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April 24, 1998
SPECIALS
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How Readers responded to Ashwin Mahesh's last column
Date sent: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 17:05:32 -0500 Excellent article! It looks like a foreign policy expert's opinion. The article not only advocates an Indo-centric foreign policy but also clearly states the framework. Please send this article to the foreign affairs ministry and PM's office. Sateesh
Date sent: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 11:50:43 -0700 To read such a coherent analysis about foreign policy was refreshing. Unfortunately, there are too many vested interests fomenting xenophobia for their own nefarious aims. If you probe deeper, it is possible that these interests are opposed to "Western" ideals of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" and would rather have Control, Hierarchy and Sectarianism: values very useful to them, instead. Milind Padki
Date sent: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 21:27:39 +0900 I really like this article. As an Indian who has spent many years abroad, I have often felt that Indian culture does not teach Indians how to grasp power confidently and use it maturely, yet effectively. I think this is because India, by and large, is still trying to understand how power should be effectively and appropriately wielded. The existing widespread corruption of Indians in high places is one symptom of this. The fact that Indians will attack anyone in power as a matter of principle is another symptom. The fact that our foreign policy often appears to be incoherent, unrealistic and based more upon vague philosophical notions than clear understanding of the ground realities is, in my opinion, a collective manifestation of the same problem. It shows that we are still struggling to develop a strong national ego, the prerequisite for dealing in a rational manner with power. The fact that, in the past, obviously talented Indian sporting teams have tended to crumble in the face of competition pressure is another symptom (this is fast changing, I have to admit!). I really think India and Indians will not be able to confidently assert themselves (consistently) on a world stage (or, for that matter, at home) until we clearly grasp what it is that confers power, don't feel apologetic about using that power for our own ends, yet succeed in not misusing it. I think the above sentence will appear to contain a contradiction to many Indians -- how can one use power primarily for one's own ends, and yet not misuse it? But it is in fact necessary for us to find a way to do this. The entire American economic system depends for its functioning on the fact that many individuals, each trying to individually pursue their own good, can still succeed in creating a country that confers properity on (almost!) everyone. The key problem lies with people who have power using it in a way that furthers the collective good while also furthering the personal good. Prem Janardhan
Date sent: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 13:31:01 +0400 The author simply seems to equate India's poverty to the defence expenditure ignoring completely that we have been completely looted by colonialism for two hundred long years. If we are not able to protect our interests we again stand a chance to suffer at the hands of current global economic and military powers. Hari Prasad
Date sent: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 14:02:49 -0400 Ashwin, I liked the underlying point of your article "Solidarity of Democracy." Americans are a people who love to be admired as shining beacons of everything that is right in this world today, and if Vajpayee comes out and says (somewhat like Iran's Khatami) that we admire you (Americans) and wish to incorporate some of your values/viewpoints within our own world-view to make India a greater nation -- it could lead to a rediscovery of two of the greatest explorations in the politics of democracy that the world has ever known. God knows that there are more obvious commonalities between the US and India than needs stating but the average American and the US media at large is barely (or only subconsciously) aware of this glaring fact. And explicitly stating/publicising this fact could potentially turn into an Indo-US love affair which we (Indians) could certainly do with in this age of ISI, M-11s, Ghauris, Kashmir/NE militancy, Chinese incursions and so on. However I don't understand why you are so hung up on the China-Pak-Iran axis. I think its clear that China is one nation that consistently and singularly works on its territorial, political, economic goals -- and makes friends and foes accordingly. We happen to be on the wrong side of this equation b'cos of the border dispute and the support for the Tibetan cause (real or otherwise) which China takes very seriously. I think a lot of Indian policy-makers tend to overlook this fact (asylum to the Dalai Lama) as a major source of friction -- but I've met tons of Chinese students and professionals in the US (both pro-Communist as well as anti-Communist) who continue to view the Dalai Lama as a threat to the unity of their motherland. No, I am not advocating ditching his holiness. But we need to understand the mindset of the Chinese a little better. They have shown themselves to be accomodating to change which is evident from the new generation of rulers who have assumed power in Beijing. They are warming up to the West, rethinking supply of weapons of "mass destruction" to Iran, they have also acted reasonably in Hong Kong and are playing a very responsible role in the East Asian Economic crisis. We Indians need to give them enough reason to rethink their policy vis-a-vis Pakistan. Our options could range from quick settlement of the border dispute, playing a more active role in Sino-Tibetan discussions, to engaging China economicaly and finally arming say Vietnam and Taiwan with Agnis and Prithvis which would make Beijing feel tomorrow the way New Delhi feels today. Given these options (none of which are being actively formulated or implemented by our esteemed foreign policy makers today) I'm sure the Chinese will come around to being more reasonable. And that leaves only Pakistan for us to handle -- but that'll be my topic of some other e-mail. Aninda Mitra
Date sent: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 13:16:40 EDT Simply superb Dr Sujeeth Reddy
Date sent: Fri, 01 May 1998 14:33:03 -0500 Ashwin Mahesh's analysis of India's foreign policy is really brilliant and very pragmatic. It is time India moves forward to advance its own interests based on freedom and democracy. What we need today is a whole army of writers, like Mahesh, which devotes on real issues that concern India and its security rather than the bogus issues of "secularism' or on the divisive politics. The readers should respond and encourage the genuine nationalistic columnists and that is the way to build a strong country.
T R Rao
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