Sir,
This has reference to TJS George’s article titled “Hitler, Nehru & a worthless Bose” in his column Point of View (SOM dated May 2). He used a Pak professor to prop up his dislike against the BJP by comparing what would have happened if Modi had become the PM of India in 1947 instead of Nehru.
This is a matter of speculation and even the greatest thinkers or astrologers would not have been able to predict it correctly. However, 54 years after his regime, we can certainly look back on Nehru’s 17-year regime and decide how good his governance was:
- Nehru over-ruled Sardar Patel and referred the Kashmir issue to the UN. Even after 70 years, this problem is still bleeding India in terms of lives of brave jawans and expenditure of lakhs of crores of rupees.
- In 1950, when China invaded Tibet, which was an independent country and a buffer zone between India and China, and more importantly when both USA and UK offered to help India to get China vacated from Tibet, Nehru refused the offer and supported China! Our country is paying for it even today.
- Nehru continuously downgraded the defence forces (in terms of budget allocation) and treated senior officers like his domestic servants. Their morale naturally was shattered and when required to fight against the Chinese in 1962, their equipment was not up to the mark and we faced a humiliating defeat.
- It is true that Nehru is an architect of Modern India with several dams and PSUs. Unfortunately, many of these dams were ill-conceived and are now just monuments. Regarding PSUs, due to their inefficiency, most of them run in loss and tax-paying citizens pay for their salaries and pensions (example, Air India).
- Regarding hundreds of scientific research institutes, they have no doubt given employment to thousands of educated Indians. But what about the results? Have we produced a single Nobel Prize for scientific research? We are still importing defence equipment as well as mass utility items like smart phones. Is it something that our research establishments could be proud off?
With regard to Modi’s present stewardship, I believe we can judge his performance only after 5-10 years when his regime is over.
– U.B. Acharya , Jayalakshmipuram, 3.5.2018
NOTE: With regard to Item No. 1 in the letter, it reminds me how the UN converted India’s complaint into a dispute and India could do nothing. If it was treated as it was, as a complaint, India could have simply asked the UN to direct Pakistan to vacate the aggression and our problem in J&K would have ended for all time.
Proof, Nehru failed free India and got an endemic, festering bloody wound that India suffers even today. — KBG
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I am delighted to see a truthful response from somebody who followed the history accurately! Every now and then, writer’s become the devil’sadvocate, but TJS George seemed to be on a permanent mission and conmission to do so! He has praised everything Congress did and defended one if the crimes, atrocities, corruption and evil politics that Congress did for 6 decades.
Also, he has badmouthed and continues every ones of the even the best policies and implementations of modi.
Sometimes people say, it is because Modi stopped illegal funds from western countries that was used for promoting conversion and spread communal unrest! Kerala Hindu murders are one example!
George has stopped too low in his efforts to abuse modi and this will be richly rewarded when Congress comes to power.
Also, he is a strong admired and advocate of China and Pakistan and constantly downgraded our armed forces .
He crys that democracy is in danger that has let him the freedom to abuse our PM, chief justice, armed forces, CBI and RSS and BJP, while if he accused Congress during indira regime they would have castrated him .
I completely agree with Issue No 1, It is unfortunate how he handled Kashmir issue. However rest of the issues are overstretched. As an example Nehru encouraged Science and education it is up to scientist and us to work hard and attain level, every progress we are making today is based on that foundation, it is like a parent providing a best possible education to there children.
If one wants to speculate I suggest please study Pakistan history in detail and you will the results of mixing religion with politics and spending too much on military.
It would have been great if Mr. Acharya had provided some proper citations to his claims.
I certainly think Nehru failed India in a big way. A great leader is the one who would have mentored and spawned tens of potentially great leaders by the end of his/her leadership. But Nehru stayed PM for extended periods (he should have voluntarily given up after 10 years) and at the end of his long 17-year govt we got a weak Lal Bahaddur Shastri and then a team of lunatics led by an autocrat. So yes, Nehru failed. But the thing is that all the leaders, including Modi, have not bothered to take the country in any new direction. They just tweak the govt policies a bit and then try to sell all the minor tweaks and tinkering as radical changes. If this continues, in a decade or two, India will be to China what Srilanka is to India. The only way forward is to bring major changes in our society (which is bogged by caste, way too much of islam, too much of hinduism-christianity, superstitions…); in our culture (imbuing decency, civility, integrity, honesty…); in the governance (independent branches- see for example how Mueller team is operating). Unfortunately, there seem to be a very few honest people left for any of that to happen and rest of the people have turned so blindly partisan that they are harming the country at an unforeseen pace (we are just a few steps from becoming either Saudi or Mexico).