HVK Archives: Towards making India invincible
Towards making India invincible - The Observer
Dina Nath Mishra
()
May 21, 1998
Title: Towards making India invincible
Author: Dina Nath Mishra
Publication: The Observer
Date: May 21, 1998
I distinctly remember articles and booklets making fun of RSS
shakhas, saying that m this age of nuclear bombs what can RSS
volunteers do, dressed as they are m half pants and wielding
lathis. It goes without saying that RSS cannot produce nuclear
weapons in shakhas or anywhere else, but RSS branches can
certainly produce men with courage, conviction and determination
and that is what matters. In fact, that is what had mattered.
one bold step of Vajpayee has made people of India proud. They
can hold their heads high with a sense of achievement hitherto
unrealised by the successive governments.
Attaining the status of a nuclear state is certainly a turning
point in Indian history. There was no doubt about the nuclear
capability of India for the last 15 years. But five blasts have
confirmed the capability. Particularly the thermonuclear blast -
which was actually the explosion of a miniature hydrogen bomb -
has demonstrated to the world that India's nuclear science and
technology are tending to measure up to those of the most
advanced nuclear powers of the world. It was a pretty serious
decision, for the most powerful country of the world, the US, had
been vetoing India's option to go nuclear. The threat of economic
sanctions had been looming large over India. In a way, Pokhran
tests of May 11 and 13 were like challenging the might of United
States. The situation called for the highest level of seriousness
on the part of Prime Minister Vajpayee. The likely economic
fallout of the sanctions imposed by the US and a few other
countries too was calculated. Certainly, the Vajpayee government
has tremendous confidence in the Indian people. The response of
the Indian industrial sector reciprocated the confidence Vajpayee
government had in it.
But, a considerable number of political commentators, including
some belonging to political parties, can't see beyond the tip of
their nose. They are prone to speculate politically even about
the most vital decision concerning security and future of India.
Some commentators wildly imagined that Vajpayee has opted for it
expecting nationalistic euphoria that would enable him to go for
mid-term poll to get the clear mandate for the party. Nothing
can be farther from the truth than this flight of imagination. A
statesman of Vajpayee's stature cannot think of exercising
nuclear options for electoral gains. Some other stories suggested
that nuclear tests were conducted to improve the sagging image of
the government which suffered a lot during the first six weeks
because of squabbling of certain coalition partners.
To assess the full import of these nuclear tests, one has to peep
into the history of a nationalist movement called RSS. For over
70 years, a prayer is recited in every RSS branch. The whole RSS
ideology of nationalism is there in a nutshell. It is a Sanskrit
prayer:. Ajaiyanchs vishvashya dehischa sashaktim, meaning
thereby, "Oh mother, give a power to this nation which is
invincible." Here the point to differentiate is that the RSS
prayer did not supplicate that India be a mighty country which
can conquer the whole world or even the mightiest. The prayer
only inspires to make this nation powerful enough so that cannot
be defeated.
In the millennium which is ending, India has undergone a most
tortuous period at the hands of barbaric invaders. Waves after
waves of invaders from the north west came to India, lynched
lakhs of people and looted this land. Innumerable people of this
country were converted at the point of sword. The history of this
millennium is full of struggle, defeat and at times victory.
But the soul of India was unvanquished. Whatever may be the
fanciful historical explanations forwarded by pseudo-secularists,
the fact remains in the residual mass memory that the country has
a blood-soaked millennium. Even during the partition of the
country, 20 lakh people lost their lives. A country which has a
history like this must aspire for invincible defence capability.
And that is what the RSS prayer says among other things. This
prayer is not a formality in the RSS branches.
I distinctly remember articles and booklets making fun of RSS
shakhas, saying that m this age of nuclear bombs what can RSS
volunteers do, dressed as they are m half pants and wielding
lathis. It goes without saying that RSS cannot produce nuclear
weapons in shakhas or anywhere else, but RSS branches can
certainly produce men with courage, conviction and determination
and that is what matters. In fact, that is what had mattered. one
bold step of Vajpayee has made people of India proud. They can
hold their heads high with a sense of achievement hitherto
unrealised by the successive governments.
In fact, nuclear weapon was on the agenda of BJP and its earlier
incarnation, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. How could this become a
matter of commitment for them? In early 1960s, BJS national
council meet took place in Bhopal. Dev Prasad Ghosh was the
president of Jan Sangha. In the session during the discussions on
a resolution, there was amendment moved by a delegate that India
should produce the atom bomb, for it would act as deterrent and
no enemy would dare attack India. At the end of the discussion,
party president Dev Prasad Ghosh, while appreciating the spirit
of the amendment, requested the mover to withdraw it, but the
mover went on insisting on it. Many leaders from the dais
requested for the same. The reaction was just the opposite.
Almost the entire lot of delegates stood in support of amendment.
>From then onward, there was no going back on the commitment of
the exercise of nuclear option. All the election manifestoes of
the BJP also repeated this commitment. When the opportunity came
this time after the elections, the National Agenda of governance
also contained this commitment.
During the Bangla crisis in the early 70s, Indira Gandhi, the
then Prime Minister, disregarded the threat of 7th fleet of US
armed forces camping m Bay of Bengal and achieved the
independence of Bangladesh. Every Indian bowed before the
courage of the lady. When she opted for Pokhran-1 in 1974, it
was the beginning of the journey towards invincibility of the
country. The developments during 80s and 90s made US the
mightiest power of the world.
Our Prime Ministers, right from Rajiv Gandhi to I K Gujral, could
not dare think of exercising nuclear options due to three
factors. The first was the American threat of economic sanctions
and the mindset of the bureaucratic and political elite that
India cannot withstand the sanctions of the economic powers of
the west and the east. Second, the historic load of
demoralisation of the last 1,000 years has incapacitated most of
them. They often underestimated India's potential and were
overawed by advanced powers. Many of them act as intellectual
slaves even today. Even if former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao
thought of going nuclear, immediately he was browbeaten by US.
Thirdly, nobody among them had a correct sense of history or
vision and mission of this great country of 1,000 million people.
Vajpayee distinguished himself from the rest of the Prime
Minister by taking this bold decision and bringing about a
turning point m Indian history.
Ram Janmabhoomi Temple issue was the symbol of assertion of the
pride of Hindu society and its psychological liberation. But
exercising the nuclear option is much more important, for it
seeks no further humiliation for this nation.
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