Editor,
Apropos the article, ‘The Unfinished Love Story’ by Paramjit Bakhshi (ST Mar 24, 2016) I wish to express my appreciation for the imaginative and poetic rendition of the story of our land. The irony in the title cannot be overlooked for there was never a love story to begin with. The ‘husband’- an embodiment of politics, only wooed and courted ‘Megh Alaya’ to squander her wealth in providing for the desires and demands of his mistress ‘Personal Wealth’. The lovers that Megh Alaya succumbs to (out of desperation) are no less dangerous. What prospect awaits the ‘woman’ is but anybody’s guess. As of now, the future seems bleak indeed BUT the ‘children’ have not given up hope. Megh Alaya is in her forties. Time is still there to begin a true love story.
Yours etc,.
Meba Blah,
Via email
Revisiting the Nehru years
Editor,
It is important to suggest ?that ?if Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first illustrious PM of Indian Republic is credited for his role in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) then he should be made equally responsible for his disastrous blunders with respect to compromises on international boundaries with both Pakistan and China that resulted in generations of problems for India. Such a tall international figure failed to protect India’s borders during the Chinese aggression of 1962 and was turned down for any help by major global forces of that period like the US and former ?USSR I wonder what the useless NAM platform provided India in spite of high decibel drum beating when the ex PM failed to protect the integrity of the international boundaries of his nation and could not find a single nation standing by India during the crisis. Nehru is solely responsible for his mismanagement of the Kashmir issue, his ‘greatest career blunder’ and always overridden Sardar Patel’s (India’s first Home Minister) invaluable suggestions for which generations of Indians had to pay very dearly.
I am unable ? to understand why an individual who miserably failed the nation during all major crises is religiously worshipped by so called Indian intellectuals not as a politician; but rather as a cult figure and a demi God. Several others like Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad (India’s first Education Minister) who made monumental contributions as architects of this nation d?o not get their due respect as a result of this over-arching shadow of Nehru promoted by sycophants in spite of disastrous blunders he self-inflicted on ?India due to his Himalayan ego that the nation had to pay so dearly for decades?. Undue praise for ?Nehru is the hallmark ?of Indian politics; but we have no words for giants like Sardar Patel or Maulana Azad.
This indicates our ?inability to look beyond the Nehru brand of prejudice as generations of ?Indian historians and socialites and ?so called intellectuals have religiously promoted? over decades for their personal benefits. One has to be truly objective and ruthlessly unbiased in analyzing an individual. It is important to mention that had there been no Sardar Patel India would have been a balkanized and failed republic within a year from the date of independence. The nation needs to show respect to this great son of the soil. Historians need to be objective in interpreting the past with honesty and without bias and refrain from iconic worship of individuals for personal and political benefits.
Yours etc.,
Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge
AB Canada T1J 4B3