Warmongers Advani will let us down

We as a nation have a dream to become the permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and join the club of Big Five. But at the same time our BJP rulers have desire to start and win a war against Pakistan before February state elections? Why the hawkish Advani and the Bharti Janta have two conflicting targets.?

It is important for us to do some introspection and consider why we have quarrels with all our neighbors, why we have so few friends and why we annoy as many as we do.

If the Indian Government were asked to count how many friends it has, it would be hard put to number many.

It cannot be that the whole world is wrong. There must be something that we ourselves are doing wrong – our Kashmir policy and growing friendship with Israel to name few.

If India were to move a resolution to declare Pakistan a terrorist state, how many would side with us? Let us be clear, when it comes to the reality, we have few supporters.

That is so because we are dirty – dirty the way we run our politics and dirty the way we run our diplomatic relations.

Our claim for Security Council seat is like that of a man who pleaded clemency on the grounds of being an orphan – after killing both parents.

We pride ourselves on our democracy, expect that our much-tattered brand of democracy will cover a multitude of sins. It is time we disillusion ourselves.

India’s political leadership appears to be virtually unanimous on a policy of confrontation with Pakistan.

International opinion appears to be equally unanimous that we compromise with Pakistan. Politics being the art of the possible, our Government should consider carefully whether it is feasible to reject world opinion and take on Pakistan.

“If you have to lick someone, lick him good the first time, so you don’t have to lick him a second time,” goes an American adage. We could have licked Pakistan good in 1965; we couldn’t. With less probability, we could have tried in 1971. We didn’t. Can we lick them good in 2001 knowing their nuclear edge?

If we cannot, is it worth starting a war with them?

Chairman Mao used to advise that one should not attack except with ten to one superiority. He was a great military strategist; his opinion should be treated with respect.

We had better not be like ‘Abhimanyu’ who knew how to get into a battle but not how to get out of it.

If the BJP thinks it is the only way to stay in power, it is most welcome to start a fight, whether physical or verbal, provided it is sure it knows how to get out of it – unscathed – after UP elections.

One wonders therefore who poses us the greater threat – Pakistan or our own political mess?