On the right side of history
Raza Ali
For at least the last 50 years, I have been noting that India had always been late in making decisions. There are multiple examples of how India hurt itself making delayed decisions. One of the examples from recent history is the Indian decision of turning towards the American bloc, when Americans had already played their game with Pakistan, and India could see it, but could not understand the consequences, and took a wrong stance.
But, now I can see for the first time that India has taken timely decision to stand on the right side of history. I think, the credit for this shift in Indian policy must be given to Dr. S. Jaishankar’s farsightedness. It seems that Dr. Jaishankarhas succeeded in rising above petty positions and has realized the place that India can, and will enjoy in the global game.
I think the Indian foreign office has, for the first time, started realizing, India’s potential, and has decided to play it cool. India showed its resilience, and said: “NO” to the colonial masters for the first time. This is the first time in recent history that India has openly said NO to western hegemons. The Indian decision to buy Russian Oil for Indian Rupees or Russian Rubles is a slap on western face.
Let me just go back to 1948. The very first military conflict between Pakistan and India. Do you remember that in 1948 Pakistani and Indian armies were under British Chiefs of Staff. When the issue of Kashmir rose, one of the those British generals, refused to support the country of his deputation, while the other one encouraged dislocation of large numbers of military personnel to the conflict zone. This instigated a conflict, which has not come to an end till date. Please remember, both of the Chiefs of Army Staff in India and Pakistan, in 1948, were loyal to their British crown. They fulfilled the orders of the same British crown.
A few decades later, when Pakistan was playing to the tune of the American fiddle, Pakistan turned from a tolerant society into an Islamic extremist society, where inter-faith tolerance gave way to extremist ideas and killing of a brother by a brother. Infliction of damage by neighbor on neighbor. A society, which progressed, seized to comprehend the meaning of the word “progress”.
Then the Soviet Union collapsed, the world order changed, and India decided to hug the American dream. India, the country, which outlawed cast based discrimination right after independence. A country, which cherished its secularism. A country, which even had Muslim and Sikh Presidents, turned into a Hindu nationalist state.
This all happened and is happening, but why? Why did India abandon its secularism? Why did Pakistan, seize to be a country for the progressive citizens of all faiths? The answer is, the injection of British bred American hegemonic colonialism.
But, now, when India has decided, under the futuristic vision of Dr. Jaishankar, to stand on the right side of history, and get rid of colonial lords forever, is Pakistan also looking in the same direction? I hope, yes.
But, when I look towards Islamabad, I see a Prime-Minister, who does not want to kneel in front of the colonial lords. I see a foreign minister, who wants to join the correct world order. But I also see opportunistic, monetarily inclined, shortsighted politicians, who are ready to dance to the colonial fiddle, and keep us enchained forever.
Although, we had always been ahead of India in making proper decisions, I dread the outcome of such narrow political perspective of those, who cannot see any further than their own noses.
If we do not succumb to the immediate personal benefits, our future as a country, as a society, and as an important member of a multipolar world, is very bright. We have the alternative access to the world, in the shape of Gwadar. We will facilitate international trade, bypassing European ports, and of course the western hegemony. There are projects under way to establish all central Asian and Russian trade through Pakistan. CPEC is no secret as well.
So, are we going to stand on the right side of history, or are we going to jump back into the colonial lap, just to satisfy the personal interests of shortsighted individuals, who are still on the first steps of human evolution?
The decision lies with the people of Pakistan, but this decision has to be made now, before we fall back into the trap of the-empire-of-lies, led by the Americans and the British.
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