Remembering Nehru

One of the books I enjoyd reading was "Discovery of India" by Nehru. He wrote most of it in prison and gives an insight into his mind at a time he was not in power. Educated in Europe, he saw WW-II at close hand and spent lots of time in educating himself in Sate Craft, a capability that he cannot be denied. In the post clonial era, he was one of the best leaders amongst the rapidly rising like Nasser, Castro, Nikruma, Kanyatta et al who all became dictators. His strenght was that he was also a democrat who united the diversified India. Though, there are many who admire him, I will tend to be neutral with a slight bias towads Pakistan.

One of his lasting contribution was tp lower the order of precedence of the Armed Forces, thereby marginalising their role in politics and preventing them from becoming praetorian.

Manu Simitri
In Arthashastra of Kautylia it enjoined upon the kings of India not to meddle with the affairs of other countries. This augers well as a religious sanction of non-interference. Nehru was at pains to elucidate this concept in term of peaceful co-existence.; He explained that India had a remarkable capacity to absorb outside influences, due to a spiritual attitude that tries to understand and accommodate different religious, ideological, socio-polotico and economic systems, and refuses a military solution. Thus the historical explanation was that the Indian society had an in-built internal capacity for peaceful co-existence. Once this capacity could be externalised it became non alignment, non interference, peaceful co-existence, and a homage to Gandhian non violence. It also satisfied Nehru’s argument ’that external affairs will follow internal affairs’. How many neighbours feel at peace?

Panchseel
It could be argued that Panchsheel materialised due to two reasons. First, India saw Pakistan’s alliance with USA as an affront to its declared intent of avoiding great power rivalry in South Asia and secondly, to circumvent Pakistan in Kashmir and Northern Areas by a friendly China, the Middle Power in the Mandala. Considering that the middle power shared common borders with both India and Pakistan, this alliance by its character was not to be permanent, as the neighbour could always become the enemy. Thus Panchsheel was not only an exploitation of the Middle State wherein Pakistan’s rear was effectively challenged by Afghanistan and now China in the Kautilyan style, it was also a cleverly disguised Pacifist Buddhist tradition and all that the Gandhi school stood for. This argument is strengthened by the Times which commented,

"Stripped of its aspirations and noble sentiments for Asia and the world at large, the Indian foreign policy amounts to little more than the containment of Pakistan. In this task, India has precise aims and they are vigorously pursued. Positions are tenaciously held as in Kashmir and at all times’ policy in relation to Pakistan has had backing of forces and has been quick to recognise and react to the force that might be used against it. In contrast to this precise concern with Indian interest the five principles of coexistence or the cherishing of fellow neutralists, the expanding area of peace or arguments over the lessening of tension are no more than expressions of a moral attitude, inherent in the Indian Tradition." though not practice.

Tibet
The most unfortunate sacrificial lamb at the altar of this expression was the Buddhist Tibet, and the very people from whom the expression of panchsheeI had been borrowed. Feeling protected by the massive Himalayas India was treacherous to endorse the Chinese claim on Tibet. This was a classic example where India put the Kautilyan methods of foreign policy to full test i.e. peace with China projected threat of force to Pakistan and policies viz. a viz. China, Pakistan and Tibet, and placating China with the gift of Tibet in retorn for silence of Kashmir (Askai Chin-Laddakh)

Secularism
Three factors seem to have affected Nehru secularism. First, his Western education outlook, secondly his vision of a Great India which could only be integrated by secularism as per Kautilyan thought, and thirdly because he himself was a Kashmiri Brahman. Nehru perceived a secular India as one of his most enduring accomplishments. However, deep within, Nehru remained an avowed Brahman. He once committed "A Brahman I was born and a Brahman I seem to remain". On another occasion,

"behind me lie in the sub conscious racial memories of a hundred generation of Brahmans".not once did Nehru cite as the finest example of secularism, the Mogul Emperor Akbar, who made a concerted effort to unite Hindus and Muslims during his reign."

Kashmir
Just as Tibet was the cost of Nehru’s Panchsheel, the mountain state of Kashmir was the offering for Nehru’s secularism and his biases. It is on record that it were the orthodox Hindus Like Rajagopalchari and Sardar Patel who first accepted-the idea of Pakistan.
Nehru desired Kashmir because of his special love for her as a Kashmiri Brahman but also, he said, because it could be a show piece for proving that Hindus and Muslims could live together in peace in secular India.Commenting on strong predisposition on Kashmir Prime Minster Attee considered Kashmir a blind spot of a great statesman.

Fabian Socialism
It cost India in the form of poverty, drought, redundant technolgies and marginalisation of the Civil Society. It was the Rajiv-Man Mohan team that brought in economic reforms and India woke from its slumber. Nehru sponsored industries are mere junkyards like the Bombay Dockyards, LCA, Arjun Tank Project.

Cheerios