Doing Away with the Gandhian Philosophy

The present UPA government was the first government after Rajiv Gandhi to be blessed with such a popular mandate. The after-election response was that it was a golden opportunity to perform without the pressure of appeasing any allies. But the second innings of the UPA government is turning out to be nothing short of a disaster. Talking about foreign policy, the government is turning out to be a dud. Indians had attached high expectations from this government. And rightly so.  The mandate ensured that the government was free from the push and pulls of coalition dharma. And with the policy of granting ministries on the basis of qualification and bringing in foreign policy veterans such as Shashi Tharoor, the expectations weren’t unjustified. But the government hasn’t been able to live up to the expectations attached to it. Instead it has meekly surrendered in front of China and USA.

China has upped the ante with constant interference in the matters of the government of India and Arunachal Pradesh. But instead of coming out with a strong response, we get to hear the age-old “strong condemnation” of China’s statement and the regular “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India”. I have already started yawning considering the number of times I have heard this repetitive response. Shouldn’t we go on the offensive and attack china on its human rights record in Tibet or ask them to move out of the territory occupied by them in Tibet. Instead we think twice before permitting Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh lest it hurts the sentiments of China. The response by the government asking China to stop its activities in PoK was in the right direction and it should continue on this path whenever there is any sort of interference from China. Why do we need to meekly surrender in front of the world’s superpowers or the budding superpowers? I might be accused of jingoism. But I don’t believe in the Gandhian philosophy of offering your other cheek when someone slaps you on the first. Instead, I believe we should return the favour by hitting them where it hurts most.

Contrast that to the BJP government which went ahead with the nuclear tests even after being aware of the impending sanctions on the international front. The BJP government not only carried out the tests but also deftly managed  to strengthen relations with the major international players. Relations with USA reached a new height and the foundation for 123 Nuclear Agreement was set up. That sharp acumen and political manoeuvering seems to lack in the present dispension. Long way to go for Mr. S. M. Krishna and his high profile MoS Mr. Shashi Tharoor considering the standards that have been set in the foreign policy segment by his predecessors in the BJP government.

UPA v.2.0

After coming back to power with a resounding victory, one would have expected Manmohan Singh to display signs of control and talk about a reformist and a socialist agenda for his new government. Disappointingly, we miss the flashes of brilliance and the astute political mind which he displayed during the Confidence motion brought in Parliament over the passage of the Nuclear Deal. It was then that I felt the PM was not “weak”. Manmohan Singh had such strong convictions about the N-Deal and its benefits for the country that he decided to put his chair to stake. How could a PM who staked his chair because of his strong convictions be considered weak? The only thing was that he and his policies had a human touch which India had missed sorely during the previous governments (without any disrespect to Mr. Vajpayee, the contemporary politician I admire the most).

But his second stint hasn’t been as rewarding as his first. Among the many gaffes committed by him and the PMO are the Baluchistan fiasco and the end-user agreement signed with the US. The PM while catering to Pakistani counterpart has gone on record to say that India and Pakistan are the common victims of the same type of terrorism. A totally unfounded statement. While we suffer terrorism originating from across the border, Pakistan is suffering their own making. The PM has only vindicated Pakistan. Next time there’s a terrorist attack on Indian soil, Pakistan can simply wash its hands off the issue by saying both the countries are the victims of terrorism.

The mention of Baluchistan in the joint declaration with Pakistan is another fiasco that had the foreign policy think-tank and the Parliament demanding and explanation in chorus. The situation came to such a pass that the outgoing foreign secretary, Shiv Shankar Menon had to give a clarification in the Lok Sabha. He termed it as a drafting error. It’s to be seen how much this drafting error costs India in the international forum in the long run. Then there’s a delinking of terrorist activities and the peace process initiated between the two countries. This is exactly opposite to the stand that the PM had taken when he met the Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari and snubbed him in public. The change in stance is reportedly being ascribed to US pressure. And the PM is supposed to have bowed down to that pressure. The issue of the end-user agreement for military equipments signed during Hillary Clinton’s visit caused a lot of noise in the Parliament. Then there’s the bad handling of the Shopian rape case in Kashmir which has only allowed separatists to become stronger. If nothing else, the demand for “aazadi” was clearly audible during the entire drama. The economic recession has only added salt to the wounds of the already beleaguered PM.

It’s not to say that UPA version 2.0 is a failure. There has been progress on a host of issues. But a lot of expectations were attached with this government – especially when it became clear that the government was not in pressure to cater to the demands of its allies but was free to pursue its own will. It’s to be seen whether Manmohan Singh can stand on the pedestal and fulfill the needs and aspirations of the teeming millions. Till then, let’s keep our fingers crossed.