REFRACTIVE POLITICS IN INDIA
Perhaps, no other term can be
coined to describe the dualities and deflections in the approaches and
treatment of matters of national concern by the Political leadership of India,
perhaps applicable to few other political systems across the globe. The terms
and tunes bend, modify and get deflected along the angle as it emerges through
different strata of the population which serve as the medium. The political
system thus tends to lose the straightforward approach, boldness and the
inherent strength to take decisions as the ‘State’. The dialogues become
devoid of core content and theme. Minorities of India form the thicker medium
and the majority Hindus divided into castes and sects become the rarer medium.
The leaders stand out in the infinite space; through the complexities of the medium,
they look like Charismatic Stars.
Out of the seventy-five years
passed by, the first fifteen years could
have been the most effective time in stabilising the borders, creating
infrastructure, policies and schemes for industrial and agricultural growth,
restructuring education, establishing R&D Centres in tune with political
philosophy of economic structuring. In short, the formative years would have
defined the people of the country and their outlook, perceptions, societal
standards, quality of life, health and overall public order. In the
next sixty years, the population of the country would have been central to the
national and state planning, with each and every one disposed of with their due
share of life and responsibilities. The questions of poverty, unemployment,
illiteracy, backwardness, extremist political and religious ideologies and
fundamentalist ideals would not have found its place and would not have cost
the state exchequer. The failures to hold the state in the process of
pleasing and appeasing various segments of the population and the reciprocal
pleasing of the political leadership for favours and gains can be collectively
tapered to define the refractive Political diplomacy. The State becomes a non-existent
entity in the mindset of the people, they belong to their religion, class, clan
and their genius. The political stability of the country is misconstrued as the
stability of centralised political party led Governments. The non-committal
electoral system and the constitutional provisions for forming political
parties and RPA 29 A without any commitment to the objectives of providing
stable government has led to the chaotic state of politics. Constitution
that guarantees the right to vote, adult franchise and adhering to
the ideological stand and alliances, do not prohibit post-election alliances
and mergers to form a government. Any political party with the largest
number of elected representatives should be able to form a stable government.
India needs a Law Prohibiting defection after elections, limiting or permitting
from the date of announcement to the last date of filing nominations. Mandate
of the citizen cannot be left to the will and mercy of the elected
representatives. The principle of adult franchise gets defeated, as the vote is
cast to empower the representative in lieu of the voter in the respective
law-making house.
The full mandate covers power to
make laws on the land and legitimate rights of the voters in all the states,
except in Nagaland. In Nagaland, the power to regulate the land and its
resources is held back by the land owners.
The impairments and lacunae in
the conceptual framework of the political configuration of India has created a
state subjective to minority interests. In the process the State itself became
devoid of political cohesiveness, The architects of India did everything
possible at their hand to cover up and insulate the reality of religious
partition. The Muslims of British India were given a separate Dominion. The
status of the constituent assembly was not reverted after the theocentric
separation. How can a Political party in India assert that Pakistan was created
only for the Muslims living within the boundaries of that country in the
eastern and the western part? If so, the condition of the British government on
the inclusion of Muslims in the constitution would have naturally become void
with the partition, whereas it did not happen so. It led to communal
divide, and within the next 16 years, northern parts of India became insecure with
nearly five hundred communal riots. New Delhi was unaware of the massacres in
Mirpur and Bimber? The inhuman atrocities by raiders and Pakistani Army
regulars in Baramulla?
The leadership constructed
a fluid state by politically dividing the Hindus and segregating those who
stood united stamped as fundamentalist Hindus. The conflict within the Hindu
community was engineered to widen the gap between different sects and castes. The impact of a biased neutrality and secularism took its
toll and the result is that, a sect of Hindus themselves stand against the
Hindus forming another deflection in the Refractive Political Diplomacy. Today, the Narendra Modi led Government faces
certain difficulties in addressing the conflict on a strong platform.
No other non-Congress Prime
Ministers of India had the rare privilege of becoming the worst hostile enemy
of the entire opposition. He is painted red in Saffron colours, every word of
him is treated as a Harpoon flung on the Congress leadership. Enmity to
Narendra Modi has crossed the boundaries of political dimensions and is now
slowly starting to disfigure the ‘State’.
The Prime Minister’s visit to
Israel hours before the bombardment of Iran, again have been read along the
lines of prejudices of political vendetta discarding the State. It
is a pointer that reinforces the impairment of strategic analytical processes
within the Congress party. It seemingly
has became a playground of constraints in political vision let open to the
limited vision and voice of a few leaders, who themselves had brought the party
to the abyssal depths.
There seems to be no reprieve. Logical basis of strong political debates became marred down and capsized in the parliament and outside.
The timing of the Prime
Minister's visit to Israel amidst mounting tactical pressures on Iran. Indirect
negotiations between US and Iran were not yielding any result. India
in the hands of Narendra Modi do not seem to be a silent regime sitting back,
gazing at the skies on the sheer helplessness sinking in political
weakness. India had not declared Hamas as a terror outfit. Part of the
politics in the opposition plays the card of genocide in Gaza, and had acted against
the interests of the State. The Indira Gandhi regime had recognised PLO, the
first step taken by a non-Arab country. Yasar Arafat was a regular at No.1
Safdarjung Road. Sister of Yasar Arafat, had even turned NAM summit in
Delhi to assert her commitment to Palestine. The alignment continued
and its extent drew a colour when the Chief Minister of Kerala was adored in
Keffiyeh in the 24th CPI M party Congress.
New Delhi went silent. But eyes
were not closed on the hands behind the narrative of “Dance
and Sang" of 2017 episode.
Refractive Politics cropped up in
the regional dynamics has cost India beyond speculations. The manner in
which Bangladesh was created and transferred to the new Political leadership
has led to several pitfalls in the domestic and international affairs of India.
The military operations of India in East Pakistan failed to identify the Pro
West Pakistan military officials and to act appropriately. In the same way,
India did not look into the hard-core religious institutions and militia. When
Mukti Bahini was in line with the Indian Army, Pakistan had raised and
supported Al Shams Mujahid Bahini. Jamaat e Islami was their front-line
hardcore outfit Al Badr was actively supporting Pakistan Military, India
totally ignored the role of Urdu speaking Bihari Muslims. New Delhi did not
heed to the advice of Bangladeshi intellectuals to look into these aspects. The
military mindset of the retired officials and the senior ranks continued the
nexus with Jamaat e Islami and the frontal bodies. The deep-rooted training and
the mindset infused on anti-India attitude and India as a threat of its
existence continued to be carried on to the new incumbents. The Military coup
of Zia ul Haq drew strength to create theocentric line in the madrasa educated
personnel among the new recruits as well. The two frontiers created by
the Indian regime and the disfiguration of demographic structure of the country
gave space for the narratives of partitions. Jugular Vein theory from the west
and the Seven Sisters claim from the east was bringing Jinnah back to life. The campaign that the Muslims are not safe in
India took the violent form during the time of the Citizens Amendment Bill and
after the partition. Tablighi and Barelvi schools, like Jamaat e Islami do not
have borders between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Formation of IMCTC – the Islamic
Military Counter Terrorism Coalition resulted from the theocentric military
doctrine of Pakistan with Saudi Arabia. It was to serve as a strong sectarian power
that Pakistan could mobilise to capitalise the nuclear ambitions of the Muslim
world. Iran, Iraq and Syria and other Shia controlled Islamic countries were
not included in the alignment. Bangladesh became close to Pakistan and
indirectly supported IMCTC.
It has to be read in conjunction with
the religious military of Pakistan joining hands with the Neo-Ottoman regime of Erdogan in Türkiye.
It is assessed that Pakistan has procured defence supplies worth 1.8 lac
crores, which included a large stockpile of drones and components. Months
before Operation Sindhoor, Erdogan had offered joint manufacture of KAAN
fighter aircrafts in Pakistan. Upgrading the weapon systems of Submarines and
attack helicopters are in the cards of Pakistan Türkiye Cooperation. With
military exchanges with countries outside the Organisation of Islamic
Countries, Pakistan Army is making all efforts to be the guardian Islamic
Army.
What prompted Iran to attack
twelve Islamic countries in the pretext of harbouring US forces is to create a
distrust of the Pakistan Army. Iran can survive as a Shia Muslim nation only if
the Islamic Army concept is dismantled. Not even a single Arab or Islamic
country could counter attack Iran. Practically, Iran has left no third country
in the Arab Region to mediate for US.
It was necessary for US to create
a political confusion within India on west Asian crisis. The Iranian Ships or assets
within the Indian territory cannot be attacked, It sounded as if the US was
waiting for the Iran Naval Ship to enter the international waters after leaving
the Indian shore to attack. Insensible Indian media and the anti-Hindu
religious divide in the Political parties were expected to raise questions on
the BJP led regime of New Delhi.
The situations demand that India may have to
look a little more back towards the Indo-Iranian Relationships along the plane
of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran.as well as that of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia . During the days of
Shah, Iran moved close to Pakistan to create a strong Islamic line up against
the threats posed by Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Marital relationship of Pahlavis with
the Royal families Egypt failed and
Nasser was against orthodoxy. Shah took sides with Pakistan to counter Naser
and to create a non-Arab block of Islamic countries. Shah also fell under the
influence of the adverse campaign against India that was unleashed by Pakistan.
The Main objective of Pakistan was to get the support of Islamic countries for
their revanchist designs in Kashmir and the disputed areas.
In 1955, Pakistan joined the
Central Treaty Organisation along the side of Iran with the objective of
getting into a larger forum for military support. Baghdad Pact was seen as a
platform for a larger support base for Pakistan in the international Platforms
against India in the Kashmir issue. After the Baghdad Pact, Shah Mohammad
Reza Pahlavi and his wife spent a few weeks in India, Unlike the Friendship treaty he made with Pakistan during
his maiden visit to Pakistan nearly five years back, there was no such understanding of the scale
with India. The only message he conveyed was Iran -Hindi Bhai Bhai. On 15th
of March 1950, India had established diplomatic relations with Iran when Pahlavi was in Pakistan. India could not
develop any political relations with Iran, other than the trade relations.
By the turn of 1960s, the US
policies to the Middle East were on a new alignment to limit the influence of
the Soviet Union in the region. The Indian Ocean attained much focus in the US
Policies. The President of the United States Eisenhower in December 1953 had
advocated the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The “Atoms
for Peace” Programme found a way to Iran, as both the countries came together
on several fronts. The agreement with Iran, made in 1957 was for the
Cooperation concerning civil uses of atomic energy. In 1959, Tehran Nuclear
research Centre was established. After a series of negotiations, in 1967, the
Tehran Nuclear research centre was provided with a small nuclear reactor along
with Highly enriched Uranium. The plant was ideal enough to produce over
0 .6 kg of plutonium
In between, the Agreement of
Regional Cooperation for Development of 1964 was a major step towards
strengthening the tripartite relation between Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.
Simultaneously Shah developed keen interest in technical and economic
cooperation with India. With the new cooperation agreement between the Soviets
and India, Iran took no time to step in. By the 1970s A new frontier of
cooperation emerged and that totally pushed Pakistan out. But Teheran strongly
supported Pakistan in the 1971 war, Despite the mounting pressures Iran refused
to activate CENTO for military support to Pakistan. Earlier, in mid-1969,
the Joint Indo-Iran Commission for Economic Trade and Technical Cooperation was
formed. Further in 1983 a Joint commission was formed for a larger economic
cooperation. In 1971 war also, Shah
strongly backed Pakistan.
After the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani looked towards India with a difference.
Bilateral relations strengthened during the Prime Ministership of Atal Behari
Vajpayee with the Tehran and New Delhi
declarations. After a decade, during the visit of Narendra Modi to Tehran, the
trilateral trade agreements and on movement brought Teheran and Afghanistan
together for a joint cooperation.
Despite a series of MoUs and
trade Agreements, Iran always supported Pakistan in all the matters relating to
Kashmir, which was well pronounced during the Operation Sindoor. The only time
neutrality was maintained while Iran was chairing the OIC. Through
Pakistan, Iran wanted to maintain a non-diplomatic channel with the United
States. Pakistan was to insulate Tehran from the US policy of economic and
political isolation. With Saudi Arabia developing closer ties with the
US, Pakistan tried to draw larger gains in the economic fronts. The
sectarian differences between the majority Sunnis and the Shia minority in
Pakistan was not liked by Iran. In turn, Iran gave support to
Institutions of Shias and the Baluchis. Saudi Arabia strongly supported
the Sunni religious groups led to the mushroom growth of extremist groups,
turning against India. The US and Iran were once partners in funding Mujahideen
groups to fight against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The Baloch minorities
in Iran became united and formed Jundullah in 2003.
Indian secularism lies entrapped in
the religious renaissance of Islam promoted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The
religious and educational institutions in India funded by the kingdom led
to an unparalleled growth in Salafism. Recent statement of the Pakistan
Military Chief Asim Munir, that led to the religious executions of Hindu
men at Pahalgam was a message for India. It was an open call to
Sunni Muslims of the Country to fall in the order of Wahabi fisabilillah, and
the return of Jahiliya. The Constituency of the Prime Minister, Varanasi
houses one of the central institutions funded by Saudi Arabia.
Al-Jamia-tus-Salafia - the Markazi Darul-Uloom was founded in 1963 by Yusuf Al
Fauzan, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to India. In Keralam, Nadvathul
Mujahideen and in Karnataka, Shimoga based institutions and in Kashmir Jamiat
Ahl-e-Hadith are the other major beneficiaries. Political Parties with
radical ideology that took shape in Indonesia as Political Defenders of Islam
in the style of Front Pembela Islam -FPI, an anagram of the same was
transplanted in India. The Government of India has difficulties in
dealing with the situations after Secularism, the basic structure of the
Constitution was enforced through a judicial directive.
Indian Political parties
continued their policies overlooking the undercurrents of demographic
instability created through religious institutions. Every Hindu
establishment came under the cloud of some or the other allegations or economic
offences. The refractive politics made India to evade the Zoroastrian community
of Iran. After the religious revolution Zoroastrians had come under severe
pressure and stress. When the opposition Parties voice the concerns of the
historical relations, they also tend to forget the relationship of Zoroastrian
community and India. After the Islamic revolution, New Delhi had a sizable
number of Zoroastrians who refused to identify themselves as Iranians, but were
proud Persians. It does not essentially mean that they were free and were well
treated during the period of Qajar dynasty. They were confined to Yazd and
Kerman provinces till 19th century. Hardly a few had dared to settle
down in Tehran. It was Arbab Jamshidi who made a sea change in the
Persian and Iranian Politics, trade and international relations. He established
trade relations with the Parsi community of the then Bombay, the present-day
Maharashtra and Gujarat. A temple of Zoroastrians was also erected in Tehran.
Most significantly, he established a school for the girls in Tehran.
Zoroastrian community strongly supported the Constitutional Revolution of
Persia between 1905 and 1911. Though much has been said about the
imperialist Russian British interventions, Malek al Motakallemin was the key
figure. He was in India from 1884 to ’86. However, his book Mena’ ḵalq ela l ḥaq on the ideological Shiite
Islam was not acceptable to the Ismailis of India and the British Government
deported him.
All India Congress Committee
support group in London strongly supported the Constitutional Movement of
Persia. Shyamji Krishna Varma was instrumental in gathering large groups of
Indian students in support of the Persian movement. Indian nationalists, however,
seem to have overlooked the Anglo Russian Convention and Edward Grey plan of
dividing Persia into three. In the same convention the boundary between
Russian and British Empires was drawn, that gave complete authority of Tibet to
China. It can be said that the Persian plan of Greys laid the foundations of
British Policy to divide India also into three.
Before the Government of India,
takes a political stand on multipolar conflict in the Western
Front, much more exercises had to be done in the domestic and international
front. It cannot be let open for electoral politics or Parliamentary debates
refractory Politics has to be extinguished by all means.
