Prakash Karat's views on Indian Army show he's living in the wrong country

The fact that fading politicians are always desperate for limelight to revive their sagging careers is no secret.

A few minutes of media glare, they hope, would kick-start a flagging career and maybe their party would suddenly recognise their capability.

Mani Shankar Aiyar rushed to Srinagar, seeking to hobnob with the Hurriyat, knowing that even when his party (Congress) was in power, they had refused to bend.

He went knowing well that TV reporters would follow him and record every word he speaks. But as a result, he, like his predecessors, came back empty-handed.

The latest to join the list of publicity-seeking politicians is Prakash Karat of the CPM. His article, in his party’s mouthpiece, is based on incorrect information, twisting of facts and half-truths.

His most controversial line was that the Army was toeing the line of the government. I do hope he realises that we are in India, where the Army is a part of the government, but has no role to play in governance.

Does he also realise that the Army and the government work hand-in-hand towards a common goal?

The goal is to normalise the situation in Kashmir at the earliest, to enable the government to push its agenda for peace forward.

I sincerely hope that he does not expect the Indian Army to behave like its Pakistani counterpart, which is at loggerheads with the government.

A tweet by a major general, the director general Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) of Pakistan, had compelled Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to call a cabinet meeting to defuse the situation. I also hope he realises that the Pakistani Army is independent of government checks and balances, and solely the power which refuses the polity to engage in talks.

Is this the type of army he desires in India, not toeing the government line but being independent?

If so, then I feel he is living in the wrong country.

I have still to understand his logic that throwing stones and petrol bombs as also demanding "azadi" is a political protest.

"Azadi" instigated by Pakistan implies breaking away from India, not any special privileges as a region of the state.

He is possibly the first politician to call locals supporting militants, who attack and seek to kill security and other government personnel, as political protestors.

I wonder if the party philosophy propagates this thought. He mentions excessive force being employed by the Army and the chief supporting Major Leetul Gogoi in the same context. If Gogoi had employed excessive force, the death toll would have been astounding on both sides.

It was to avoid excessive force that Gogoi took that action. How skewed can political thinking become.

Karat has again put his foot in his mouth by commenting that the Army chief taunted protesters to take up arms. This possibly is the only time when he has made a logical comment even without knowing it.

When anyone opens fire, the Army is legally permitted to respond, in the act of self-defence, however, it cannot do so against stone-throwers, hence has been compelled to withdraw from encounters due to the presence of large numbers of locals throwing stones.

The Army does not retaliate to stone-throwers, letting the police and CRPF handle it. His most illogical comment was that the government cannot find a solution employing force, but by political means. 70 years, including governments supported by his party have failed, and now there is a realisation.

In every case, where the nation has been able to broker peace, Punjab, Nagaland and Mizoram, it has been from a position of strength.

The Army creates the environment and the government launches its initiative. 70 years, innumerable opportunities and governments, including those his party supported, failed.

Negotiations can never take place from a position of defeat or being on the back foot. Let us give the present strategy a chance.

I can only hope that our politicians mature and make comments which have a meaning, rather than write only to seek a few minutes of prime time, to boost their sagging careers.

India needs maturity in its polity, not loose cannons.

Also read: Kashmir human shield: Major Gogoi’s actions were clearly criminal