Which Camp India!!

When the British left India, they had a reason to be afraid. Afraid that this historical civilization called Bharat, that they methodically bled dry; of riches, of culture, of pride, of history, of lives by the millions… they may one day find their footing back. The thinkers among the British oppressors would no doubt have taken cognizance of the fact there there is a massive pull towards “reversion to mean” that exists in individuals, in societies and in nature. You can sap life out of a patch of land, throw a nuclear bomb at it, but if it is a fertile piece of land, it will eventually prosper again. It may take hundreds of years, but it will regenerate. And Bharat’s culture and intrinsic vitality was a fertile piece of land, which is why the oppressors came in the first place. Because the riches were there. 

So as they were leaving, they no doubt had concerns that when the culture regenerates and Bharat finds it’s footing back, what was inflicted upon this otherwise largely peaceful society and culture, that posed no threat to them, may come back to haunt them. This perhaps made them think very carefully about what nation they leave behind, once India forced it’s independence. A united India which is left to it’s own devices or a divided one that stays busy with internal and external turmoil. So that over the next hundred years, the history of exploitation and cruelty inflicted is either forgotten or re-written or both. Division of the subcontinent on whatever ground possible became a necessary part of that strategy. Installing London educated, GMT mindset, highly influenceable Brown Sahebs became another pillar and finally, supporting the “blue eyed boy, Pakistan became a third pillar. It is to the third one that I would like to draw attention. 

Furthering the interests of Britain by making Pakistan a lackey, continues to this day. Britain and largely West, (until recently when China became a real threat to them and the calculas changed) have given Pakistan aid and comfort in ways that are too many to count. This was even though Pakistan was a Military Dictatorship for almost all of its independent years, and the west championed human rights and democracy, in it’s rhetoric. They provided financial aid, diplomatic, political cover. Even when Pakistani army was torturing, raping and murdering its own citizens in East Pakistan, Britain stood mute. When India intervened, even US sent it’s Seventh Fleet to threaten India that was trying to stop the atrocities. India and Bangladeshi people prevailed and a new country called Bangladesh was then born. 

So this comfort that west has provided to Pakistan was calculated not for the benefit of Pakistan. It was for West to have a dependent, basket case country that is forever dependent upon their largesse. This would also continue to give credence to their theory of “what would these uncouth uncivilized people do without the white man’s help”, and that colonization was “oh so necessary” to civilize these people. 

Thank our leaders that India chose a different path than getting suckered into the same trap. 

I hope they remember that lesson even as this newly found romantic interest has arisen towards India, to contain China. The only camp that India needs to belong to is, well, it’s own. Saying a polite and firm No to any proposed NATO membership or alliance would be prudent, in my opinion.