India

I just saw Shashi Tharoor’s talk at TED India and it set me thinking on a host of issues. In the talk, Tharoor, who is, or rather was, Minister of State for External Affairs, talks of how India’s ‘soft power’ is being projected all over the world. One particular example that struck me was the popularity of the daily soap ‘Kyunki Saas bhi Kabhi Bahu thi’  in Afghanistan where marriages are ‘paused’ so that the guests and maybe even the bride and groom, can cluster around a TV to watch the serial. He goes on to say how Indian restaurants in Britain are employing more people than the coal mining industry , the iron and steel industry and the shipping industry put together. Good. Excellent. We are all too familiar with the India-is-going-to-be-the-next-superpower story and the enormous hype behind it, not to mention the wishful thinking. Tharoor, in his talk argues that in the long run it’s not the size of the army that matters as much as a country’s ability to influence the world’s hearts and minds. Lets stop and reflect for a moment here. Does America’s lone superpower status come solely from its ‘softpower’ ? Or does it come from a combination of ‘softpower’, economic muscle and the ability to deliver a withering military response to any foolish misadventures of hostile nations ?

I remember reading a graphic biography of Chanakya (Amar Chitra Katha) and ever since, have been in awe of his genius and statesmanship. He was the author of a treatise  on politics (Neetishastra) in which he says that if a kingdom wants peace with its neighbours, it must be prepared for war. This statement holds much water even in today’s globalised world. Only, the definition of war has changed. War can now be waged with tools of commerce, with cyber attacks and in perhaps many other ways. that I do not understand. Chanakya, was perhaps one of the earliest people who understood why India’s neighbourhood needed to be stabilised for it to have internal security. I digress. To come back to the point, India relies far too much on its projection of ‘softpower’. We have invested more than a billion dollars in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, but are extremely reluctant to station troops to protect what we are building and the people who are helping in the effort. India, simply cannot afford to indulge in this kind of charity.

Recently, I was quite surprised to learn  that nearly 4000, yes, FOUR THOUSAND Indians are working in Afghanistan on construction projects, as medical personnel,as teachers and many other capacities, some of whom have died in terrorist attacks. This targeting of Indians is absolutely unacceptable. Why do we send these people there if we cannot ensure their security ? These engineers,doctors, teachers and other workers are principally responsible for the goodwill, that India enjoys today among the Afghan people. Apparently, Kabul has electricity supply because Indian engineers risked their lives supervising the construction of the grid. There are no prizes for guessing who will enjoy the benefits of that powergrid if we end up withdrawing from Afghanistan.

If Pakistan succeeds in orchestrating a second coming of the Taliban in Kabul, India might as well say goodbye to the idea of a peaceful Kashmir (the moth-eaten part that is still Indian). Subsequent Indian withdrawal will also be interpreted as an acceptance of defeat and the emboldened terrorists will proceed to attack our financial and economic centres, which will be catastropic to say the least.In that case,we should prepare to bid farewell to the high growth rates that are needed to lift nearly half of our population out of poverty.

Clearly, Afghanistan will be the launchpad for the next phase of the ‘Bleed India with a thousand cuts’ strategy that Pakistan has followed for nearly two decades.Afterall, Pakistan seeks ‘strategic depth’ in Afghanistan only to counter India. Unfortunatley, we have no leverage with Pakistan to force an end to to its sponsorship of  terrorism. So, we must bring about a situation where such leverage is present.

1) India must support the right to self determination of the people in Balochistan. Pakistan will then have to decide whether it will divert resources to prevent another partition, or to continue sponsoring cross-border terrorism.

2) Fence the border securely and enghance patrolling. The next time there is a Kargil-type incursion happening, the armed forces should know of it first, not shepherds.

3) Station attack corps such that they can move quickly to the border if the situation so demands. Develop border infrastructure to facilitate swift movement of troops and artillery. We dont need another mobilisation fiasco like operation parakram.

4) Indian goods should undercut Pakistani goods in every market. Even hardcore jehadis need money to buy guns and bombs.

5) A strong intelligence network must be nurtured which will allow us to play havoc with the Karachi stock market if we choose to do so.

Lets face the facts, a weak Pakistan is very much in our interest. For three decades after the liberation of Bangladesh, Pakistan was weak enough to not bother India. At the same time, we should try everything we can to enhance good relations with other neighbours like Sri Lanka and Nepal. Two hostile neighbours is more than enough. It is to the distinct advantage of the big power nations to preserve Indo-Pak balance of power and it is high time India looks out for its own interests. Peace is what is ultimately desired and we’ve tried enough times to achieve peace without bloodshed. If it takes war to achieve lasting peace, so be it.

If you would like to read the Amar Chitra Katha comic on Chanakya, click here.