The BJP is good at spinning theories, but lousy at predicting their
outcome. They bragged nuclear bombs would bring an era of nuclear
deterrence, lasting peace in the region and global recognition of
India's new might. Instead, we find ourselves scurrying under a
mushroom cloud. Forget peace, our region has never looked more
unstable and dangerous. The nuclear bomb did not deter Pakistan from
flagrantly intruding into Kargil in 1999. Instead, it deterred us
from using our conventional superiority to lethal effect. We are
hamstrung now because we are victims of nuclear blackmail. Far from
winning global respect, we arouse consternation and panic. For the
first time, we proud Indians have to witness the shame of foreigners
departing because our country is no longer safe. This ancient and
peaceful civilisation, this land of Buddha, Asoka and Gandhi, is
almost like a volatile nation in Africa or Latin America from where
foreigners and capital periodically flee. Let's not forget in 1987,
when also Indian and Pakistani armies had an eyeball-to-eyeball
confrontation along the border, foreigners didn't flee.
We've seen how counterproductive the nuclear bomb has been. We cannot
allow ourselves to go through a war now to see how counterproductive
the BJP's theories on war are. Common sense tells us war is
disastrous. And this we knew before reading chilling media reports
that Pakistan's nuclear doctrine is more focused than ours, that
India's conventional military superiority is not what it's cracked up
to be and that army leaders have warned in private that even a
surgical strike in PoK can fail dangerously. Israelis and Americans
are learning that even successful wars on terrorism can't stop
suicide bombers in Jerusalem or Karachi. Only vigorous internal
vigilance, and not war, can safeguard nations from terrorist attacks.
The war threat, coming as it did after the Gujarat carnage, has
damaged India's reputation as nothing before ever has. So much for
the BJP's garbled theories. The tragedy is that India suffers this
shame and indignity just when it was soaring in global recognition.
India was seen as a mature, stable, peaceful democracy with
tremendous economic potential. Relations between India and the world
faltered after the nuclear bomb, but the software revolution, the
continuity of policies by successive prime ministers and India's
inherent strengths as a vibrant, slightly-chaotic-but-functioning
democracy, convinced foreigners about her potential. Assuming the BJP
could not fundamentally alter the nation, the west continued to woo
India. And so the BJP reaped the benefits, though they were by no
means the architects of India's improving status in the world.
But in the last six months, the BJP has severely damaged India's
reputation. The reason is obvious: instead of being guided by its NDA
partners, they are noseled by their hardliners, VHP and Bajrang Dal.
In doing so, they are loosening the very nuts and bolts that keep our
nationhood intact. Two principles have kept India united, rich and
vibrant: democracy and multi-culturalism. You undermine or damage
these two principles and India begins to unravel. Gujarat is a
classic example. The danger is that these two principles are anathema
to the VHP and Bajrang Dal, wedded as they are to fascism and
exclusive jingoism. Their hate pamphlets against Muslims prove they
suffer from persecution complex and paranoid delusions. The trouble
with this condition is that you cannot change their mind even if you
give ample proof to the contrary. The disaster is that the BJP is
institutionalising their brand of politics in our national life.
Topping this is their shameless disregard for what is ethical, decent
and honourable. Despite nationwide outrage, and even the PM's
admonishments, Narendra Modi's still in power.This lack of
accountability, this remorselessness is unprecedented in Indian
public life.

And then they pride themselves about their genius in having Abdul
Kalam as president! But they preach to the converted. Only BJP
supporters can believe this "masterstroke" will atone for their sins,
appease the anguished Muslims and is guided by lofty ideals and not
cynical, cold-blooded opportunism. This kind of tokenism will not
impress the people it is meant to impress. We are also seeing the
invasion of fascist functioning into the corridors of power,
curtailing our fundamental freedoms. The Gujarat ias lobby had to
cancel its meeting. People with dissenting and divergent points of
view-an absolute necessity in a multi-cultural democracy-are branded,
vilified and persecuted as "leftists", "pseudo-secularists" or
"anti-nationals".
The question is how are they able to get away with these patently
wrong, unfair and unethical manipulations-especially when civil
society has ratcheted public awareness and when the main opposition
party rules 14 states. The problem is Sonia Gandhi is diffident about
leading this fight because she feels defensive as a Christian and a
foreigner. Also, officials in key positions, even while they
disapprove of this subversion of democratic, pluralistic style of
functioning, are disinclined to court trouble, dare not risk losing
their jobs. Big business leaders who have the clout to protest prefer
to kowtow or turn ostrich. And that alone demonstrates the growing
stranglehold of these fascist forces on the levers of power. As the
history of Nazi Germany shows, disaster rumbles in when citizens
refuse to see the peril, let alone act against it. Each one thinks of
his self-interest and thus they collectively slide into hell. When a
Tarun Tejpal or an Anand Patwardhan is victimised, people abandon
these voices of conscience to their fates lest they invite reprisals
upon themselves. As the old saying goes, harm is done not by the
deeds of the evil, but by the silence of the good. Only fearless
intervention by influential, liberal Hindus can save India from the
ruinous clutches of Hindutva.

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