Friday 12 June 2015

POINT  AND COUNTERPOINT-HOT PURSUIT


Dear     Rajyavardhan Rathore, ,
I';m making this delayed post for I waited the whole morning for a clarification,if any, on a statement attributed to you in today';s Indian Express, in which you legitimately celebrated our troops'; cross-border raid on militant hideouts in Myanmar.
But what left me wonder-struck was your claim that the strikes were a message to all countries, including Pakistan, that harbored terror intent towards our country.
Now that';s a pretty bold exposition Mr Minister--- abysmally short though on correct appreciation of the geopolitical realities in our immediate and distant neighborhoods. Pl don';t get me wrong. But your hyperbole reminds one of George Clemenceau';s famous quote that ';war is a thing too serious to be left to soldiers';.
A widely improvised version of the French writer';s quotation is that war';s too serious a business to be left to generals... or ex-colonels such as yourself. The Modi regime can pat itself on the back as what our troops achieved in Myanmar was an example of good diplomacy with Naypyidaw and operational precision on the ground. The response was essential to keep up the morale of our army.
But to call it hot pursuit would be erroneous as it was a retributive raid with the consent of the country on whose territory we struck. Likewise, to show it as a signal of what we could do with Pakistan isn';t just indiscreet but reckless.
If we have any such plans, we';d need to keep them under wraps even after finishing the task. It won';t be an achievement for us to shout from the rooftops. Please don';t forget, that we are a nuclearized sub-continent where a conflict situation would attract world attention to keep it from escalating into a full blown N-war.
Before signing off, may I leave you with a thought---- that you might want to share with your superiors in the government--- belonging to Brajesh Mishra, who was AB Vajpayee';s NSA. At a meeting I had with him before his death, he said he decided against writing a book because much of what he knew needed to go with him to his grave. The best patriots, Mr Rathore, are those who seek no recognition, no gratitude from the country. They are reconciled to dying unsung. 
Sincerely, 
Vinod Sharma

Dear  Shri Vinod Sharma,

Gurudev, Rabindranath Tagore had aptly said” Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them.”
Col Raghavendra Rathore   a sharpshooter who once donned the uniform may have got carried away  and indulged in a bit of chest thumping , but should we not  praise the commandos and Indian Army for a remarkable job done.
I vividly remember watching, how the Israeli commandos stormed Entebbe and rescued hapless hijacked passengers. Contrast that to the pusillanimous act of  an abject  surrender enacted  during NDA rule years ago when, our Foreign Minister Major Jaswant Singh escorted  ultras to Kandahar  to  seek the release of hijacked passengers.
2 States,   a similar situation  and how one state acted and another prostrated.
Ofcourse war is not an option . Yudh Koyi Vikalpa Nahin Hai.  But do we need to be  a soft state ?
A  strong message has been delivered .  Why do we feel negative about the act. And  it is the need of the hour . US post 9/11  launched an all out offensive , Israel  always uses this option . Why  are such bogies raised when India  launches counter offensive ? The secular champions,pacificists, environmentalists and human right activists form a neat cartel  during such scenarios.
Why do they forget , Mukti Bahini  and Atalji likened Madam Indira Gandhi to Goddess Durga  or IPKF  or Kargil war?
Collateral damage is inevitable in such situations . We suffer from amnesia and forget  rulers like Ashoka, Pushyamitra Sangha, Krishnadevaraya,Prithviraj Chauhan and Rana Pratap. They took to arms to protect their kingdoms and populace.
More recently the contribution of Netaji Bose who was willing to shake hands with the Fascists or say Hindustan Socialist Republican Association of Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh also chartered  a path  which was not acceptable to the mainstream politics. But it brought an element of urgency and  drama in the freedom  struggle. Ofcourse collateral damage is inevitable.
Post cold war , after the fall of Berlin Wall , with several countries going nuclear , WAR is no option . The  merchants of death (arms manufacturers)  in these times  conveniently supply arms to both the parties( terrorists and countries affected)  to ensure their profitability.
Most importantly the social and economic model  being pursued  has created such fissiparous tendencies that there is a tormentor and a tormented . And both release their angst through violence.
Why does the cartel forget the role of Russia , in its neighborhood  or  the hegemonistic designs of China ?
As a country we  need to be strong and safe.
Regards,

Ravi Valluri  

No comments:

Post a Comment