I know, I know that I get very serious when I talk about this one subject and some of my readers get quite put off with my line of thinking. This occasion however is too good a one not to let my Western readers see for themselves what has been obvious for Indians for more than half a century.
This morning’s Times of India carried two gems. The first one is an article datelined Washington about Ms. Hillary Clinton’s latest visit to Pakistan where for the first time ever, any official from the USA told some home truths to the Pakistani establishment, students and media. You can read all about it here and also the BBC report on the same subject.
In the same issue of the Times Of India, a cartoon by our Iconic cartoonist, R K Laxman, which was published on August 12, 1957, yes, 1957, FIFTY SIX YEARS AGO,, has been re-published. It showed Pakistani establishment for what it was and what it was then continues to be the same even today. It gives me great pleasure to reproduce that cartoon here from a fellow Punekar as a tribute to his incisiveness then and today.
Pakistan’s establishment has depended on external aid for its existence and mismanagement of its economy for all these years, and when it goes with a begging bowl in its hands to borrow money, it resents the conditions that the lenders lay in terms of how the money is to be spent. It may interest my readers to see what Reuters had to say about Pakistan’s economy just over a month ago. Ms. Clinton, has apparently handled such petulance with aplomb and has for the first time in the history of the complicated relations between the three countries, delinked India from Pakistani obsession in discussions and assurances given.
Pakistani army was most reluctant to take on the Taliban and the Al Quida citing threat from India as the reason for not deploying their troops for the task. India has never been the aggressor in any of the wars that have been faught between the two countries, and on being pointed this out and nudged strongly by the Americans, Pakistan has taken on the Taliban and after all these days of their engagement, there has been no movement of any kind from the Indian side. Pakistan, seems to be obsessed that India wants it destroyed. It is not in India’s interest that this happens. In any case, Pakistan itself is quite capable of destroying itself, as has been amply proved time and again. The latest instances of bombings and suicide attacks are proof enough and with Iran making noises from Pakistan’s western borders, the real inside stories about ISI is now becoming quite obvious to the world.
Interestingly enough, ex President George Bush, who is considered by many as being responsible for turning Indo American relations into a better one during his term in office, was in India on a lecture tour to Delhi and Mumbai. His visit however has been a low key one due to the very obvious security concerns, but he has addressed India’s leadership on many issues. From all accounts, his visit has been a grand success.
We are living in interesting times indeed.
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