Prakash Karat’s views on the Indian army shows he’s living in the wrong country Daily O 07 Jun 17
Fading Indian politicians seek limelight solely hoping for a boost in their careers. A few minutes of media glare, they hope, would re-open doors to a flagging career and maybe their party would suddenly recognize their capability. Mani Shankar Aiyar rushed to Srinagar, seeking to hobnob with the Hurriyat, knowing that even when his party was in power, they had refused to bend. He went knowing that TV reporters would follow him and record every word he spoke. The fact was, that as usual, he like his predecessors, came back empty handed.
The latest to join the list of publicity seeking politicians is Prakash Karat of the CPM. His article, in his party’s mouthpiece, is based on incorrect information, twisting of facts and half-truths. His most controversial line was that the army was toeing the line of the government. I do hope he realizes that we are in India, where the army is a part of the government but has no role to play in governance. Does he also realize that the army and the government work hand in hand towards a common goal? The goal is to normalize the situation in Kashmir at the earliest, to enable the government to push its agenda for peace forward.
I sincerely hope that he does not expect the Indian army to behave like the Pakistan army, which is at logger heads with the government. A tweet by a Major General, the Director General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) of Pakistan had compelled Nawaz Sharif to call a cabinet meeting to defuse the situation. I also hope he realizes that the Pak army is independent of government checks and balances and solely the power which refuses the polity to engage in talks. Is this the type of army he desires in India, not toeing the government line but being independent? If so, then I feel he is living in the wrong country.
I have still to understand his logic that throwing stones and petrol bombs as also demanding azadi is a political protest. Azadi instigated by Pakistan implies breaking away from India, not any special privileges as a region of the state. He is possibly the first politician to call locals supporting militants who attack and seek to kill security and other government personnel as political protestors. I wonder if the party philosophy propagates this thought. He mentions excessive force being employed by the army and the chief supporting Major Gogoi in the same context. If Gogoi had employed excessive force, the death toll would have been astounding on both sides. It was to avoid excessive force that Gogoi took this action. How skewed can political thinking become.
He has again put his foot in his mouth by commenting that the army chief taunted protestors to take up arms. This possibly is the only time when he has made a logical comment even without knowing it. When anyone opens fire, the army is legally permitted to respond, in the act of self-defence, however, it cannot do so against stone throwers, hence has been compelled to withdraw from encounters due to the presence of large numbers of locals throwing stones. The army does not retaliate to stone throwers, letting the police and CRPF handle it.
His most illogical comment was that the government cannot find a solution employing force, but by political means. Seventy years, including governments supported by his party have failed, and now there is a realization. In every case, where the nation has been able to broker peace, Punjab, Nagaland and Mizoram, it has been from a position of strength. The army creates the environment and the government launches its initiative. Seventy years, innumerable opportunities and governments including those his party supported failed. Negotiations can never take place from a position of defeat or being on the backfoot. Let us give the present strategy a chance.
I only hope, politicians mature and make comments which have a meaning, rather than write only to seek a few minutes of prime time, to boost their sagging careers. India needs maturity in its polity, not loose cannons.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army