POLITICS

This is History (799)

With increasing age, dullness of mind and heart sets in.

Rahul to deal saboteurs with iron hand

Speech of Congress President in Ahmadabad is an indication that Rahul would deal with saboteurs in the party with iron hand. He threatened to punish those who had worked against party interests in the recent Gujarat elections.

UP results to decide fate of BJP at the centre ?

People say Gujarat election is an eye-opener for the BJP. They say only UP will decide the fate of the BJP at the centre.

Foreign Policy

My Friend who works for a Foreign Policy Think Tank meets me at a South Indian Restaurant in Janpath and over mini idlis dipped in sambar..mysore pak and frothy filter coffees we get chatting.

Friend: India is doing marvellously well on the Foreign Policy front... but this Government prefers to underplay its achievements...

Me: Expound please..

F: Like take the Dhoklam standoff... from kidish days of the past India came out as a Man. Cornered The Dragon in a sector where India was at a military advantage.  The Chinese mock warfare of making an adversary buckle down by just taking a war like position flopped with us. China issued threat after threat and India just kept mum and held on to its position. And ultimately the froth that China created settled down and India emerged as the stronger, more responsible and more mature Nation..

M: But sadly our RaGa played a very negative role by meeting the Chinese Ambassador at a time when the standoff was at its peak...very stupid of him! And ditto for the other Indian Leaders who met the Chinese Ambassador...

F: Then OBOR .... India's tough stand made other Nations sit up and take note and follow the same line...till now with a Nation like China all were indulging in escapism..maybe China will try to teach us a lesson in 2018... but..but...it knows India has moved on from Nehruvian idiocies ....we are niether the buttering friend nor the sworn enemy ....

M: USA..

F: I think we are the only Nation that's not bending backwards or heckling... we have a very normal relationship...like we can take a forceful stand in a friendly relationship..and there are no hard feelings...like the Jerusalem one...

M: I think Americans realize this is not the Pseudo India of the past... doesn't create Lobbies and tries mock friendship... India is now upfront... take it or leave it..we know our strengths and weaknesses...

F: We now prefer the Bilateral way.....we are now no more identified with a 'Pack'!!! We have strong bilateral ties with.. Japan..Australia...France...Russia...Gulf....even China...

M: Compared to us Pak is more like a kid rusticated from School... whereas we are moving to our College 'Graduation' ..

F: The secret is straight forward thinking ...not the jalebi mindset of the past... like befriending X and Y to ultimately turn X against Y..why we are now looked upon as a reliable and responsible  friend in the neighborhood ( excluding Pak and including some Indian Ocean Nations)....

M: And the other big reason is... domestic appeasement is no longer the basis of our Foreign Policy...

F: In fact if a Vote was taken of Global Leaders as to India's Past or Present Foreign ... 90% will Vote for India's  present Foreign Policy ..

M: And you don't need to spell out the 10% that'll prefer Past!!!

F: Diplomacy is the art of letting someone have your way ....or like Vajpayee said..and exemplified by India in Dhoklam standoff... Quite Diplomacy is far more effective than Public Posturing..

M: Or in some cases... showing your Middle Finger and the whole World sees this... excepting  the Country who you are showing it to ....it takes it to be a Thumbs Up.

We have a good laugh.. pay the tab and move out.

VJS