the US to take decisive action against its perceived enemies while we do nothing even after more than 30,000 Indians have died in terrorist violence in the past decade.
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Indian politics has always been too fractured to allow for any kind of cohesive nationalist policy. I don’t expect things to get better before they get worse (like a BJP/VHP sweep in the next election).
BTW, shanti, cookies aren’t getting set in the comments page. Is this a new MT bug? I’ve noticed this problem in a lot of blogs lately.
Posted by: Suman Palit at March 30, 2003 11:40 PM
You are right about “coalitions” not being able to enforce seemingly one-sided policies - Sometimes I also wonder if it isn’t to the politicians’ advantage to keep some fires burning.
As for the cookies, I have noticed that too, but I am nnot sure if it is an MT or IE6 bug - which browser do you use?
Posted by: Shanti at March 31, 2003 7:03 AM
Shanti,
Thank you for posting such an excellent article. It is high-time that India move beyond sabre-rattling, and prove its bona-fides in the war against terrorism. Like I said before, India is fighting on Pakkistan’s terms. The time has come to change this.
Posted by: NIraj at March 31, 2003 10:09 AM
When the BJP Govt. came to power, they did the nuclear tests without asking the Uncle. That was one bold step. Ever since that we have been begging for Uncle’s permission for almost anything. As Abdul Kalam said, only strength respects strength. Unless this is drilled down every day into the heads of the leadership, nothing is going to change.
Hey, the terrorists even reached the doorstep of the Parliament, and still the Govt. is not reacting. If they do not fear their lives, then what can one do ?
Posted by: JK at March 31, 2003 11:02 AM
Right on, Niraj.
Yes, JK - BJP did one thing - that was good and I was very proud of them for it, they seem to have fallen in love with the “chair” a bit and have since backed off on so many things, they are beginning to look ridiculous and incompetent just like the CONgress. I hope they will grow a spine soon.
Posted by: Shanti at March 31, 2003 11:52 AM
i think yao is a bad ass player for 7’6 he’s really
goooood shaq might be stronger but yao’s a bad ass player the best center him and shaq ofcourse.
Posted by: ice man at December 13, 2004 7:28 PM