Earlier, Indira Gandhi's father, our very own Chacha Nehru had raised the slogan of "Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai". His guru's ideals of ahimsa and universal brotherhood made him reach out to the Chinese going more than half way to meet them. It was another matter that the Chinese did not harbour any such brotherly affection for us. They stunned Nehru and India by the 1962 war in which they inflicted a humiliating defeat on India. Nehru's idealism derived from Bapu made him incapable of perceiving China as a potential threat given its geo-political ambitions and natural rivalry with India.
Years later, another prime minister displayed similar tendencies. Interestingly, he was not a Congressman. In fact, he was schooled in the strident Hindutva ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — Atal Behari Vajpayee. Incidentally, when Nehru first heard a fiery young Vajpayee speak in the Lok Sabha, he had predicted that he will become the prime minister of India one day! Vajpayee was seen to be a moderate by people cutting across the political spectrum. Govindacharya even famously referred to him as a "mukhauta", a mask, once when he first came within striking distance of the PM's gaddi. The poor party ideologue had to pay for it politically because he was completely sidelined and shunned after that off-the-cuff remark.
Any way, Vajpayee also displayed the same tendency towards ahimsa that sycophantic Congressman always did. He undertook the famous bus journey to Lahore and hugged a reticent Nawaz Sharif who hardly seemed warm and friendly when he received him. And, what is worse, while all this pappi-jhappi was on, Pakistan's army general, Pervez Musharraf was busy planning the Kargil incursion. In fact, he refused to show up at Lahore along with the air force and navy chiefs saying he did not wish to be seen saluting the prime minister of an enemy nation. Vajpayee, on the other hand, went to town displaying his oratorial skills to the Pakistani elite and making symbolic gestures that had little meaning in real politik after more than 50 years that Pakistan had been in existence.
Not only did the Pakistani army infiltrate into Kargil in Kashmir, but later, during Vajpayee's tenure as the PM of India, Pakistani terrorists even attacked the Indian parliament. And, what happened as a consequence? What did India do? Did it make Pakistan pay for it? Did it put the fear of the devil in the hearts of its leaders? Beyond all the sabre-rattling and an unprecedented military buildup alongside the border adjoining Pakistan, what did India do? It turned out to be just another bark. There was no bite in it! Pakistan did not feel any pain. They got away scot-free, yet again. Is it any wonder they refer to India as "Banyaon ka mulk"? Does it surprise you that they have the cheek to ask, "Woh hamara kya ukhad lenge"?
*** to be continued
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