Modi's Diplatomic Bomb

Modi’s Diplatomic Bomb

Modi has done it again ! He  has dropped a diplomatic –rather a diplatomic – bomb with a surprise “pitstop” teatime visit to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. With this one unprecedented  step he may scored many successes.

It is possible that Modi  has disarmed Pakistan without firing a shot.

He has opened  a new path towards peace for India and Pakistan.

He has protected the interests of peace  of not only the region but the world which has been worried about the state of Indo-Pak relations.   USA, im particular, may breathe easier.

On the domestic front he has better secured his political station leaving the opposition, mainly the Congress, making voiceless noises.

Modi has shown that democracy is not sustained by a babble of discordant noises but by leaders with statesmanship which is the courage to see reality,forget or forgive and step into the future.

It would be unreal to believe that the Lahore visit was an impulsive,last-minute decision given the huge security concerns associated with it. The fact remains that it did happen and it went well. The major significance of the visit is that the army  was consulted and there was ready agreement or that Nawaz Sharif has control of the army. I think it is the former as the Asmy is also eager to find an honourable exit from the need to constantly assert its readiness to face the Indian army while at the same time dealing with their north-western region. The NSA’s also deserve credit for their fruitful Bangkok meeting.

There is now better prospect of a more open dialogue in which real concerns on both sides can be addressed. It is also possible to resume discussions on both Kashmirs to really arrive at an understanding on whether India and Pakistan are holding on to unwilling “hostages“ by right  or might and how it can be resolved for ever.

Indo-Pak relations have become a matter of international concern for geo-political and military reasons. The Lahore visit will serve to offer many world leaders better sleep.USA in particular has reason to rejoice as they would  have less of a  tight-rope to walk on if there is greater understanding between I ndia and Pakistan..

Reaction in India has been on predictable lines. BJP and Congress, equally ignorant of the innermost details of the Lahore visit, have, nevertheless, been equally strident in their support and criticism. BJP has hailed Modi for his master-stroke while Congress spokesmen have raised questions which border on the amusing.

Congress has attacked Modi’s style as a violation of the rules of diplomacy.They have said that  Modi was taking international relations too lightly and as a matter  of personal rather than of national interest. The secrecy of Modi’s recent travel plan was another irritant for Congress who wish Modi had taken  the nation into confidence. They also saw no consistency in his foreign policy.

What strikes one about the objections raised by Congrss is their sense of being left out. They do not seem to have got used to being out of power and others taking major decisions on their own.

Except for the various conventions intended to regulate behavior in international relations there are no other rules that bind successive governments of a nation  to a single code or policy in its foreign affairs. The government in  power sets its own course and follows it as it deems fit. There is nothing to say that the oppostition has to be given a running commentary on every ongoing exploratory  process until a decisive stage has been reached when the information would be shared. With the present trust deficit that exists between the government and the main opposition the latter should not expect any consultation except what is mandatory. This will remain so till the two sides realise the futility of the present stand-off and Congress returns to sobriety in Parliament.

As for secrecy in the recent Lahore visit that is understandable in the context of heavy security concerns. Congress should easily understand this and also acknowledge that the visit was a notable step forward in putting some salutary pressure on Pakistan.

Th Congress charge that Modi took international relations lightly is baseless. That is one area in which Modi has made unprecedented progress. Hr has  established himself among the largest group of world leaders and as a pivotal figure in east-west relations. Outstanding as this achievement is, he should now start concentrating on implementing his many plans  that touch the lives of the aam aadmi. The half-way mark of his term in November 2016 is a milestone he should take note of as that is when a notional countdown begins towards the next election. It is essential that there are visible signs of change on the ground during this period.

Modi’s  Lahore visit has immense significance.  I strongly believe that, as a strategy, it has the power to take Indo-Pak relations  many steps forward and for the moment one has to wait and watch the future with optimism.

No Price for Valour

No Price for Valour

The unpredictable has happened and the PM’s surprise hop-over to Lahore for a meeting with Nawaz Sharif has created mayhem among th media, their consultants from various backgrounds including those retired from the services and , of course, the political parties. The discussions on TV have already thrown up  questions on the  wisdom , the ethics and the impact of the visit on the “martyred” members of the srmed forces and their families.

I am least bothered about the disagreement and the vituperative cross-talk that will inevitably take place bewtwen BJP and Congress. One can safely ignore it as the unreasoned, impulsive and mindless  reaction of  two sides who have certain political compulsions.

I do, however, wish to comment on the repeated references by mdia persons and some of their advisers about the disregard the PM’s Lahore visit shows for the war veterans and the families of thos who were killed in action in direct and indirect conflicts with Pakistan.

Those who pursue this seeming demand for emotional justice are casting a slur on the ex-servicemen and the those who lost their lives in action by placing a price on their valour and their honour. I do not think a single serviceman would expect this kind of shaded sympathy.

Our defence forces are composed fully of volunteers who have joined up because of thei spirit of adventure to start with fortified by a resolve to do something which directly serves the nation. It is not as if they do not see the possibilityof physical danger and of loss of life. That is the difference between those  brave men and their equally brave families and the likes of us who choose to stay behind nad gloat over our totally misplaced sympathetic observations.

Now, leaving out the peronal aspect of this delicate issue the question of the PM’s Lahore visit impacting the sentiment of the war veterans and those deprived by war or conflict is  totally out of place. The visit, rightly or wrongly as time may prove, is a matter of higher diplomacy between nations and pursued in the belief that this could be a major step in resolving a huge problem dogging two nations. To accept the question raised about sentiment is to say that there should be no attempt at a peaceful resolution of a disagreement and that the two nations should honour the war-dead by continuing to remain in a state of perpetual conflict. Not a single man or woman in military uniform, alive or dead, would wish this demand attributed to them.

Raksha Mantri to Note

I was appalled  listening to a  Rajya Sabha MP from Tamilnad making a pitch for liberal financial assistance from the Centre for flood relief. In his lecture he:: :

decried the lack of swift response from the central organisations while the people struggled helplessly

condemned the cosmetic nature of whatever relief operations wer carried out

condemned the delayed and inadequate service of the three defence services

declared that while all three services had a presence in Chennai with all heavy equipment required relief work  started only days later after  more men and equipment came from outside.

The MP with academic honorifics adorning his name should have known that the three services were in action within 24 hours which was  many a  day before  his ilk deigned to get their toes wet. There is enough TV footage to show the elected representatives shutting their car doors on TV reporters or duckng for cover  in the safety of their homes when approached by the media. . The public joined the Services in a show of solidarity to work ceaselessly to handle the emergencies.The MP’s, particularly the Congress ones, were, of course, busy stalling parliament  He should also have known that the presence of the three services in Chennai is not really for compensating for the inadequacies of the local administration but for other legitimate duties from which, they are constantly diverted to b

bolster the civil administration –which, incidentally is turning out to be a thankless job.

I hope the Raksha Mantri will raise his voice against this kind of callous, uninformed  remarks devoid of grace and gratitude.

Party vs Nation

The afternoon session of Rajya Sabha yesterday,21st Dec, saw the Congress party plumbing the depths of narrow and petty party politics in defiance of national interest and  feeling about the Nirbhaya case.

It so happened that in the two hours set apart for government business yesterday Congress condescended, after shameless bargaining, to pass two Bills without discussion. This meant that there was still much time left which could be used for pending legislative work, mainly Juvenile Justice Act amendment over which Nirbhaya’s family and supporters were  on a dharna outside Parliament.

This matter was raised by government but the Congress opposition led by a light-hearted Ghulam Nabi Azad and a smirking Anand Sharma asked that they be rewarded for agreeing to pass the earlier Bills in just a few minutes. They preferred to take up general discussion on Intolerance, Chennai floods etc. rather than the JJ Act which could wait until the next day. No amount of pleading from the government side succeeded and the government had to defer.

What was incredible was the levity with  which the Congress leaders  dealt with the whole session, almost gloating over their obstructive power to have their way. Their interest seemed to be to protect their ego and win political points rather than make up for time   they had cost for parliament in the preceding weeks.

Having known no other party other than Congress in my growing years and venerated the leaders of those days I am appalled at the present state of that party and its leadership. I begin to wonder whether INC still stands for INDIAN National Congress ! 

MP's - Make'em Pay

Another disastrous session of Parliament has ended with less than 50% capacity utilised and another three or four hundred crores of taxpayers’ money wantonly squandered. If it is not one party it is another engaging in rowdy behaviour  while mouthing inanities about democratic right to protest -  and all this not even a week after praising Babasaheb Ambedkar and the sanctity of the Constitution ! Leaders have become as delinquent as the led !

Defying the Chair and violating rules of the Parliament made under the Constitution have become routine and to some extent the presiding officers have to take the blame for this. Over a period of years the Chair has become “One of Them” and consensus even about disciplinary matters has become the norm.

Rajya Sabha, in particular, has seen more disruptions with one of the leading presiding officers  facing goon-like demonstrations with hands joined in a permanent namasthe pleading for order or sitting with his head resting in his hands and muttering “What can I do ?” The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has shown much greater firmness and even suspended offending MP’s. As a result Lok Sabha has been more productive.

The MP’s have become complacent with their power to overwhelm by force and then condone it themselves. It is time to rein them in as rules made until now were made on the assumption that the elected representatives would be persons with a sense of responsibility  and feelings for their constituency and the nation. That assumption is now in question.

There was this shameful sight of the Parliament losing a session for lack of quorum. It was also unacceptable that towards the end of last week many MP’s wished to curtail the session to enable them to catch the early evening flights home. Not for a moment did they think of the hours lost in wanton behaviour.

The time has come for the people to remind the MP’s that they are accountable to the people and NOT vice versa as one would think from the MPs’ demands for greater compensation in cash and privileges. These will  only serve to put more distance between them and the people they represent.

CON-gress,Not PRO-gress

CON-gress, not PRO-gress !

There ws a spark of hope when, as I have been hoping  and arguing for for weeks , the PM met with Soniaji and Manmohan Singhji and appeared to have agreed on moving ahead with essential legislative business. Thereafter followed Constitution Day, a couple of days of praises for Dr.Ambedkar and unanimous re-affirmation of  allegiance to the Constitution.

All the above have now turned out to be platitudes and rituals and confirmation that politicians will be politicians! When parliament resumed its normal work last week  the Chennai disaster occupied most of the time in both Houses.

The Home Minister was to reply to the discussion  in Rajya Sabha when, out of the blue, MP Mishra saw Gen VK Singh in the treasury benches and exploded into a tirade against Singh, Mishra demanded  Singh’s immediate ouster from the House citing his disloyalty to the Constitution by his utterance a few weeks ago with some canine connotations. A few others joined him despite the Dy.Chairman, as usual at his  pathetic, humble best, confessing that he had no power to evict Singh who was in the House by constitutional right as a minister. Of course, there was the now customary storming of the well and shouting of slogans. The House was adjourned a couple of tims for fifteen minutes each time which was a pointless exercise.

The House resumed with the LoP, Ghulam Nabi Azad, being allowed to recite his piece in which he recalled the recent re-affirmation.However, after that he also went on to question Gen Singh’s presence in the House and supported Mishra..

The Congress has  threatened to disrupt Rajya Sabha if Gen Singh is not sacked from the Council of Ministers. In fact it has gone beyond that an d undone all that we thought was agreed at the “summit”. Azad has declared that they would not support GST until the government gave Congress a “categorical” assurance on “all legislative matters” So much for all the time spent on the sanctity of the  Constitution ! This is nothing short of blackmail  and the sacrifice of national lnterest.  The Constitution now exists as a plaything to be toyed with at the pleasure of the politicians as parties have consistently  violated its provisions which prescribe procedures covering  all possible situations that might arise in Parliament including the Singh episode. 

I consider this most recent incident as a failure of party leadership. On the one side the members of the ruling party  have committed irresponsible indiscretions and gone unchecked while, on the other, the main opposition, Congress, has continued to use its  obstructive strength as a form of blackmail. They have deliberately ignored that they are themselves defying the Constitution within days of all the lofty speeches made in Parliament which now seem to have been mere sanctimonious utterances. 

It is time that PM Modiji and Congress Prresident  Soniaji came to a durable  agreement that national interests will over-ride narrow party ends and personal egoes.This is a golden opportunity for Soniaji to assert the superiority of her Indian-ness to that of some others in her flock who would rather flaunt their unthinking pursuit of party interests.  The message of the agreement has then to go down the line to every member with the knowledge that breaking this agreement will cost him or her dear.