Islamabad Post 6 April 2022
For at least the last 50 years, I have been noting that India had always been late in making decisions. There are multiple examples of how India hurt itself making delayed decisions. One of the examples from recent history is the Indian decision of turning towards the American bloc, when Americans had already played their game with Pakistan, and India could see it, but could not understand the consequences, and took a wrong stance.
But, now I can see for the first time that India has taken timely
decision to stand on the right side of history. I think, the credit for this
shift in Indian policy must be given to Dr. S.
Jaishankar’s farsightedness. It seems that Dr. Jaishankar has succeeded
in rising above petty positions and has realized the place that India can, and
will enjoy in the global game.
I think the Indian foreign office has, for the first time, started
realizing, India’s potential, and has decided to play it cool. India showed its
resilience, and said: “NO” to the colonial masters for the first time. This is
the first time in recent history that India has openly said NO to western
hegemons. The Indian decision to buy Russian Oil for Indian Rupees or Russian
Rubles is a slap on western face.
Let me just go back to 1948. The very first military conflict
between Pakistan and India. Do you remember that in 1948 Pakistani and Indian
armies were under British Chiefs of Staff. When the issue of Kashmir rose, one
of those British generals, refused to support the country of his deputation,
while the other one encouraged dislocation of large numbers of military
personnel to the conflict zone. This instigated a conflict, which has not come
to an end till date. Please remember, both of the Chiefs of Army Staff in India
and Pakistan, in 1948, were loyal to their British crown. They fulfilled the
orders of the same British crown.
A few decades later, when Pakistan was playing to the tune of the
American fiddle, Pakistan turned from a tolerant society into an Islamic extremist
society, where inter-faith tolerance gave way to extremist ideas and killing of
a brother by a brother. Infliction of damage by neighbor on neighbor. A
society, which progressed, seized to comprehend the meaning of the word
“progress”.
Then the Soviet Union collapsed, the world order changed, and India
decided to hug the American dream. India, the country, which outlawed cast
based discrimination right after independence. A country, which cherished its
secularism. A country, which even had Muslim and Sikh Presidents, turned into a
Hindu nationalist state.
This all happened and is happening, but why? Why did India abandon
its secularism? Why did Pakistan, seize to be a country for the progressive
citizens of all faiths? The answer is, the injection of British bred American
hegemonic colonialism.
But, now, when India has decided, under the futuristic vision of
Dr. Jaishankar, to stand on the right side of history, and get rid of colonial
lords forever, is Pakistan also looking in the same direction? I hope, yes.
But, when I look towards Islamabad, I see a Prime-Minister, who
does not want to kneel in front of the colonial lords. I see a foreign
minister, who wants to join the correct world order. But I also see
opportunistic, monetarily inclined, shortsighted politicians, who are ready to
dance to the colonial fiddle, and keep us enchained forever.
Although, we had always been ahead of India in making proper
decisions, I dread the outcome of such narrow political perspective of those,
who cannot see any further than their own noses.
If we do not succumb to the immediate personal benefits, our future
as a country, as a society, and as an important member of a multipolar world,
is very bright. We have the alternative access to the world, in the shape of
Gwadar. We will facilitate international trade, bypassing European ports, and
of course the western hegemony. There are projects under way to establish all
central Asian and Russian trade through Pakistan. CPEC is no secret as well.
So, are we going to stand on the right side of history, or are we
going to jump back into the colonial lap, just to satisfy the personal
interests of shortsighted individuals, who are still on the first steps of
human evolution?
The decision lies with the people of Pakistan, but this decision has to be made now, before we fall back into the trap of the-empire-of-lies, led by the Americans and the British.
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