President Barack Obama has just completed his second official visit to India, following the visit of the Chinese President. Collective failure of Pakistan’s foreign and domestic policies over the past forty years, where individual and institutional interests prevailed over national interest, haunt us. Our failure to tread constitutional path and vision of Quaid-e-Azam is the root cause of all our ills. We need to analyse India’s strengths and weaknesses in order to prepare ourselves to face a more powerful and economically strong neighbour whose tendency for regional hegemony is becoming more pronounced.
Biggest internal threat to India lies in the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, the insurgencies it faces and its poverty, whilst its strength lies in uninterrupted constitutional rule, economic growth, technological self-reliance, a good tax to GDP ratio and strong judiciary. India survived its diversity by fiscal discipline, corporate regulatory controls, investing in education and institution building.
The electoral success of BJP, headed by PM Narendra Modi, with controversial track record viz a viz members of minority faith, especially Muslims, is condemnable and against basic norms and traditions of democracy. Pakistan and its people must awaken from deep slumber to meet the challenges to its national security through constitutional rule and clamp down on corruption, bribery and abuse of power.
India adopted its constitution in 1949, replacing the Government of India Act of 1935, becoming a sovereign nation. It revoked land holdings acquired by those who conspired with the colonial power, restructured its civil bureaucracy and uniformed forces to serve as servants of people. While corruption has not been eradicated, its independent internal revenue system, police and judiciary have succeeded in maintaining decorum, curtailing flight of capital and human resources with rule of law. Its diplomatic corps have managed to succeed where Pakistan has failed because Indian constitution forbids conflict of interest by banning any public office holder to hold dual nationality or own assets abroad. It has good ties with Iran, Afghanistan, Israel and most Arab countries, as well as USA and Soviet Union, while managing smooth relations with China. Institutional commitment to constitution can be gauged from refusal by the Indian army chief to intervene during Indira Gandhi’s controversial emergency rule.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
