As usual the India China clash in Ladakh region[Galvan] brought so much news and views in every media. Similarly there are emotional reactions in several parts of India. There is also a call to boycott Chinese products. This was done several times in the past also. So many people criticized political leadership, rather lack of leadership to handle such crises—not knowing how to do foreign policy, as if they have the correct leadership to lead the country and apt foreign policy to guide. But the worst scenario in this is certain provocative comments coming from outside India that too by some Indians. One person forwarded this message that ‘Indians terrified of China’, to me with a comment, ‘this is from a person living outside India. What is your reaction?
Of course as he expected, I too immediately ‘reacted’ by saying, ‘Yes Indians are afraid of China. That is why several Indians ran away from India seeking asylum and protection from other countries, particularly in the West and more specifically in America. But we, the rest of Indians who left behind are ready to take the horn of the bully China. We would rather stay back and fight bravely and die than running away from India. Those who went to West to make a ‘living’ (we call it in Tamil ‘Pangam pozhakkiradhu (பஞ்சம் பிழைக்கிறது) = escaping a draught to survive) have no right to pass such provocative comments on India’. Though I vent out my anger against such sarcastic comments about India by a NRI, I am not condescending to all the NRIS. Though NRIS moved to other countries still they keep their nationalistic spirit as Indians. Even they support Indians in all possible ways. Several became cultural ambassadors by promoting Indian cultural values. So such an exception should not be an example for us to criticize all the NRIS, though they have their own reasons to move away from India and settle in other countries. However they also should know their limitations. If they cannot understand our local issues in perspective, better let them keep quiet and mind their own business, remaining loyal to the country to which they moved. But they should refrain from passing such sarcastic comments which not only hurt us but also bring shame to them as Indians.
Of course several Indians living in India and outside India have their own concern, particularly when such an issue prompts unnecessary clashes between China and India, particularly in this pandemic time where every country faces economic crisis. And naturally they expressed their concern about the welfare of India. This is also a wise advice given by Tiruvallur as he said:
Folly meets fearful ill swath fearless hearts. To fear where cause of fear exists is wisdom’s part.—Kural, 428
Explanation: Not to fear what ought to be feared, is folly. It is the work of the wise to fear what should be feared.
அஞ்சுவ தஞ்சாமை பேதமை அஞ்சுவது அஞ்சல்
அறிவார் தொழில்,–குறள், 428
விளக்கம்: அஞ்ச வேண்டுவதற்கு அஞ்சாமை பேதமையாம். அஞ்ச வேண்டியதற்கு அஞ்சுவது அறிவுடையோர் செய்யலாம்
But better for the NRIS to avoid such sarcastic comments about India.
Well, this is my ‘reaction’ rather than a sober ‘response’. And the person who forwarded the message also knows well that I too will be easily provoked when anyone talks ill about India and Indians, as it hurts our sentiment as Indians. Call this as ‘Nationalism’ or ‘Patriotism’. Though there is a subtle difference between nationalism and patriotism, still it overlaps with each other. When our national sentiment is attacked then we become ‘Nationalists’ and when we soberly respond we become ‘Patriotic’.
When I was thinking all such comments, news, and views, particularly criticizing Political Leadership (here, obviously they keep Modi in mind), immediately I remembered what Tiruvallur said about it:
தேறான் தெளிவும் தெளிந்தான்கண் ஐயுறவும்
தீரா இடும்பை தரும்.—குறள், 510
விளக்கம்: அரசன் ஒருவனை ஆராயாமல் தேர்ந்தெடுத்தாலும், ஆராய்ந்து தேர்ந்தெடுக்க பட்டவனிடத்து ஐயுறுதலும் ஆகிய இரண்டும் அவனுக்கு நீங்காதத் துன்பத்தைக் கொடுக்கும்
Trusting sans testing and doubting the tested
Will lead to great woes without end.
Explanation: To make a choice of one who has not been examined, and to entertain doubts respecting one who has been chosen, will produce irremediable sorrow.
When any country faces any kind of crisis with its neighbor, it is natural for anyone to criticize the present Leadership for that, forgetting that he could do anything on his own without considering all that has been done in the past. If there is any lack of leadership in India, it is collective one inherited from the past. Those who are in power leading the country at present cannot undo all that went in the past, particularly when it comes to foreign policy. But unlike China in a democratic country like India, every Indian has the right to question, doubt and challenge the present Leadership as he is elected for that purpose.
But according to me, thankfully, again unlike China in India, the Indian Army not only remains apolitical but always serves keeping the interest of the Nation and not to a party or a person as we see in China. In China the army serves more to protect and promote the Party interest and at present its leader Xi and not the nation. (Gravitas, WION). Whereas Indian Army is famous for its valor and Patriotism protecting the country from so many aggressions in the past not serving one political party or person.
So as an Indian I trust our Army which always had and has wonderful Leaders to whom we can trust. Though the Army must work under the guidance and control of the government, several times it also took its own decision depending upon the need of the hour. Recently I heard one such News in WION (World In One News). I don’t remember the date. In GRAVITAS MS Palki Sharma Upadhyaya said that a few decades before one Army Officer asked the permission of the then government to construct a small air strip to land small scale Aeroplan to meet the emergent needs of the Army in Ladakh area. Three times he approached and all the time he was denied permission. But that Army Officer without informing the government went ahead with his plan and constructed that air strip which now remains very helpful. In the same program the very same Army Officer who has done it also appeared and answered the questions by Ms. Upadhyaya. I don’t remember the name of that Officer. But it was during the second week in June 2020 anyone one interested to see it can log on to WION website and watch it again, particularly in Gravitas (between 8 to12).
If we have such an Army, we need not worry much about the lack of leadership in India. Since time in memorial Indian Army, under various kings always stood to the test of the time. Strongly believing in dharma almost every Indian army fought the war according to the dharma of a warrior. Rarely one hears about any soldier deserting the king and running away from the battlefield, as it will not only affect his future destiny (in the next birth) but also bring shame to his family, community, and place. Soldiers fought with valor and faced a heroic death in the battle field. Even our sastras compare it with yajna promising moksha for them. Of course this happened when Mughal kings and Nawabs engaged mercenaries from outside India to fight their enemies. As those mercenaries were interested only in their salary, they easily deserted their patron and moved to the opposite camp, even when the battle was going on.# But native soldiers fighting for their own kings never did it. We had wonderful Sangam Tamil poems in which the valor of the warriors was portrayed well. One brave woman, after hearing the death of her husband on the first day of war, sends her son to the second day of war with a message never show your back to your enemies. The only slogan they knew was: Vetri alladu veera manaran [Either victory or brave death].
All the news that we hear about the advantage that China has compared to the Indian army need not worry us. In fact, now the Indian army has more advantages than China, thanks to the present Leadership in the government. War is never won based on the strength of the army but based on the experience and strategy of the army commander. The same WION news also broadcasted exposing the weakness of the army in China and the strength of the Indian army. Though we need and should not take solace based on any news by any News channel, all the records of India Army’s achievements in recent history both before and after Independence is a well-known history and with evidence. If our soldiers are there to guard and protect the sovereignty of our Nation, we need not doubt their ability as instructed by Valluvar (mentioned above).
Though calls are given to boycott Chinese goods based on emotion, it is practically not possible. I am sure the Indian government will take strong steps to show the Chinese government that as a strong growing economy unnecessary confrontation with India on any issue will equally hurt them. The Indian government took the initial step. And one panelist in one News channel said that China shoots on its wallet. Apart from this I am hearing the news that several youths have already begun to boycott Chinese products by removing several Chinese programs from their mobile network. They also are spreading a silent movement within a close circle. For example, several youths have decided not to order anything from Alibaba for online purchase. So I also trust our young generation who never lack patriotism and know how to show it in their way. We need not openly shout and expose all our plans to confront China in every area. As the government works in its own way, we common people also know how to do our part. Sometimes we need to be careful while handling such a country like China, who always remains hostile to us. One panelist said that China’s only foreign policy is this: treat your neighbor as a hostile country and neighbor’s neighbor as your ally, which China is doing. In their famous project of ‘Golden pearl’ they try to surround India by investing heavily in all our neighboring countries to keep a check on us. In this process some of them get trapped in the ‘debt trap of China’ like Sri Lanka which handed over Hamman Thota to China for a 99-year lease. The result was complete bankruptcy of Sri Lanka and India has to rush to rescue it from disaster.
As we say in Tamil: pahayalik kudumbatta uravaadik kedu (பகையாளிக் குடும்பத்தை உறவாடிக் கெடு) [destroy your enemy by having cordial relationship with them]. It is well said that we should keep our friends close but our enemies closer. That is what the present Leadership tries to do as Modi does his best to have cordial relationships with our neighboring countries with the policy of ‘Neighbors first’, of course not to destroy them, as it never was our policy and dharma as a Nation. Though few criticized his remark about India as a peace-loving country, world is one family (Vasudeva kudumbam), ‘roti beti rishta [family relationship] [family relationship] (by our Defense Minister Sri Rajnath Singh) with Nepal, he only expressed what India traditionally stood so far, all these centuries as a civilization.
And those Diaspora Indians who ran away from India need not pass such provocative statements and those who do not agree with Modi and present government need not have a pessimistic view about this development with China as if the present crisis only will hurt India. As the world became a global village no country can survive independently by bullying other countries trusting on its own military strength or human resource. They also know the boomerang effect of anything they do against any country.
The need of the hour is to stand with our government despite our political views and differences. Governments will come and governments will go. But as long as we have a strong Patriotic army which remains apolitical, we take pride in them and salute them for their bravery and sacrifice.
Gone are the days India retreated. Now we know how to fight back by paying in the same coin to the enemies to make them understand their misadventure as we have done to the Chinese in Doklan in the recent past.
Jai Hindi; Jai Jawan; Jai Kisan; Vande Mataram.
Dayanand Bharati,
19-06-2020
# Though military force was the only sanction behind every ruler, and had to be used continuously, the soldiers were unreliable. On this, too, Orme {Robert Orme: Historical Fragments of the Mogul Empire, etc., 1805is clear and emphatic: (p.14) The armies of the Mahomedan princes of Indostan {Hindustan}are composed of a number of distinct bodies of troops enlisted by different leaders; who with their bands, enter into, and quit the service of different princes, according to the advantages which they expect to receive. Hence the degree of reliance which a prince can have on his army is proportioned to the treasures of which he is possessed, joined to his inclination to disburse them, and it is common the wars of Indostan to see large bodies of troops going over to the enemy on the very field of battle’
Among the mercenaries employed by these princes the Afghans and Pathans were the worst in respect of treachery and unreliability, as they were also the best or at all events the most ferocious among the soldiers. [pp. 14-15]
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