IT seems that we have learnt nothing from our national history. We have proved the adage true that history repeats itself. If we start from Mahmood Gazanavi and Mohammad Gauri and move onwards till the tragic partition of the country and even afterwards till today, do we not see the past blunders are being repeated by our governing leadership knowingly and shamelessly. Acharya JB Kripalni, one of the foremost leaders of the freedom struggle and one who had been associated with Mahatma Gandhi since 1917 once remarked sarcastically that Indians are the greatest hypocrites in the world.
Our present national problems and troubles are due to our misunderstandings about our friends and foes. Mahatma Gandhi said several times that Muslim is a bully and Hindu is coward. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru said about himself that ‘He is Hindu by birth, Englishman by education and Muslim by culture.’ Although he was proud of proclaiming that the Indian (Hindu) Culture is the greatest and the oldest in the world, yet he hated to be called a Hindu. While Gandhiji proudly called himself-‘A Sanatami Hindu’ but he hankered blindly after Muslim-appeasement and baseless theory of Hindu-Muslim unity. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel once sarcastically remarked that the only nationalist Muslim is Jawaharlal Nehru, who is responsible for our many problems today like the Kashmir crisis, odd nexus between Naxalites and Christian missionaries in the eastern region, the Naga insurgency, the question of Hindi’s recognition as state language, the Muslim-appeasement policy of pre-Independence days took the form of minoritism after independence. Our approach towards China throughout has been full of unrealities and lack of political vision. The Nehru Government’s recognition of China’s sovereignty over Tibet was a blunder which should not have been accepted. At the most, we might have recognised only China’s suzerainty instead of sovereignty. This could have helped in maintaining Tibet’s Autonomy which remained autonomous during the British rule also.
Pt Nehru himself realised his mistake when China invaded India in 1962 and defeated and humiliated us.
After the invasion was over, Nehruji remarked, “we were living in a dream-world of our own creation.” So Nehru’s China policy failed miserably and we are suffering its evil consequences till today along with the sufferings of the Tibetians.
Similarly, his Kashmir policy also failed badly and opened Pandora’s Box. Nehru’s blind faith in Sheikh Abdullah since 1932 led India towards crisis after crisis and wars with Pakistan. Even Sheikh Abdullah’s progeny in 2010 have been creating problems for us and Pakistan is also doing mischief with their devastating policies.
As long as Article 370 is not deleted and amended from our Constitution, the problem of Kashmir will not be solved. We should not forget that Dr BR Ambedkar had refused to put Article 370 before the Constituent, Assembly because he could forsee its evil effects. He was opposed to it and Pt Nehru had requested Gopala Swami Ayangar to do this job and he did it. What is happening in Kashmir till today proves that Dr Ambedkar was right and a great patriot.
In three wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971 we won on the battle-fields but lost the gains by the blood-shed and bravery of our soldiers due to our chicken-headached political parleys, foolish diplomacy and lack of vision. Nehru not only stopped our army from action but also committed the folly of referring the issue to the UNO.
In 1965 war, we also won on the battle-field but lost not only gains but also lost our most honest Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri during political parleys with Pakistan in Tashkand in USSR.
In 1971 war, Indira Gandhi’s boldness was appreciated by everybody during the liberation of Bangladesh. We know that 93,000 Pak-Soldiers were captured and imprisoned by our great army but even this time she did not ask Zulfikar Bhutto to deliver Pak-occupied Kashmir to India and gives up Pak’s claim over Kashmir. If Bhutto had accepted it, then only 93,000 Pak soldiers should have been released. Is it not a wonder that the brave lady like Indira Gandhi who could dare to clamp emergency over the country for her political survival in 1975 could not negotiate with Bhutto toughly? Had She done it, the Kashmir problem would have been solved for ever. When Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, his actions were paradoxical. On the one hand, he changed the Constitution against the verdict of the Supreme Court in the case of Shah Bano but showed recklessness in the matter of Bhopal gas tragedy and murder of 3000 Sikhs in Delhi, whereas it was he who had given permission to open Ramjanabhoomi Temple and started his political yatra from Ayodhya.
In my opinion, MK Gandhi and Pt Jawaharlal Nehru have bequeathed the country several problems which even today remain unsolved and are our headache. The ruling political party or parties have never been able to succeed to evolve effective diplomacy and strategy concerning China, Pakistan and the USA. The former editor of The Asian Age MJ Akbar in a recent article has remarked about the present crisis in Kashmir that the Chief Minister of the State Omar Abdullah is unfit for the post. Bramaha Chellani, Udai Bhaskar and other defense experts have been fore-warning us that China may repeat, may be to a less extent like-1962 in Arunachal Pradesh.
The problem at the root started since August 15, 1947, When Mahatma Gandhi made Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister of the country instead of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Congress committee was unanimously in favour of Patel for Prime Ministership. But Gandhiji turned down the resolution of the organisation. In my opinion, Gandhiji acted as a moral dictator not only on this occasion but several other times also. The opposition of Subhas Chandra Bose cannot be forgotten.
Although Gandhiji had severe differences on several issues, yet he had a soft-corner for Pt Nehru throughout. He had promised to the people that ‘Pakistan would not be created but if it comes into existence, it would be possible only on my corpse.’ But what happened, we all know. Gandhiji’s faith in truth proved false and failure that very day when Pakistan became a reality and Gandhiji endorsed it. Was it not a hypocrisy?
Now, a few words about Sonia Gandhi. It is an irony that she is enjoying power without any responsibility. So far as her patriotism is concerned, it would we sufficient to remind the readers that she had not accepted Indian Citizenship till 12 years after her marriage with Rajiv Gandhi. Not only that, it is alleged that, when her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi was defeated in 1977 in the Lok Sabha polls, she had asked her husband Rajiv Gandhi to leave the house and take shelter in the Italian Embassy.
Today, she is chairperson of the UPA Government, if something good is done by the government the credit is given to her while during failure, the responsibility is laid on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his cabinet. Such is the sordid state of affairs which our country is destined to face.
Now, Congress is a congregation of sychophants of Sonia Gandhi. She is in reality a despot in the guise of a democrat. No president of the Congress in the past was so powerful except Indira Gandhi. Once Pt Nehru had asked Algu Rai Shastri of Azamgarh, a veteran freedom-fighter to leave the Congress but you will be surprised to know his bold reply. He said, “Is Congress your father’s property? Why don’t you leave the Congress?”
At last, Pt Nehru kept mum and did not move further in this matter. Can you imagine today of Congressman to say anything like this even in mild and humble words to Sonia Gandhi, the present president of the Congress?
It is also an irony of fate that in 1885, when Indian National Congress was founded, an Englishman, AO Hume was its president and in 2010, a lady of Italy married to an Indian is its president.
One more bane of our polity. No country in the world gives preference to minorities against the majority. But in India, the Muslims get preference against Hindus on the basis of minority community. This tendency and mentality was initiated and made, an important part of government policy by Pt JL Nehru since 1947. It is shamelessly being continued till to-day. Otherwise, how could Dr Manmohan Singh dare to say that the Muslims deserve a major share in our national assets and fiscal matters. And these very Muslims in majority help Pakistani and other terrorists outfits making the country bleed on countless occasions. Not only that, in most cases of terrorism they go scot free and the government officers and specially the policemen who try to punish them are themselves punished. So, we conclude that the UPA government is ineffective in curbing terrorism. The leadership is spineless.
(The writer is former editor Panchjanya and can be contacted at 6769, Vivekanand Puri, Civil Lines , Sitapur (UP) 261 001)
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