Raising the Flag - A call of our times!

The following is what I had posted in the Bharat Rakshak Forum's J&K thread in response to a question on - Why is there an insistence for raising the National Flag on Republic Day at Lal Chowk in Srinagar by the BJP and consequently the State and Central Governments resistance at all costs to the same. The same has been suitably edited here as a blog post.

I hope some of you read my post a few weeks ago titled "Beware of the Ides of March" on BR forum. I had mentioned therein a few straws in the wind. Let me eloborate here. Obama is committed to cut his losses and arrive at a compromise in Afghanistan. The will to stay the course is not there. The Pakistanis are now in such a downward spiral, that it is evident to all concerned that no one is really in control of the situation. The Pakistani Army remains forever India focused and is sensing the American inability to stay the course as a chance to recover back Afghanistan.

The USG definitely wants to cut a deal with Pakistan that will facilitate American draw down of troops and ensuring that no further attacks are organized from Af Pak region. Obama is the Neville Chamberlian of our times.

The time table that Obama has announced would mean that the Pakistanis have asked for a price. That price is for stabilizing itself. The usual gun to the head based demands are:

1. India should cut and run from Afghanistan and should not have any role to play at all

2. India should settle Kashmir in a way that Pakistani establishment can claim victory

3. US and China should act together to deny India supremacy in the region and China should be allowed to give a similar nuclear deal to Pakistan. US should help through China in its efforts in getting a similar nuclear deal

4. The west and everyone should write off debt and give more money to Pakistan

In return Pakistan:
1. Will never allow a base to develop in the region that would organize terror attacks on the US (it will try to restrain acts against India and not provide "official policy" support but cannot guarantee against "non-state" actor executed terror strikes - it will however promise to bring to book any such perpterators)

2. Will settle for a compromise on Kashmir as long as it gains territory to show for its efforts. The Indian side should make borders irrelevant, and the hold on Kashmir by the GOI should be tenous at best.

3. Will promise not to proliferate nuclear weapons and will cap its capability. India should do likewise and not enhance its delivery capability or nuclear stockpile. The US India nuclear deal should be used as a leverage to achieve this objective.

The USG seems to be willing to cut a deal along these lines. In the Indian leadership of MMS and Sonia Gandhi, they have willing partners. MMS is a strong believer that India's foremost duty is to deliver itself from poverty and it should not become anything other than an economic power. He is also a firm dissenter of a nuclear India. He does not believe in the sanctity of maintaining India's soverign options.

Sonia Gandhi has nothing but a mercenary relationship with regard to India. Her motivations seem to be driven by her native faith and cultural outlook coupled with a need to perpetuate the hold of her family in the party and on India.

As per the plan, the Indian people are to be won over by a mix of economic populism fueled by the growing economy, creation of a fear amongst minorities regarding any nationalistic force, by painting them as anti-secular and themselves as the sole capabale protector, building a base for exercisig absolute control through a network of crony capitalistic sources of power, money and influence. The actions of the current dispensation reeks of this mindset.

Sample these as evidence -

1. The systematic rolling back of the armed forces in J&K,

2. The slow but steady PR campaign that has been unleashed to prepare the Indian public for the need for peace as a precursor for growth and "super power" status through campaigns like "Aman ki Aasha",

3. The antics of the likes of A Roy and gang's assorted conferences questioning the very basis of India without any hindrance from the state,

4. The constant and high profile propogating of the twin myths (A stable, prosperous Pakistan is in India's interest and There is no alternative but to talk and settle with Pakistan),

5. The appointment of the interlocutors and their acts and statements following the same are pointers.

Therefore gentle readesrs, if seen under the context of the US intent, Pakistani demand and the Congress leadership's predilictions, it will provide the answer to the happenings in J&K today.

The BJP has been forced to do this yatra. Please remember that it was because of a similar yatra in 1948 by SP Mukherjee of the then Jan Sangh that the rights of rest of Indians to visit this part of India was asserted. He went there in defiance of the ban on entry by Indians and hoisted the flag there. He resigned from Nehru's ministry and did what he did. He was rewarded with death for his act.

Nehru, it appears from numerous records of events of that era, was in agreement with the idea then to keep Kashmir in some kind of "trishanku swarga". He himself was not averse to the idea that Kashmir was special and should be protected from rest of India.

While MM Joshi's earlier march did not attract the same populist fervour of Advani, it was far more important than Advani's at that time. The separatists were at their peak and there was popular and wide spread support for them in the valley, and Pakistani infiltration was at its peak. It was an act of asserting national soverignity. It went unnoticed and unappreciated by the media elite and the elite in India. But it did send a message to those it was primarily intended - the Pakistani puppet masters and to their cat's paws in the valley.

The Amarnath shrine related demonstrations in Jammu are a watershed in the events of Kashmir. The power in that state has been long dominated by the Kashmir valley politicians. It demonstrated that there is a ground swell of support to a nationalist call in the state. It also sparked the re-assertion of the other regions of J&K of their right to chart their destiny as a part of India.

If you look at history, it is often filled with symbolism. That is why it is not right to dismiss the flag hoisting as political gimmickry by a cut throat opposition, because it has not been able to project a charismatic leadership. The BJP has many faults. It is aware of them. It is trying to the best of its ability to correct them. However, it also recognises that it has to be true to its role as an Opposition. It cannot be just watching silently these concerted efforts to do a deal in order to fit in with the agenda of foreign powers.

It has to act. It also knows that it has "communal" tag associated with it. What should a responsible opposition do? It has tried to organise a reassertment of national soverignity by way of a symbolic act. It has adopted a way that is peaceful, a cause that no one can have any issue with, through an act that is essentially lawful and well protected as per judgements of the Supreme Court. It has also invited others to join in this across party lines. It has not whipped up any religious or ethinic fervour against Kashmiris in any way.

Is there a precedent for this? Of course, the famous Dandi March itself was along these lines was it not? Does any right thinking Indian question and dismiss Gandhiji's act of making salt as political gimmickry? Was it not a symbolic act? Did it not galvanize a nation for a national cause? Can it be dismissed as a useless act? It became a watershed event in India's march to freedom.

Gentle readers, India's is at a inflexion point. We have the demographic dividend in our favour. We have built national capabilities against great odds, we have now a chance to have our own narrative, to assert ourselves in our march to a tryst with destiny on the strength of Indian thought and ethos. A rise of India is imminent and inevitable. It is but natural that it causes concern across status quo power structures across the world. There will be attempts to take control of India by different means. For many powers, a united India is something that must be averted at all cost. Many powers, for different reasons, would therefore want to do their utmost to unravel India.

Given the many fault lines that we still have as a nation, it is imperative that the political parties across the spectrum maintain a "Lakshman Rekha" when it comes to discussing national soverignity or maintenance of national soverign options. Unfortunately, a great political party like the INC is not being true to its own legacy. The BJP, despite its many faults and failings, is only trying to do its duty here.

It is imperative today that this symbolic act be done to ensure the assertion of national soverignity and our national strategic options. The raising of the National Flag at Lal Chowk is exactly that. The Lal Chowk has a lot of significance to those who want to cut India asunder and who hold the very ideals of the Republic with contempt. It is there, that we must assert our soverignity and our ideals.

It saddens me to see how otherwise intelligent posters in BR forums and elsewhere are seeing so many devils into what is essentially the need of the hour. We should not be apologetic in asserting our nationhood in Kashmir. There are people in that valley who want to be with India who are silenced by intimidation and cooercion exercised by a few with help of a hostile neighbour. Hoisting the flag is important to people of Jammu and Ladakh, to the minorities there, to show and demonstrate that the rest of India cares for them. They are part of this Republic like everyone else.

The state of Jammu & Kashmir belongs to every Indian as much as the rest of India belongs to the citizens in that state.

The raising of the flag is therefore not simply an act of political opportunism, but a call of our times to reassert our national soverignity and integrity.

May be I have become an irrelevant Indian, disconnected from reality given that others are seeing nothing but petty political grandstanding. I leave it to you, dear readers, to judge, what is at stake - Just political grandstanding or re-asserting our national soverignity which is at risk through some back room wheeling and dealing.

As for me,it has always been my refrain that it is not prudent to march to distant drum beats of others.