The Chinese have done it
again. Inch by inch they move in through cold terrains and pathless
woods into our lands. Bristling with hostility, they demand demolition
of India’s bunkers, claim 90,000 sq. km of Arunachal Pradesh including
Tawang, and violate our borders with impunity. “We lay claim to the
whole state of Arunachal Pradesh. Yes, that is our position,” states the
Chinese envoy with unmatched emphasis.
While our northern neighbor behaves true to his philosophy of “What is
mine is mine, and what is yours is also mine,” how do our wobbly
politicians and leftist windbags react? Nothing beyond the usual sound
bites expressing the same esoteric expressions of peace, same spin on
opening new chapters to la-la land, and the same harping on the national
vibe of cooperation, prosperity and the cusp of waking to a new era -
possibly the “era of the mice.” Completely absent is any sense of
outrage, of passionate defiance, or even a categorical statement such
as, “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. It is not
negotiable.” Moreover, the Prime Minister even avoids going to Tawang in
order to appease the boisterous and puffed-up dragon.
Contrast this with
Iran, a smaller country with a much mightier spine, which can give the
powers to be a run for their money. Even the nut jobs across the border
can take a stand and fight for what they want. Yet we, the “Quiet”
Indians are either in a virtual world or busy revving up the money
engine, while a ”coalition of opportunists” continue to bask in the
sweet comfort of inaction.
This Historical terrain has been covered before by another man, blind to
reality’s harsh terrain, the venerable “chacha Nehru” and his disciple,
Krishna Menon in 1962. To resounding cries of “Hindi Chini bhai bhai,”
the response from the Chinese was a convoy of tanks rolling into India
with a cold blooded alacrity. Their blazing guns decimated jawans
fighting without warm clothing and with World War 1 rifles. Adding
injury to the criminal negligence of the army were the seditious slogans
of the Marxists who marched into the streets of Calcutta shouting,
“China’s chairman is our chairman.”
It is only the profound indifference
of the Indian masses that the “Communist party” which consistently bats
for another country, is even tolerated on Indian soil.
Some Historical graveyards unleashed by the dominant narrative of our
times, Pacifism and its offshoots-appeasement, cowardice and dangerous
denial are:
- In response to Gandhi’s unprecedented overtures of peace, including
offering the position of Prime Minister to Jinnah to avoid partition,
Jinnah let loose “Direct Action Day,” an orgy of violence where blood
flowed in torrents and caused a forced migration of 10 million people,
the largest unacknowledged injustice in History.
- Recognition of Tibet as part of China. Result – “yeh dil maange
more.” China is now lusting
after Arunachal Pradesh.
- “Article 370” whereby no Indian can buy property or settle in
Kashmir. Result – the valley is loyal to Pakistan and hostile to India.
- Tolerating the communist proxies of China to stall the economic
progress and allowing over
5 million Bangladeshis free entry into India. Result – Assam, Nagaland,
and the entire Northeast is raging with a secessionist fire stoked by
the Marxists, terrorists are having a field day moving
at ease in India and another partition is in the making by Bangladeshis
who believe that “possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
- The treacherous ceasefire offered in Kashmir by Nehru in response to
Pakistan’s invasion of Kashmir in 1948 is still haunting us. The heroic
Indian army which reclaimed most of the land taken by Pakistan was
suddenly ordered to “ceasefire,” creating defeat from the jaws of
victory. Result – loss of POK and the Northern areas Gilgit and
Baltistan prevents India from accessing the vast hydrocarbon riches of
Central Asia for oil. It also allows China to build the Karkoram Highway
which will give them a foothold in the Arabian Sea via Gwadar and
directly challenge the Indian Navy.
- Absence of a Uniform Civil Code, an appeasement policy with far
reaching ramifications.
- Temple funds are controlled by the Government whereas foreign funds
funneled into madrassas and churches flow freely. Result – subversion,
extra territorial loyalties, and terrorism.
Make no mistake, the Chinese are serious. They know what they want and
they are going about it with a diabolic efficiency. They are giving
missiles and nuclear know-how to Pakistan. They have listening posts and
naval bases in Gwadar and Burma, military bases in Thailand, and
Cambodia, container port and naval facilities in Bangladesh, and a huge
development zone in Sri Lanka, knocking at the Southern gates of India.
When the time is right, all these proxies of China will swing into
action to do their master’s bidding. India is vulnerable and trapped in
a Chakravyuh of its own making.
What would it take to rouse India from this destructive slumber? What
would be required to remove the Hamlet like indecisiveness or its
insular culture, and its perennial diffidence in International affairs?
How do we make a nation stand up and demand what belongs to it? Once
upon a time Indians stood up against the might of the British even when
they were chained, beaten and lashed into obedience. Today, their bodies
are free but their souls are numb. What was different then and now?
To begin with, those were the days when every breath of a person rang
with an “India first” mantra of Nationalism and real activism. Idealists
rallied to jolt the nation with courage. There was a fire in the belly
in the nation’s youth. They lit a blazing fire of awareness which spread
and spread and drove out the foul winds of servitude. India now needs to
delve into that time zone and retrieve from its fortresses of the
spirit, values such as courage, sacrifice, Nationalism, involvement, and
Justice.
Such a resurgent Nationalism will throw out the Government of the fools
and will provide the required strategic compass to chart India’s course
in Independent waters. It could include deploying ICBM’s, ATV’s and a
friendly country to provide bases to hit vital economic targets in China
before it has a chance to respond. When we have those capabilities, and
with our talented Engineers this should be attainable, China will behave
as a good neighbor. Otherwise, no amount of appeasing or bending over
backwards will prevent India from becoming a menu item at China’s table.
March 24, 2008
Aneeta Chakrabarty teaches Chemistry and
lives in Houston.
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