India's Indira

It were the discussions on TV channels that reminded most people that it has been 25 years since we lost Indira Gandhi-the charismatic leader of Congress party and India’s most widely known prime minister after Nehru. There have been many assessments of her career. The favourable ones mention some of the progressive steps taken under her leadership including nationalization of commercial banks, abolition of privy purses, the decisive victory over arch-rival Pakistan and for providing leadership to the Non-aligned group in international politics. The critical voices justifiably fault her for curbing inner-party democracy, declaring emergency, press censorship, assault on Golden Temple, empty slogans like Garibi Hatao. There is some truth in all these observations.
Indira Gandhi was brought in ironically by the Congress’ old guard who believed they could manipulate her easily. However she proved to be their undoing when she split the party and forced them into oblivion. Her early encounters with such hardened politicians may have made her steely enough not to brook any opposition to her. The way she axed Vasant Sathe, who was gaining popularity as I&B minister in her cabinet was a case in point. Today, the Left parties claim credit for the progressive steps taken by her disregarding the fact that the Congress’ economic policy was anything but Left-of-Centre in that phase. She wooed USSR and annoyed US a lot by giving the same orientation to the foreign policy. The non-aligned group in UN was dismissed by the West as India’s baby despite it being a 118 nations-strong group representing 55% of world’s population. Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Palestine’s Yasser Arafat, Yugoslavia’s Tito & Egypt’s Nasser rubbed shoulders with her at one summit after another. Her frontal attack on the issue of UK-owned Diego Garcia being turned into a US naval base was a constant thorn in West’s flesh. At home, she called the shots in all states and dictated who should be the CM and for how long. Over time, she was surrounded by a coterie restricting access to others. The decisive war against Pakistan brought her a lot of fame. The military gains were largely lost during the Simla summit where Bhutto surprisingly sought the territory captured on the Western Front rather than 80,000 POW in India’s custody. India exploded a nuclear device at Pokhran in 1974 under her leadership that led to sanctions. She was unseated in an electoral malpractice case that led to demand for her govt.’s ouster under the leadership of J.P Narayan. She fought back, declared internal emergency, imposed press censorship, and imprisoned opposition leaders but lost power in an election called 18 months later. This was the darkest phase of her political career. This was the only time I met her in 1978.

Indira Gandhi was determined to prove that she continued to be popular. A South Indian travel group included a visit to her residence in the sight-seeing itinerary for local tourists. I received an invitation to the release of a book on her infamous son, Sanjay Gandhi at her residence and took my wife of less than a year to see her. She adored Indira Gandhi and was sceptical of my claim. We sat under shamiana in the open, some twenty rows away from the dais, which was crowded by the local leaders. The rays from the afternoon sun fell on my wife’s eyes, which she shielded with a brochure. Indira Gandhi strode into the venue briskly, held the book, made some off the cuff remarks, ignored the crowd on the dais and walked back while we stood up. As she passed by our row, she leaned toward my wife and smilingly said, “Aap par to sara waqt dhoop hi padti rahi”. My wife, totally disarmed by her keen observation and unexpected attention, was too dumbfounded to muster even a response.

Indira Gandhi returned to power soon after but the spark was gone. Punjab began to burn with hundreds of Hindus being shot in its fields. Golden Temple became a sanctuary for Sikh terrorists with arms being smuggled in kar seva trucks day in and day out. People who wrote against Bhindrawalan, Lala Jagat Narain of Punjab Kesari for instance, were summarily shot dead by his goons. Senior Akali leaders lay low while a parallel govt. ran from Akal Takht. Finally, Indira Gandhi’s govt. ordered Operation Blue Star to flush out the Sikh terrorists. She paid for it with her life as twp of her own Sikh bodyguards sprayed bullets into her.

Controversies apart, Indira Gandhi was a powerful symbol in her own right. When she assumed power, all men and many women mocked her. ‘Petticoat raj aa gaya hai’ was the popular refrain. But she proved herself superior to most men. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP’s senior leader and later prime minister of India, compared her with Goddess Durga when she won the 1971 war against Pakistan. She was elegant, stylish, aristocratic and sensitive- all at the same time.
R.I.P.

China’s Hindu!

It is October 2, celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti across the country and a national holiday. I opened the daily “The Hindu’ expecting some inspiring and incisive analysis associated with the father of the nation or the principles and policies he enunciated. What I found instead was a banner headline “Tian’anmen showcases rise if China” and a write up by its editor datelined Beijing. More reports and pictures followed inside. Curiously there was not a word of criticism about the blatant display of 50 weapon systems including inter-continental nuclear missiles when the world is seriously concerned with issues of proliferation and universal disarmament. Nor was there any analysis of what it forebodes for us whose borders have lately seen increasing incursions across the northern boundaries. There was verbatim reproduction of what Hu Jintao said about ‘socialism, Marxism, reforms and opening up policy without any analysis of how the disparage elements blend together. It is the only country in the world, which has the temerity not to stamp visas on the passports of Indians belonging to J&K and Arunachal Pradesh but to issue them on loose sheets. In fact it went so far as to protest visits of not just H.H. Dalai Lama but also our prime minister to our own North-Eastern State. While there is no denying the fact that China has recorded spectacular growth, much of it has also been allegedly achieved by denying democratic freedoms and labour rights. Behind the soldiers donning ‘2007-style uniforms’ and marching smartly in Tiananmen square, infamous for suppression of pro-democracy protestors, lies hidden abject poverty and corruption of common man. But even a serious newspaper like ‘The Hindu’ cannot pierce beyond what can be described as the Great Wall of Chinese Opacity and censorship.
Many may argue that it’s nothing to raise eyebrows about considering our neighbour in the north celebrated 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic. I am not sure whether other nations in our neighbourhood, there are half a dozen surrounding us, enjoy the same privilege. ‘The Hindu’ in fact ‘showcases’ everything about China far more enthusiastically than the Chinese themselves, which may explain why its editorial staff is extended Chinese hospitality so frequently and so generously. Its full-length laudatory editorial on Tibet in the past without a word of sympathy for thousands of refugees living in exile across the world would substantiate it. Letters of protest from readers were ignored except one written by Ram Chandra Guha, the noted historian and others, a heavily edited version of which was squeezed into its columns. The intent surely was not to reflect a dissenting opinion but for the sake of record. One could even argue that everything is fine so long development takes place and the standard of life of its 1.3 billion people improves. Should we, then, ban strikes by affluent pilots who report sick make our national airlines lose billions? Should we follow the Chinese example and tame press eulogising foreign governments by publishing the handouts issued by their news agencies more religiously than the handouts of PIB? Let responsible sections of press, like ‘The Hindu’, cover international events freely but in a manner, which is objective rather than subservient

Revisiting Indo-Pak Border

8 August and an evening to spare in Firozepur! There could be nothing better than to rush to Hussainiwala border on the outskirts of the sleepy town. And that is precisely what I did, hiring a Maruti car, which raced to the border in ten minutes. How far is it from the centre of the city? ‘Barely 8 kilometres’, the driver mumbled and led me to the Martyrs’ Samadhi before I could even think about being overcharged for such a small distance. The way to the wall carrying images of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru has been laid out in red stone. It nearly burnt my soles (the shoes are taken off out of reverence!) and I wondered why no one ever had thought of spreading a mat for the visitors. There were many children who chose to splash in the water being filled up in the pond near the statues of the three martyrs whose names have become inextricably interlinked in the annals of our history. The fourth, Batukeshwar Dutt, was acquitted in the infamous Lahore trial and later died in Calcutta in 1964. Alternatively, they rushed to the green lawns below where a Samadhi in black granite stands in memory of Punjab’ Mata- Bhagat Singh’s mother in fulfilment of her last wish. ‘Have the sacrifices of such young men gone in vain’, I wondered, ‘as thoughts about the self-centred, power-hungry politicians invaded my mind. Beyond her Samadhi, there was a row of brick pillars on which Firozepur-Lahore trains used to run in good old days and made the district prosperous. Now it just highlighted the eternal divide.

A five- minute walk takes you to the gate manned by BSF who issue a small paper token allowing you to proceed. There is a notice announcing a ban on cameras, video cameras, mobile phones etc. I am carrying two of the forbidden items so check with the sentry. I am told that I can carry my mobile phone, which wouldn’t work in view of jammers installed at the border and the camera too is fine. The Notice must have been put up before they heard about Google Earth, which makes it unnecessary to shoot pictures of likely targets on the ground and no one ever thought of removing it. I walk for another ten minutes to pass through a tall arch with the four lions visible in the middle. The actual gates are just a little ahead but we are herded in to enclosures on either side- women to the left or men to the right. ‘Why this segregation?’, I felt like asking but the stern demeanour of the burly six feet plus Sikh soldier made me melt away without a whisper. There were the privileged ones who were allowed to drive right to the gate behind us and also to occupy chairs perched on our side. The commoners like me were pushed towards a stair case leading to steps behind.

The heat was unbearable and beads of perspiration kept falling from my chin. I wondered whether the BSF jawans guarding the border were made of better stuff or wore an absorbing fabric. The stands were filling up fast. The Pakistani side had lots of men in long shirts and salwars. Their women sat in a separate enclosure draped in black burqas or ethnic decorative dresses. A woman and her cameraman were shooting the entire sequence with unhindered access. They must be from PTV, I thought. Patriotic music was also being played on their side. I could not restrain myself any longer and asked the BSF officer close by why their speakers are silent. There was a shout for someone who nonchalantly replied that he did not know how to play a tape. Hope he knows how to fire a shot, I thought raising my eyebrows. Nonetheless ‘Chak de India’ did pierce through the silence a little later and I felt better.

The ceremony was a repeat of what I witnessed at Wagah and recounted in the earlier post on my blog. There was lot of stamping of feet by half a dozen men on both sides and long shouts, raising the rifle with a single hand and handing it over to the man standing next. The crowd on both sides was blatantly partial clapping for their own men and derisively laughing at the other. The presence of a couple of East Asian women with covered heads in the front row on Pakistani side and their enthusiastic support for Pakistani rangers was duly noted by the crowd.

As the Sun dipped over the horizon, the soldiers changed sides and brought the two flags down diagonally meeting for a minute at the middle. The symbolism was not lost on me but the crowd did not care and had begun to melt away. As I walked back in the twilight, I noticed barbed wire farther to my right with the flood-lit double-fencing to my left. I asked the BSF guard whether both the security rings belonged to us. He confirmed they did and we were walking between the two.

‘Don’t the Pakistanis need any barrier against us?’

‘What for? He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Who would like to go there?’
***

Redefining BJP

The deliberations in the BJP are becoming murkier with each passing day. The knives are out and senior leaders are raising inconvenient questions. The party did not do as well as expected in the last polls and the PM-designate Advani offered to step down as leader of Opposition. This should not have come as a surprise since Advani had launched a personal campaign of vilification against PM Manmohan Singh calling him ‘weak’, ‘nikamma’ and accused him of having degraded the office as never before by taking commands from elsewhere (read Sonia Gandhi). However, he was persuaded to stay on till the organizational elections were over. The real reason seemed to be that there was no natural successor. Advani acted cleverly and appointed two persons considered close to him- Jaitley as Leader of the Opposition in the upper house and Sushma Swaraj as his deputy in the lower. It meant his continuing hold and appeasement of those wanting younger leaders to take charge to counter the emergence of Rahul and Varun Gandhis on the political horizon. This was resented by senior leaders like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and their likes who felt that those responsible for the party’s poor showing were being rewarded. The target, Arun Jaitley, who was the chief campaigner, remained away enjoying the T 20 World Cup in London.

The opinions about BJP’s poor showing have predictably been varying. Those close to RSS feel that it happened because BJP strayed from the path of Hindutva. The senior leaders mentioned above felt that those who have never won an election (read, Jaitley) called the shots while sitting in Delhi. There were simmering voices criticising the way a negative and personal campaign was carried out by Advani and Modi, which put people off. There is yet another group, led by the party’s chief, which feels that BJP has not done badly at all with its hundred plus strength in Lok Sabha. The party spokespersons have reiterated its position that it would stick to the liberal, tolerant Hindutva as its core ideology.

There lies the problem. Most Hindus do not have a problem with Hindutva but with the brand followed by it. It is neither liberal nor tolerant. BJP has come to be identified with pulling down of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, murderous attacks on Christian churches and missionaries in Orissa and Karnataka, moral policing resulting in assaults on women in Mangalore’s and courting couples on Valentine’s Day across the Hindi heartland. The little men and women owing allegiance to it have even tried to enforce dress codes. These acts are sometimes carried out by little known organizations which mushroom around polls and can be conveniently disowned. So Advani can condemn attacks on women, describe demolition of Babri Masjid as the saddest day of his life, praise Jinnah as a secularist and try to garner votes in the name of Hindutva at the same time. You dissociate yourself from Varun Gandhi’s communal comments and retain him as a candidate. Varun wins his seat but costs BJP many more.

To sum up, the BJP’s Hindutva has never been the tolerant, liberal, all-inclusive faith that Hindus have always prided themselves of and to which its spokespersons allude today. The party has actually brought the great faith into disrepute and disgrace by giving it a dimension akin to Islamic jihad. The trishuls distributed by it to all and sundry misrepresent the essence of Hinduism. Hinduism is all about conquering evil within ourselves. It is about freeing one of opposites in the form of pleasure and pain, success and failure, victory and defeat. It is about controlling our senses, overcoming worldly desires, managing anger lest it cause despair and loss of judgement leading to our ultimate ruin. It is about doing our karma or duty for the larger good of mankind in the name of God without worrying about results. Hinduism is a synonym of compassion and service to mankind. Let BJP return to its fold and see the difference it would make.

Justice for Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi served as the figurehead for Burma's struggle for democracy since 1988, and is one of the world's most renowned freedom fighters and advocates of non-violence. Born on June 19, 1945 to Burma's independence hero, Aung San, Suu Kyi was educated in Burma, was a student at LSR College, University of Delhi, India, and in the United Kingdom. Her father was assassinated when she was only two years old.

In 1988, she returned to Burma to nurse her dying mother, and was plunged into the nationwide uprising that had just begun. Joining the newly-forming National League for Democracy political party, Suu Kyi gave numerous speeches calling for freedom and democracy. The military regime responded to the uprising with brute force, shooting and killing up to 10,000 demonstrators – including students, women, and children – in a matter of months. Unable to maintain its grip on power, the regime was forced to call for a general election in 1990. As Suu Kyi campaigned for the NLD, she and many others were detained by the regime. Despite being held under house arrest, the NLD went on to win a staggering 82% of the seats in parliament. The regime never recognised the results.

Suu Kyi has been in and out of arrest ever since. She was held from 1989-1995, and again from 2000-2002. She was again arrested and placed behind bars in May 2003 after the Depayin massacre, during which up to 100 of her supporters were beaten to death by the regime's cronies. She moved from prison back into house arrest in late 2003 and has been held there ever since. She has won numerous international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament, United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award from India. She has called on people around the world to join the struggle for freedom in Burma, saying "Please use your liberty to promote ours."

What is neighbouring India, which boasts of being the largest democracy and the rest of the world doing to secure justice for her?

Free Aung San Suu Kyi now! Down with Myanmar’s military junta!

Speaking Malayalam-Nursing a Job

Caught speaking Malayalam, Apollo nurses asked to resign. IE, May 26

The news report dealt with how two nurses were asked to resign when they were overheard speaking to each other in their native tongue, Malayalam. It is perfectly common for people belonging to the same community or region to break into their familiar lingo, especially in a different world. It not only gives them a sense of identity but also a collective anonymity, bordering on superiority, as others around them gape at them blankly. This need not always turn into loss of a job unless you are working for Apollo. My senior R. narrated two experiences, which were quite to the contrary.

R. had a deft hand and drew cartoons with a felicity envied by many. His favourite pastime was to ask small children to draw any line and he would turn it into a figure of their choice. S his fame spread, All India Radio hired his services to illustrate Akashvani, its official journal. He rid its contents of drabness over a period of time. As he entered its office on Delhi’s prime location, Parliament Street, to collect a cheque for the services rendered, he found himself facing a lady from his home State, Kerala. I must add here that R. had grown long hair, which were quite a rage then, and spoke chaste Hindi. His features too did not betray his roots and he was often mistaken to be from the Hindi heartland.

The lady was quite justified when she said to him, ‘Kahiye?’

‘Ji, mujhe apna cheque lena hai’, Rajan explained.

He was offered a seat and asked to wait after he had provided relevant information. Then dropped the bombshell. The lady pretended to be absorbed in work, switched to Malayalam and called out the name of a colleague seated in the same room and said to her, ‘Have you seen this joker sitting before me?’

Rajan got a jolt but composed himself and kept looking around blankly.

‘Why? What is special about him”, the other lady enquired.

‘Jesus! Look at his hair. And he must be thinking he is looking very smart”

“Why is he here?”

‘For money. But he should be given scissors in lieu of that!’

Thankfully the cheque arrived by then and Rajan signed a register to get it. Having collected it, he turned to the lady smilingly and asked in chaste Hindi, ‘Aap ko mere baal pasand nahin aaye?

The other incident was quite hilarious. On a visit to a ward in Willington Hospital in New Delhi, he discovered that the patient he was looking for was not to be found on the allotted bed. A little concerned, he rushed to the nursing station where the petite Malayali girl was on the intercom. ‘Ek minute’, she said to which Rajan responded with a nod. And then she went on uttering choicest obscenities in Malayalam, which brought beads of perspiration on R.’s forehead in winter. When she hung up after what seemed to be eternity and asked my friend, ‘Bolo’, Rajan asked gleefully about the missing patient but in Malayalam. The nurse turned pale, vanished from the scene and sent someone else to answer the query.

Better than losing a job, anyway!

Destination Australia!

Incidents involving mugging and stabbing of Indian students in Australia, especially in Victoria, are a matter of grave concern. Many Indians have been robbed in the past but the increasing numbers of students- estimates vary between 1 to 1.5 lacs- have led to racist attacks bordering on culpable homicide to attempted murder. The frequency of vicious assaults on those who have legally sought admission there and are shelling out hefty fees averaging 2 lacs in Indian rupees have caught everyone’s attention. Routine diplomatic steps like summoning the Aussie envoy in New Delhi and phone calls by PM to his counterpart raised some hope that the matter will be resolved. However, excessive use of force by the police on Indian protestors on a sit-in shows that racism pervades even the police force there.

What should India do? India should take steps that hurt Australia. They can't make money from our students and then stab them with screwdrivers or hurl petrol bombs at them. Indian govt. should issue an advisory against travel to that country, whether for study or for tourism. Once billions of dollars, which are being earned by Australian educational and travel industry, go away, their government would understand that racism against Indians cannot be taken lightly. Banks should refuse study loans if the destination is Australia. We should derecognize Australian degrees unless those holding them clear equivalence tests here in India.

It is a pity that our students are forced to study abroad. This is largely due to reckless introduction of reservation in admissions as well as teaching. Though advocates of social justice refuse to accept it, yet merit surely takes a backseat. The admission opportunities to quality technical institutes in India must be increased. This could be done by introducing paid seats in elite institutions and the money thus raised can be used to set up more facilities here. In short, stop patronising foreign universities and improve educational infrastructure here. With stringent regulation by UGC and AITEC, it should be possible to open private universities and provide educational avenues to those who have the means to pay for them.