India today seems to be pitted against forces with expansionist designs over its territory. While Pakistan may be fighting Taliban within its own borders but so far their expansionist design on Kashmir is concerned, they are hand in glove. China is openly making claims over the territory considered integral part of India since time immemorial. Maoists and jihadi elements are getting support and even arm supply form Bangladesh and Burma. It may not appear a new phenomenon for those who know the history of India - the past has witnessed many historical challenges, upheavals, revolutions, destructions and re-emergences of India. Ghazni plundered it, Babur enslaved it, Bigots tried breaking it spirit, the Dutch depressed it, the French demoralised it and the English captured it - but India has survived. Today again a situation has arisen where Indian borders stand threatened, facing incursions with impunity.
We were known as "Vishwa Guru" in ancient times. The Indus-Saraswati civilization was the world leader in science and technology as well as in trade and philosophy. In line with the glorious past, there is a natural urge in every Indian to become a developed nation, a superpower and a nation having its rightful place in the comity of nations. The natural ingredients of a great nation like adequate geographical size, adequate population, a good level of natural intelligence, reasonable level of natural resources, a will of the population to be superior is present. The achievements of India and Indians worldwide in areas of space technology, nuclear technology, agricultural research, and software development gives a glimpse of the capabilities that sleeping tiger possess. But it always perturbs every Indian as to how those having designs on India, even small countries without adequate resources can fund and organize subversive actions from inside and outside India. Even though the concept of "sarve bhavantu sukhinah; sarve santu niramayah" and "vasudhev kutumbakam" has been our guiding spirit but an environment of mutual trust with the neighbouring countries is clearly lacking. Our political class has turned us into a pacifist and soft state. Lack of proper response to the conspiracies against India has emboldened its enemies. While there are designs afoot to carve out ‘Mughalistan', ‘Red-Corridor' and ‘Nagalim', Pakistan and China are eyeing territories of Kashmir, Aksai Chin and Northeastern India. Defensive actions as part of strategy followed by India has so far paid little return.
India will have to devise bold and strong strategy to meet the challenges. Only pro-active measures with strong political will may rescue India from such constant threats which are refusing to die since independence.
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RK Ohri
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