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| UPA's Foreign Policy |
A news channel had conducted a foreign policy debate. While
the quality of the debate is quiet debatable. It did remind us for a moment how
twisted our foreign policy has been for ages now. Formulating foreign policy is
an art, neither does it involve doles
nor does it have a vote bank. Yet successive governments have not been able to create
a coherent vision document on India’s foreign policy. The most espoused approach
of JL.Nehru has been anything but a success. His inability to see through
Chinese deception still remains a scar in Indian Psyche. As Kissenger put it “A
country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will neither
achieve perfect nor security” .This is what JL.Nehru clearly did. India is yet
to make a firm thoughtful step towards understanding her neighbours.The past
10years of UPA rule is one classic example. Be it the way India handled Maldives
by supporting its favourite Nasheed or the way it handled Nepal turmoil showed immatureness.
India must learn to support the nation rather than a particular leader .Let’s
not forget the Daulet Beg Oldie episode or the 26/11.
While the Business class has been making a lot of
noise about policy paralysis there has been a equal length of policy paralysis
when it comes to foreign policy formulation. To put in simply “we are not sure
what are doing”.Take the case of Land agreement with Bangladesh a West Bengal
CM pulled the strings.The government obliged despite the fact that decisions on
foreign policy is a central subject.The interference of local aspirations
in foreign policy formulation is another cause
for concern.India has seen great leaders in MK.Gandhi, Moraji Desai, Indira
Gandhi,but back then India was never imagined a future super power was rather
seen a communist ally.The era of Unipolar
USA donning the Lordship of the world is fast approaching a slow but steady
end.The rise of China is genuine threat which cannot washed off by signing
agreements of peace or writing love letters to china,Pakistan.A multipolar world as it may be in the future. India is expected to be one of the global
super powers and rightly so.Un/fortunately for India we have a competing
neighbor who is in not mood to give up its mantle.The first step towards a
better foreign policy would be is to understand thy neigbour which India has
been terribly bad at. We had kargil
episode paralleled with peace trip to Pakistan. We had a Prime Minister who has
a doctrine after his name expousing love towards its neigbours. Gandhian love
is fine only when love is mutually
exchanged which did not happen in his tenure.What has been the problem with
India’s foreign policy? We have not learnt the art of learning from our
mistakes or willfully do the same mistake or both.
Manmohan’s Pakistan doctrine has more to do with Gujaral
doctrine and less to do with his own despite repeated border violations.We have
a CM who wants AFSPA repealed in a place where a National leader’s daughter was
kidnapped.It took years to control insurgencies
in Kashmir not to forget the Scar that the Kashmiri pundits are left with . What
is the way ahead? .The answer is neither simple nor direct a strong foreign policy
needs several elements and finally a
strong leadership at the top which India clearly lacks.To put its crudely India seems to learn things at a grueling
autistic rate, a clear state of impaired approach.We have forgotten the very
basics that Chanakya neeti taught us concillation(Sama), Bribery (Daam),
Punishment(Danda),sowing dissensions(Bheda).Leaders weakened Indian
intelligence network to strengthen ties with untrustworthy neighbours like
Pakistan .The list includes I.K.Gujaral ,the
welcome addition of Manmohan Singh.The Sharm el sheikh episode is a classic
case of Indian lack of understanding of Pakistan which has perennially searched
for reasons to find a chink on Indian armour.Manmohan Singh handed it over to
them in a silver platter.We have CBI seriously pursuing a case against a IB
officer for providing leads to a terrorist hide out.There is nothing more
shameful than attacking your own intelligence networks .The current govt is
gleefully carrying this for political brownie points.
We have had a series
of never ending unfruitful talks with Pakistan and China.We believe in engagement
while the other side believes in keeping us engaged.While Pakistan runs a
wholeshale terror machinery,China runs Pakistan to keep us busy.Let us be clear
we cannot do a Israel style policy with two Nuclear states.India should learn the
art of forcing the other side to come to the table with genuine interest which
can only be possible when we wield the
power to not stay compromised under any circumstance.Even a compromise should
be a profit to Indian side.India needs assertive character at the top which we
clearly lack now.
Every time India moved to talks with Pakistan more often
than not India has gone the extra mile be it the bus trip or the offering of MFN
status.What have we demanded? Breakdown of terror machinery,which currently sounds
near impossible task even if Pakistan is serious about it.Pakistan has poisoned
itself to the extend that it can’t turn
back.But what is the point of demanding removal of terror groups in
Pakistan?.When its education system & Madrassahs are breading ground of
terror.Its school books teach hatred against India and Hindu in particular.The
General Zia regime’s islamization
programme of altering history to Pakistan’s convenience is a issue that needs
to be addressed.Unless the very root of terror is uprooted there shall be no
peace or end to terror in Pakistan.India if it wants real truce with Pakistan.India should demand these very roots
of terror be uprooted.
This pushes us to the next stage does India really need a
peaceful Pakistan.Frankly I am in a dilemma.The history of terror based Islamic
hatred towards its enemies seems to grow strong when the nation propers. Rich
prosperous terror funders being Saudi
Arabia. Saudi Arabia is said to be the world's largest source of funds
for Salafi jihadist terrorist militant groups,
such as al-Qaeda,
the AfghanTaliban,
and Lashkar-e-Taiba in South Asia, and donors
in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni
terrorist groups worldwide, according to Hillary
Clinton.I personally believe a peaceful Pakistan is a greater danger
to India than a turmoil filled Pakistan. The best way to keep ourselves safe would be to keep Pakistan in a state of suspended
animation preventing it from taking its own decision in short Finlandisation of
Pakistan is the best bet for a safe India unless a genuine peace loving leader
emerges in Pakistan.
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