Sanctity of our borders

Our borders, incursions, and our government’s (in)action in maintaining the integrity of the country.

China’s protest against our Prime Minster’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh was outrageous, to say the least. But there has not been any adequate rejoinder from our government, because we have forgotten how to speak from a position of strength. Whether it is relation to China or to Pakistan, we are almost on our knees, not contesting their stand on Arunachal Pradesh and Kashnir – not to speak of Aksai Chin which was occupied by China and we did nothing more than our parliament passing a pious resolution on our intention of its recovery.
Our Army Chief’s comment (23 Feb) on the incursions across the border in Arunachal Pradesh is curious and apologetic. I fail to understand how a country’s border can be a matter of ‘perception’. Adustment of or agreement on the border-line may be a matter of negotiation (as were the cases of Kashmir and Sikkim with India or of Alaska and the Southern states with the Federal Government of the USA), but it cannot be a matter of ‘perception’ of either country. If it were, then the incursions of Pakistan into Kashmir resulting in the occupationof a part of Indian territory (POK), or of China in Aksai Chin or, for that matter, the invasion of the USA in Iraq (against UN resolution) – can also be justified as matters of ‘perception' of the governments comitting aggression.
We have always been on our backfoot whenever the matter of Pakistani incursions and terrorism in Kashmir, or the training of terrorists in POK have come to the fore. I can remember only one instance of our government taking a strong stand; it was when our army was sent to erstwhile East Pakistan to help the ‘Mukti Bahini’ and when our forces marched up to the door of Lahore, though they were pulled back for unknown reasons.
We should take lessons from Israel and Turkey who had no hesitation in pushing back the infiltrators till they were well inside their own territory and kept posted there.
Alas, we are unaware of our own strength; we have one of the finest fighting forces in the world. In another year, when the IAEA descends on our nuclear installations to choke our production of nuclear armaments, this ‘strength’ will be gone. Our government without a backbone is only too eager to give in. And our “all-powerful” and “supreme” parliament is helpless in the matter.

Nuclear Deal 3

In a lighter vein
Rallying for the Deal

- Hi Sonia!
- Hello George! What’s up?
- Well, darling, I am in a bit of a soup and I need my friends to rally round me.
- You are always in a soup, George. What’s it this time? Not another Iraq I presume
- Yes, and No. Yes, because ultimately the root cause is my misadventure in Iraq; and No, because at the moment it is the free fall of our Economy.
- What do you care? You will be rid of all this by the end of the year.
- True, but the business lobby has been pressurizing me since the dollar took a dive.
- But you have done well in your oil business since you got the Iraqi oil. What more do you want?
- I want you to help me out with your surging economy.
- Well, you are the Head of the State of your country, but I am not.
- You are! You are! You are the Super Head!
- Be that as it may, what exactly is on your mind? I can’t do a Quattrochi for you.
- No, no, no, no. I simply want you to make a deal with the USA.
- Please explain.
- Well, we are in a bad shape, as far as the balance of trade is concerned, and you can help us by buying some old nuclear reactors at, say, ten times the fair price. That’ll be some help, buddy.
- You mean a One-to-Three agreement?
- I do not understand.
- One-to-Three. Means trash transferred from the First World to the Third World, and cash from the Third to the First.
- (Chuckle) Oh! Italians are ever so clever!
- But you cannot mention this cash-thing in the Agreement.
- We’ll do a hide-act. We’ll draft it so that everything will be hidden. We’ll give it a respectable name; we’ll call it the “Indo-US Nuclear Deal”.
- That sounds great! Now that’s all the stick. Where’s the carrot for public consumption?
- We’ll say that the NSG will be permitted to sell Uranium to India.
- But India doesn’t need Uranium. They have enough Thorium.
- How many know that, eh? Moreover the NSG will do some good business in the bargain.
- What do I get in the bargain?
- I’ll look after your family…..
- Now you are talking like an Italian Mafia instead of an American cowboy.
- So, is it a deal, sweetie?
- By George, it is, it is. I’ll send my second in command to seal the Deal. He doesn’t understand a thing about nuclear energy.
- What about your Parliament?
- They can’t do a thing once we seal the Deal
- OK then. Thanks and bye!
_______________

Rallying for Rahul

Dear Reader,
This was written about two years back, in 2006. So, it is out of date. But the humour-content is there. At the request of my friends who have read it have asked me to put ot on my blog. Hence "Rallying for Rahul"

Rallying for Rahul

(This is a fictional, imaginary composition. Any apparent similarity with any person either living, dead or otherwise is purely coincidental and is a figment of the reader’s imagination)

“Hello, Rahul?”
“Yes. Who’s calling?”
“This is Rahul.”
“Rahul? Which Rahul?”
“Rahul Bajaj”.
“Hi Rahul. How are you? How’s business?”
“Everything’s fine thanks. But there’s a problem here in Kolkata. Rahul has been detained by the police for driving through a “No Entry” sign.
“Which Rahul?”
“Rahul Dravid. And there’s a match tomorrow at the Eden Gardens.”
“Hey that’s bad. But why call me?”
“Your must ring up the police and tell them to release him.”
“But that’s Dalmiya’s job. He can call his police friend … y’know... what’s his name … anyway you know the guy I mean”.
“The Police won’t listen to him. Things are not smooth between Dalmiya and the Police. Some ruckus with CAB elections I think.”
“Ok. But why me?”
“You are Rahul Gandhi. Those guys are sure to listen to you.”
“Well, I am a little tied up with the Rahul’s wedding here.”
“Which Rahul?”
“Rahul Mahajan. Look I have a better idea. Why don’t you call Rahul and tell him to talk to the police. He is a Bengali and the police are sure to understand him better.”
“Which Rahul?”
“Rahul Bose.”
“I already tried him. He is shooting with Rahul and can’t be contacted.
“Which Rahul?”
“Rahul Khanna.”
“I thought Rahul Khanna was doing the MTV stuff.”
“No. that’s Rahul Chinappa.”
“I think you mean Nikhil Chinappa.”
“Hey Rahul, forget Nikhil Khanna and Nikhil Chinappa. This is about Rahul.”
“Which Rahul are you talking about now?”
“Rahul DRAVID. And getting him out. You have to do something.”
“OK. Which police station?”
“Ultadanga.”
“Ulta – as in Ulta Pulta?”
“Yes. And danga.”
“Tanga – the horse-drawn cart?”
“No, no. DANGA. D A N G A… D for Data... A for…”
“Yes, Yes…T for Tata.”
“No, No. It’s D … hmm … D as in Delhi.”
“Delhi? But you said it was in Kolkata.”
“Yes, Yes. Ultadanga is in Kolkata.”
“But you said ‘Delhi’. This is very confusing.”
“OK. Forget Delhi. D... as in Daltonganj.”
“As in Paltanganj?”
“No... D as in Dubai.”
“Oho. So it’s a D. Why didn’t you say that earlier? So, it is Danga instead of Tanga?”
“Right. You ring them up and tell them to release Rahul immediately.”
“Which Rahul?”
“I have already told you. It is Rahul Dravid.”
“Oh, yes, yes. Look I’ll do even better. I’ll tell mom to ring up the Governor. But tell me, is Rahul an S.C., S.T. or O.B.C.?”
“…………………