"Chinese transgress into Sikkim again" headlined Rediff. "After Pranab visit, another Chinese violation in Finger Area" screamed the Indian Express.
The headlines themselves predict a pattern. Not of the Chinese but the Indian government. Inept, spineless, risk averse bunch of wusses. And mind you, this character is taken on by any and every party that comes to power in New Delhi. Be it the BJP, the Congress or the third front, they all wear bangles and sport around in skirts when it comes to China.
The Chinese are more than aware of it. And like the big bear licking its fingers dipped in honey, the chinese keep coming for more and India and its leadership obliges every time.
Any student of history would recall Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler's Germany. Hoping the problem would go away if they closed their eyes, the British buried their head in the sand wishing the ghost of Nazism would disappear. By the time Britain realized its mistake, Germany was well on its way toward total domination of mainland western Europe.
As Churchill once said "A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it" fits India beautifully. We never learn from our own history nor do we learn from world history. Thus we are doomed to repeating it and paying a very heavy price.
We have no dearth of leaders who are scholars. All of them can quote historical events even in their sleep. So, awareness is not the issue. Its application of that awareness.
A leadership that is risk averse is doomed to failing its people. India's leaders have failed her people time and again when asked to act and call the Chinese bluff. But they wont. They cant.
The tiger is too terrified of the Dragon. Lest it offends its northern neighbor, India desists from even using strong language leave alone force.
Everytime a news item like this one breaks, its the victim (India) which tries to downplay the news instead of the aggressor. This is so unusual. The guy who gets beaten up grimaces in pain but would not scream, lest it offends the ears of the aggressor.
Advice to the Chinese - please for heavens sake make more border violations. Why, take a whole battalion for a walk across the border. Do some shopping (duty free ofcourse) and on the way back send post cards from Sikkim to your party bosses.
4 comments:
I feel that the point of India downplaying the episode is bad but we never know what is happening in the background. Since I don't know much on this subject I will stop here.
Do you have a soft copy of the book "Engaging India" ... I would like to read it before deciding to procure a paper-back of the same.
yes I do have the book. i found it very interesting. I would recommend it.
You could borrow it from a local library before you buy it.
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