Author: Sunil Sawant
Publication: www.tehelka.com
Date:
URL:http://www.tehelka.com/aspsite/rightstory.asp?id1=commentary&id2=politics&id3=HEADLINES&id4=20000623605&fname=com021901sawant1.htm
India is not only unprepared to
face the threats posed by traditional enemies like Pakistan and China;
it's proving singularly inept even while handling the present situation,
says Sunil Sawant in this first of a two-part article
The standard attributes of a nation's
power are its economy, military, strategic depth, and mission. The combination
of these four fundamental factors decides the position of a nation vis-à-vis
its adversaries. For a nation, the first three attributes tend not to vary
widely through different governments. The mission is a product of history,
and is tremendously influenced by government policies, media and events.
The following can be said confidently
about India's security scenario: that Pakistan is an implacable enemy,
and a clear and present danger; that China is a bigger and long-term threat;
that in its preoccupation with Pakistan, India has not devoted itself sufficiently
to the Chinese threat; that India is definitely losing ground on both these
fronts; and that we are not prepared for other potential threats.
Take China first. We lost a war
to it. It is forcibly holding land captured from us, and also that ceded
by Pakistan. It further lays claim to huge chunks of Indian land. Even
today it pushes India around by encroaching upon more and more territory,
and building infrastructure on the Indian side. China has directly threatened
India by deploying nuclear missiles in Tibet. Given China's current massive
economic and military superiority, and given its long-standing well-planned
determination to subdue India, it is a serious threat.
India has not strengthened its borders
enough to prevent the ongoing Chinese encroachment. Diplomatically, India
has done nothing to punish China for enabling Pakistan's nuclear and missile
acquisitions; nor has she done anything to deploy pressure on China. India
has given mixed signals by welcoming Chinese leaders enthusiastically;
by suppressing Tibetan refugees who could be an important lever; and by
generally displaying naiveté and ignorance regarding the Chinese
threat.
China superbly utilises its immense
economic and military strength against us, and has its strategic depth
in reserve. Ever since 1949, China has been working on its centuries old
ambition to dominate the world. If, and when, India acts to counter the
Chinese threat, it is passive, reactive and insufficient.
Pakistan came into being because
of India's acquiescence to being torn apart. Thus Pakistan's very existence
is a symbol of tremendous Indian territorial loss. The Partition created
a Pakistan, which is a fraction of India economically, geographically and
militarily. Nevertheless, Pakistan is a reality, and India would have been
happy had the Partition resulted in peace.
But there has been no peace. The
trail of four wars, and ongoing infiltrations, ambushes, bombings and massacres
by Pakistani terrorists in various parts of India is well documented. So
what gives? India's underdog position vis-à-vis China derives mainly
- though certainly not exclusively - from its weak fundamentals. But shouldn't
the same fundamentals be expected to work in favour of India with respect
to Pakistan? How does Pakistan manage to overcome its grave deficiencies
in three of the four fundamentals and continue to maintain debilitating
offensive pressure on India?
What Pakistan lacks in physical
fundamentals, it more than makes up with dedication to its mission. Pakistan
knows it is an Islamic nation. Its goal is to unite the Muslims of the
entire world under its leadership. It wants to revive the glory of the
Islamic period when all of India, along with major parts of the world,
was under Islamic rule. In this regard, it is very much like China, which
also works to dominate the world. While a nationalist hegemonic impulse
drives China, Pakistan is propelled by religious fervour. For now their
aims are complimentary; hence the combination of these two countries is
a deadly dual challenge for India.
