On Sadhvis Haramzaade remark and the BJP stampeding to apologise: If PM Modi and his senior colleagues think that being civilised with the likes of Signora Maino, Azam Khan, the Owaisi brothers, Mulayam Singh Yadav et al, will pacify them and make them respect the rules of conduct in a Parliamentary democracy, they are clearly living in a dream world. If aggression by the opponent means raising the white flag or retreating behind the castle moat at the very first instance, then I am afraid the electorate that gave such a thumping majority to the BJP and its allies only a few months ago may start re-assessing their decision. They wanted a decisive and firm Government that would not shrink from bold decisions on a wide range of issues. They have seen little of firm and deft handling by the present Government on any number of issues; however, cringing withdrawal in the face of wild and aimless sniping is the last thing that people would have expected to see from NaMo and his team. A bit of history is in order. The legendary French soldier Marshal Ferdinand Foch, was faced with relentless attacks from the invading German Army in 1914. Pitted against superior German forces, including massive artillery, the Marshal sent the following message to his headquarters: “My left flank is broken, my centre is crumbling, my right wavers. Situation excellent. I will attack!”. Foch went on to win an epic victory in the battle of the Marne. The moral of this is that a true leader does not crumble under attack. In fact, when he is under severe pressure, the leader starts a counter-offensive that catches the enemy unawares. There is a glorious example of this in recent Indian military history. When faced in September 1965, with a relentless Pakistani offensive in J&K, India opened a second front in Punjab to relieve the pressure and this proved to be a game-changer. That was the great Lal Bahadur Shastri’s bold gambit. If an apposite military analogy is not enough for the PM and his team, let me remind them of the famous advice of Harry Truman, the no-nonsense American President: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. This one is a verified quote; the other statement attributed to him is “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog!” All this is relevant for the present Government and offers most relevant guidelines about how to deal with the rag-tag Opposition in Parliament. The latter may be down in the dumps and dishevelled at this juncture but make no mistake — they are a ruthless band of operators with enormous financial resources and international links. Therefore Mr Prime Minister, stop giving up territory to the gang that virtually hijacked our ancient country and did a halal job on our culture and civilisation. Not to mention our financial resources and capital. History does not treat losers and pushovers very kindly. (via Niti Central)
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 18:20:44 +0000