OH GOD! GIVE US AN OPPOSITION THAT WORKS FOR THE NATION

OH GOD! GIVE US AN OPPOSITION THAT WORKS FOR THE NATION

By

PG Kamath

When the NDA won with a massive majority, though I was happy that the nation would have a stable government for the next five years; however, it was tinged with sadness that the opposition had ceased to exist. For any vibrant democracy, there has to be a positive nationalistic opposition. It will not only put reins on the government but also enables the government to rethink and curbs any hasty steps, it desires to take. However, when I said opposition, I really did not mean it should be anti-national. I also did not mean that it has to side with China and Pakistan.

That makes me wonder as to who advices the ‘Grand Old Party’ that has become ‘Anorexic Emaciated Party’? Granted; that it does not have ‘in-house’ knowledge to formulate or guide the nation’s policy on its own; but there should be at least one of them in the vast melee of timeservers, who reads the daily newspapers and has some working knowledge on geopolitics and geostrategy. Otherwise, how can one make such blatant blunders again and again? A couple of examples will give credence to my argument.

Raga along with Vadra visiting the Chinese embassy during the height of Doklam crisis. What on earth can the two discuss with the Chinese ambassador? The latter of the two can discuss the menu he prefers for the high-tea at the embassy; but the former can look dumb with all its originality, for which he need not have to put any special effort. It beats my imagination as what the two could have discussed? One can give them the benefit of doubt as they would not have harmed the national interest as they know nothing worthwhile to cause any damage to it.

Next comes the question as to; why is Pakistan angry about? It is like a thief filing a complaint against the victim on the plea; when he broke open the house with so much effort, he did not find anything worthwhile to thieve. Pakistan bifurcated the illegally occupied J&K in 1963; where it ceded ‘Shaksgam Valley’ to China: It is the biggest treason of all; giving away a piece of J&K to a foreign country. Aren’t people of J&K not angry at the treason? In 1970, Pakistan again trifurcated it into Northern Areas (Now Gilgit-Baltistan) and so-called ‘Azad Kashmir’. If Pakistan has trifurcated the illegally occupied J&K into three pieces out of which, one has been given to China; who should be angry? People of J&K; rest of India or Pakistan? Is it not a sick joke that Pakistan is angry with India for bifurcating our sovereign territory of J&K? Pakistan has lowered consular status of the embassy and stopped Samjauta and Thar cross border trains. To take the argument further; the ‘Pakistan Occupied J&K’ does not have any special status from the time it was annexed in 1947 till today. Then, why this angst for removing the special status which has been removed after seven decades; more so when it is a temporary and transitory provision? Lastly; what is the locus-standi of Pakistan to question the status of J&K? Is it their failure to wrest the remaining part, after its initial invasion and subsequently in Indo-Pak war of 1965?

After Nehru’s premature complaint to the UN at the height of Indo-Pak War of 1947-48, a ceasefire line came into effect, with over a third of the state still under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. It is puzzling as to why Nehru complained to the UN under Chapter VI rather than under Chapter VII? The latter chapter was applicable to an ‘Invasion’ which Pakistan was guilty of that would have given powers to the UN to evict the invasion. However, Nehru soft-pedalled and complained under Chapter VI that referred to a dispute. Please let us be clear that it was Nehru, who called it a dispute; when it was crystal clear that it was an invasion as the Maharaja had signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ acceding the entire state of J&K to India as per GOI Act 1947. Here, it was the complainant who is calling it a dispute and does not call it an invasion? Taking my earlier example of the thief and the victim; here the victim (India) further mollifies the police (UN) by telling that the thief had intruded into the house as the door was open and hence what could the poor thief do, but take the booty. Hence; Pakistan has rightly been elevated from an ‘invader’ to a ‘disputant’ and feels that it has a stake in the future of J&K.  After such phenomenal fiasco, God gave the Congress an opportunity to refurbish its credentials. Let us see what it did with the opportunity?

God gave the Congress party another option to repent for the past and redeem itself by supporting the government in the abrogation of Art 370. However, instead of clinching the deal and getting the admiration of the nation; the party made a grand old mess of the issue. Some young Turks within the party have supported the government. The leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha said it is not an internal matter as UN is also involved in it. It is a direct affront to the integrity of the country. After putting his foot in the mouth, he could not take it out and was seen struggling to straighten himself out from his awkward position. The abdicated scion was all in sympathy with Pakistan and gave it his unstinted support to internationalise the J&K Issue. Let alone re-emergence of Congress in foreseeable future; this act of Congress was the last nail in its coffin. Then it was the turn of PC to harm the nation after having milked it financially in an epic family enterprise of father, mother and son trio. He said that the Art 370 was removed because it was a Muslim majority state. What about Jharkhand and Uttarakhand separated from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in 2000 under the Vajpayee’s time? No communal touch was given to it! Why did you not blame the government as it divided states with Hindu majority? When Andhra Pradesh was split into Andhra and Telangana by Manmohan; why did you not blame him for anti-Hindu stance? The fact is that the miserable measly anti-national party only knows to play a communal card?

Then comes the Congress congregation where Raga was adamant to press home his resignation. There was a clash between the old horses and young colts. The compromise candidate indeed exposes the insecurity of the ‘Family’. The old mare is at it again as an interim measure: For ‘interim’ read ‘lifetime’. Xi Jinping is pleased that his formula is trending. If the act of siding with Pakistan and China on Art 370 was the last nail in its coffin; the last strike of the last nail was the perpetuation of the ‘Family’ to head the party. Oh, God! Give us an opposition that works for the nation!