TOPIC OF THE DAY – “Manufacturing Nationalism”
The decision to commemorate the ‘surgical strike’ of 2016 goes against the grain of Indian tradition
Observing the politics of his day many years ago a wit in Britain is said to have remarked “Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel!” The wag in India would be forgiven if in a reference to political practice here he were to replace ‘patriotism’ in the bon mot with either ‘nationalism’ or ‘secularism’. Right now, however, it is the observation on the uses to which the former is often put that is all too relevant for this country.
Commemorating an action –
Even as we have grown accustomed to election time being turned into silly season by rival political partiesscrambling for attention, nothing could have prepared us for the latest missive from the University Grants Commission (UGC), a body originally conceived to nurture our institutions of higher education. It is reported that the UGC has issued notice to the universities that they should prepare to commemorate the ‘surgical strike’ on India’s north-western border which we are informed had taken place on September 29, 2016. This is disappointing to say the least, for we build public universities so that they hold up a mirror to ourselves, not so that they serve the interest of the government we elect. Public universities in a democracyare to be allowed independence from the government of the day and, equally important, its individual members must be assured freedom from the dictates of the majority within them. This is not a utopian proposal as much as something essential for the advancement of knowledge, to which our progress is tied.
As in the age-old dictum, “all is fair in love and war”, everything appears acceptable to this government as it prepares for the election of 2019 looming ahead. It has gambled on the value in its game plan of keeping alive the memory of India’s response to a cross-border intrusion in the recent past.
Two questions arise when we reflect upon the action that is to be commemorated. First, how significant was it? Second, is it a wise thing to do to bring details of a military action into the limelight? In the history of India’s defence engagements on the western front since 1947, the action in question is hardly the biggest or brightest.
War Years And Response –
Surely, India’s response to the infiltrators from Pakistan who had invaded Kashmir in 1948 was more impressive. While, of course, the wars of 1965 and 1971 were far bigger, in 1948 India not only was struggling to find its feet after the trauma of Partition but also was a fledgling country beset with economic hardship. That in the midst of all this the Indian armed forces air-lifted to Srinagar were able to achieve what they did is remarkable, especially given the terrain. Only the political leadership of the time is accountable for why the action did not fully secure India’s borders by removing the invaders from the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir, an outcome believed to have been considered attainable by the then Brigadier, K.S. Thimayya, who had participated in the action and had asked for some more time to achieve the end.
In an inexplicable move, Nehru had vetoed this proposal and taken the matter to the United Nations. The Mountbattens, who were allowed to influence events in India for far longer than they deserved to, are believed to have had a role in this. But whatever is the truth, nothing that could have been achieved at the border in 2016 can match the action of 1948. Surely the people of India can see this, arousing scepticismover the motive for the commemoration of a mere ‘surgical strike’. None of India’s Prime Ministers had gloated over victory in war. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s humility helped him steer clear of this in 1965, and Indira Gandhi, not given to undue modesty, did not make capital out of the India-Pakistan war of 1971, which had left the adversary not just bloodied but halved. It was left to others to liken her to Durga. In their dignified silence, India’s former Prime Ministers had followed the practice of great leaders who refuse to glory in aggression. The countries of Europe remember the sacrifices of their soldiers in the two World Wars but they do so with restraint. Can it be said that they love their country less for merely wearing a flower for a day, not requiring their great universities to celebrate victory in war?
WORDA AND MEANINGS –
wit
Meaning : the capacity for inventive thought and quick understanding; keen intelligence.
Synonyms : intelligence , intellect
Antonyms : silliness
Example : “she does not lack perception or native wit”
accustomed
Meaning : customary; usual.
Synonyms : habitual , regular
Antonyms : unusual
Example : “his accustomed route”
missive
Meaning : a letter, especially a long or official one.
Synonyms : letter , note
Antonyms : note
Example : “yet another missive from the Foreign Office”
conceived
Meaning : create (an embryo) by fertilizing an egg.
Synonyms : invented , imagined
Antonyms : demolished
Example : “she was conceived when her father was 49”
dictates
Meaning : state or order authoritatively.
Synonyms : commands decrees
Antonyms : follows
Example : “the tsar’s attempts to dictate policy”
dictum
Meaning : a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source.
Synonyms : maxim , precept
Antonyms : request
Example : “the dicta of High Court Judges”
looming
Meaning : appear as a vague form, especially one that is large or threatening.
Synonyms : tower , impend
Antonyms : fade
Example : “vehicles loomed out of the darkness”
gambled
Meaning : play games of chance for money; bet.
Synonyms : ventured , hazarded
Antonyms : ascended
Example : “he gambles on football”
intrusion
Meaning : the action of intruding.
Synonyms : interference trespass
Antonyms : consideration
Example : “he was furious about this intrusion into his private life”
commemorate
Meaning : recall and show respect for (someone or something).
Synonyms : celebrate , remember
Antonyms : neglect
Example : “a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the war dead”
fledgling
Meaning : a person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped.
Synonyms : novice , rookie
Antonyms : professional
Example : “the country’s fledgling democracy”
beset
Meaning : (of a problem or difficulty) trouble (someone or something) persistently.
Synonyms : harass , assail
Antonyms : defend
Example : “the social problems that beset the UK”
terrain
Meaning : a stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features.
Synonyms : region land
Antonyms : space
Example : “they were delayed by rough terrain”
invaders
Meaning : a person or group that invades a country, region, or other place.
Synonyms : devils , antagonists
Example : “it is a country that has repelled all invaders”
deserved
Meaning : rightfully earned because of something done or qualities shown; merited.
Synonyms : merited , rightful
Antonyms : unmerited
Example : “a deserved standing ovation”
scepticism
Meaning : a sceptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.
Synonyms : suspicion , mistrust
Antonyms : trust
Example : “these claims were treated with scepticism”
steer
Meaning : guide or control the movement of (a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft), for example by turning a wheel or operating a rudder.
Synonyms : guide , direct
Antonyms : abandon
Example : “he steered the boat slowly towards the busy quay”
undue
Meaning : unwarranted or inappropriate because excessive or disproportionate.
Synonyms : inordinate , immoderate
Antonyms : due
Example : “this figure did not give rise to undue concern”
adversary
Meaning : one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute.
Synonyms : opponent
Antonyms : supporter
Example : “Davis beat his old adversary in the quarter-finals”
sacrifices
Meaning : an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity.
Synonyms : offerings , oblations
Antonyms : continues
Example : “they offer sacrifices to the spirits”
restraint
Meaning : a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control.
Synonyms : constraint
Antonyms : freedom
Example : “decisions are made within the financial restraints of the budget”
