Author: Rajinder Puri
Publication: Boloji.com
Date: November 4, 2011
URL: http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=11590
Two recent events highlight the delusional
make believe world of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA). First, Pakistan announced that the Most Favoured Nation
(MFN) status would be granted to India. Secondly, China's Governor of Xingjian
province visited India to establish direct trade links between his province
and India. Both events understandably generated much cheer in official circles
and in the media. The same day developments jolted enthusiasm on both counts.
Pakistan's decision to grant India MFN status
was reportedly cleared by the Pakistan army. But very soon the tune changed.
Later Pakistan's foreign ministry said that normalization of trade between
both nations would be established. The reference to MFN status was deleted.
The good vibes emanating from the Xingjian Governor's visit were also marred
by the conduct of the Chinese Ambassador to India Mr. Zhang Yan while he was
hosting a reception in honour of the Governor's visit. A reporter's pointed
questioning about Chinese maps that showed J&K and Arunachal Pradesh being
outside India provoked the usually affable Ambassador to snap at the journalist:
"Shut up!"
Failing to appreciate the underlying reason
for the jarring changes on both occasions leads the MEA to make a basically
false assumption in its dealing with Pakistan and China. Unless this false
assumption is rectified India will continue to drift in its relations with
both governments. The Chinese Ambassador betrayed immense tension to snap
at the journalist in such undiplomatic fashion. The Pakistan foreign ministry
was constrained to dilute its first announcement regarding the MFN status.
The two slip ups happened for the same reason. Both China and Pakistan are
each following two incompatible agendas while dealing with India.
One agenda in both cases is being pursued
by ineffectual civilian governments that is positive and seeks enhanced trade
and cultural ties with India. The other opposing agenda is being pursued by
the respective armies of both China and Pakistan that seek territorial and
hegemonic domination of India. Unless this dichotomy of approach is recognized
and addressed effectively by MEA there is no good future for India with either
nation. It has repeatedly been pointed out in these columns that China's People's
Liberation Army (PLA) is the ultimate decision maker in Beijing and it is
pursuing a subversive, hegemonic and adversarial role against India. Only
recently has Indian Intelligence agencies started to acknowledge this truth
reiterated in these columns for many years.
The same applies to Pakistan where the army
and ISI can overrule and dictate policy to the civilian government. The Pakistan
army is at present little more than the PLA's cat's paw to implement the strategy
laid down by China's generals. It might be noted how far the Pakistan army
trained by the British like the Indian army has traveled from the traditions
and culture imbibed from the British. Like the PLA Pakistan's army personnel
are dabbling in business and land deals to augment personal financial fortunes
and clout. They have adopted the traditional warlord culture of the Chinese
army.
If the present trend continues by which India
permits dual policies to be pursued by both China and Pakistan, the nation
will be a heavy loser. Enhanced trade will tie us down to both nations. It
will disable our ability to counter the adverse consequences of the aggressive
policies followed by the armies of China and Pakistan. India will end up as
much a client state of Beijing as is Pakistan today. Beijing's stranglehold
on the subcontinent would be complete. To end the present dangerous drift
MEA must throw a carrot to Pakistan and wield an economic stick before China
to end the nefarious designs of both armies.
The carrot for Islamabad would be the offer
of a formula on Kashmir that Pakistan cannot refuse. It must visibly obtain
the consent of the people of Kashmir and address the core interests of India,
Pakistan and the people of Kashmir. That formula does not bear repetition.
It has been written about earlier. Let it suffice to observe that the citizens
of Germany and France have more rights when in each other's country than the
citizens in the rest of India presently have in the state of J&K. It might
also be noted that if a greater quantum of autonomy would suffice for J&K
it would not prevent New Delhi from granting equal autonomy to all the other
states of Union. That would entail a review of the way our Constitution is
implemented. It would result a change of system without a change in the Constitution.
It would also end the special status of Kashmir.
The economic stick to wield before Beijing
would be to block all exports from China. Our system could withstand the challenge.
It would impose an unbearable strain on China and could induce the army to
heed its own civilian government. Ultimately it is up to the civilian governments
of both Beijing and Islamabad to prevail over their respective armies. India
must dare to pursue policies that strengthen the hands of both civilian governments
against their respective armies. If MEA fails to do that and persists with
the present drift India could end up as another client state of China.
