India’s attempt for hegemony

Columnist ALI ASHRAF KHAN writes about India’s attempt for dominating the region.

It may sound preposterous to comment on the unprecedented hike in the defence spending of India as they are a sovereign country to do whatever they like with their masses, 40% of whom are living below the poverty line, yet in today’s world wherein the distances have come closer, the world can not remain oblivious of what is happening far away, more so, the close neighbour.

This unprecedented hike is a part of a policy of hegemony in the region, on the crest of which, Bharatiya Jantadal Party has risen to power. Instead of preventing a constitutional programme for the nation and to alleviate the poverty of the masses, the political expediency has led BJP leaders to fan hatred against Pakistan and subjugate economically and militarily the SAARC countries. India have already annexed Goa a Portuguese territory, Chander Nagar a French town and Sikim an Independent country in the north of India. Bangladesh, already owe their existence to India. Pakistan is the only country, which has challenged Indian hegemony and does not bow down before the Hindu militancy who claims to avenge the 1000 years of Muslim rule in 1971.

On the international level, such a policy will land India to a point where they will boil in their own soup. At the moment America needs a powerful ally in the East, as a bulwark against the rising power of China and also Russia and according to American estimation it is India. Government irrespective of the masses of India who have to pay through their nose to keep the rulers in power, the tiller of the soil in Travancore in the south and Nagaland in the east is least interested in Kashmir, as a matter of fact the eastern part of India is fighting for its succession from India. In such a situation it will only be the American hegemony and not the popular vote of Indians which will keep BJP in power.

The 28% hike in the Indian defence budget is only to cover the Indian debacle in Kargil. It can very well be imagined what is going to be the fate of Indian masses in the face of a fullscale nuclear war. The demand in the defence budget may be 2000% hike. Can any nation face it? India has to select between the rule of the ‘shamshan’ and service of motherland that they call Bharat Matta.

Fundamentalism is an anathema to Western politicians, yet it is a pity that it is not discernible to Americans political eye, in their effort to instal their policeman in the East. Hindu-Muslim riots, razing of Babari Mosque and building of Ram Mandir on its site, killing of Christians in Orissa and Rajihstan should be an eye opener to those who still think India to be a secular state, yes, according to their constitution, they are secular but in practice they are the worst kind of fundamentalist on earth, they are still amenable to the American foreign policy.

History has proved that no one is friend to anybody unless the country’s interests are served diplomatically. Mr. Jaswant Singh may be a very successful foreign minister at the moment, but once the American interest is served Mr. Jaswant Singh will be replaced by a more plausible candidate, this is how the diplomacy runs. American support to BJP and Atal Bihari Vajpayee is only going to last so long as the threat from China and Russia lasts and India is able to project American interest in the East, the fate of Shah of Iran should serve as an eye opener for the students of politics, the man who was American policeman in the East, for more than four decades could not claim even a couple of yards of land for his grave, he was not allowed to live on the American soil, even for the sake of surgical operation for his cancer!

The programme for good governance is not political hegemony for the ruling junta but two square meal, sound health care and education for the suffering humanity in the motherland, India would be better advised to reframe their policies accordingly instead of aiming at the destruction of Pakistan whom they will not find a piece of cake to swallow. India may boost an army of one million soldiers but with the spirit of Jihad Pakistan has hundred and forty million fighters who will be prepared to lay their lives as they did in the Jang-e-Badar fighting against a much larger number of Kufars and create a history of fight against the forces of evil, even after 50 years India has not been able to conquer the spirit of Kashmirs and they will never be able to conquer the spirit of Musalmans in Asia till hell freezes.

The very fact that the Indian Prime Minister is not prepared to sit around a table to discuss the disputes and irritants between the two countries, is enough to prove India’s policy of peace or war. The man who rode the bus into Pakistan in February 1999 and paid a visit to Minar-e-Pakistan is now on record to have said that he does not recognize Pakistan and partition of Indian sub-continent, this is not the way of international diplomacy. Pakistan has come to stay and men like Vajpayee cannot undo it, his slogan can only give him the Prime Ministers chair and no more than that. Millions and millions of innocent Indians will only perish in the efforts of Mr. Vajpayee to wipe out the Musalmans from South Asia, at least this is their manifest and it is hoped that Mr. Clinton also knows it.

Let India not act as a rogue country which will be a slur on the fair name of the Indians whose constitution is secular and creed is non-violence as sermoned by no less a person than the father of the Indian nation Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.