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June 9, 1998
SPECIALS
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How Readers reacted to Pritish Nandy's recent columns
Date sent: Tue, 02 Jun 1998 09:10:42 -0400 What is the guarantee that if India stopped nuclear weaponisation, Pakistan would stop developing them and stop supporting millitants in Kashmir? Same way, how would it guarantee that Pakistan wouldn't go for nuclear power later? Peace with Pakistan is not possible until we settle the Kashmir issue. Even after settling the dispute, there is no guarantee that Pakistan would stop its handiwork in Punjab & North-East. Under these circumstances, we have no choice but go nuclear. Pritish Nandy seems to be afraid about the fanatic minds of Pakistanis. He probably fears that they will start a nuclear war with very little provocation.
Date sent: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 14:21:08 -0000 Pritish has again shown his prowess as an anti-BJP crusader. In this one he covertly 'demands' people to elect a pragmatic party to govern, after eloquently professing how big a blunder the present government's decision of N-testing has been. Progress cannot be achieved by discouraging. Sure we'll have to face difficulties, but I think it is common sense to press hard on our unity than discouraging each other at this testing times. Nandy's sympathy for Clinton was totally unwarranted. The USA is in more than one way responsible for the present impasse. If the world lets it go scotfree, the world will have to regret it in future. It becomes more and more difficult to stop them as they are the real aggressors on the planet (and the only country to use N-weapon so far)!! I think the N-tests by India and Pakistan has given a golden opportunity to at least make people think again about the dreaded treaties (NPT, CTBT), and thus realise the hypocrisy involved. I have observed on Japanese television the changes sprouting up in their attitude. They are now questioning the legality of the P-5s retaining their stock while preaching others to desist from the technology. We, Indians, should take the lead on this front than engaging in imprudent mud-slinging on our own people. I request Nandy not to feel too scared. Even if he does, at least do not scare others. India has enough enemies to do that. Let's not lose our way in the confusion of linking our goal with our direction. WE ARE FOR ELIMINATING ALL N-WEAPONS -- BUT LET THE RITUAL BE FAIR TO ALL.
Date sent: Mon, 1 Jun 1998 18:17:17 -0700 Mr Nandy is wrong about Clinton's bullying. The public Clinton is the kind of man who feels your pain. He can never be a bully; he merely concedes if you got the dough to shell out -- like the Chinese did in order to get hitech missile technology from USA. In Clinton's USA, everything is for sale. It is common knowledge that a lot of responsibilities that were routinely delegated to the US state department have been transferred to the US commerce department. Even the Lincoln Room in the White House is for sale if you can contribute to the Democrats's election fund. Clinton does not mind creating pain for others (like the US sales of high technology causes pain for India) because he has taken upon himself to feel that pain -- like Jesus Christ. My dear Indians, and Pritish in particular, please get it in your head for once and all: Clinton nor the Americans give a hoot about your security. All this talk of biggest democracy, freedom and peace is bunk. All that matters is the dollar going to Clinton's campaign and that is the essence of Clinton's foreign policy. The Chinese know it, the Muslims know it, and that is why they are busy buying influence in Washington DC. It is good that the BJP has forced the issue with its nuclear blasts; now there is increased pressure in the USA to get the truth out. Only one person had (and still has) the knowledge and the power to stop the Chinese, and it was (and still is) Clinton, but he chose (and still chooses) to turn a blind eye to it because the Chinese and the Muslims have bought him out. Hopefully, the Republicans will undo Clinton's blind ambition to power -- till then Clinton will feel your pain. Pradip Parekh
Date sent: Mon, 01 Jun 1998 17:15:53 -0400 Pritish Nandy is right when he says that both India and Pakistan's nuclear weapons will never be used by either party. And that it will be in our mutual interest for Pakistan to cease feeding militancy in Kashmir, and for us to, in response, tone down our nuclear ambitions. But then, consider the reality. No Pakistani politician can afford to go back on Pakistan's claim to the whole of Kashmir. Nor can most Indian politicians (and rightly so, in my opinion) who want to preserve their political viability. And indeed those who make much ado about democracy can scarcely afford to criticise those politicians for holding the views they hold, representative as they are of the views of a large majority of their respective electorates. Given these essentially irreconcilable views, which no amount of talking can really reconcile, the only available alternative is war. Ours and Pakistan's nuclear arsenals will, in that sense, serve a useful purpose -- they will ensure that none of us will ever go to a full-fledged war. Our confrontation over Kashmir will instead be a battle of a thousand cuts, Pakistan infiltrating terrorists over the border to us, the ISI messing around in places like TN, Kerala, the North-East, etc, and we doing the same to them in Karachi, Baluchistan and Rawalpindi. At the same time, neither can afford to let the other speed ahead in weapons technology -- this means a costly arms race. I don't like an arms race anymore than Nandy does. But it's pretty much the only way of preserving the tense peace that we have had with Pakistan for 27 years. Until either a breakthrough occurs in the way we (or the Pakistanis) Think about Kashmir, or until the economic pain becomes so acute that a unilateral withdrawal from the race is what makes the most sense, this stand-off is the only, albeit costly, way of preserving peace. India's strategists obviously think that the latter scenario is the likely one, since Pakistan is economically weaker than India is. Let's see... Pritish Nandy also falls prey to the Western view of recent events, which is to treat this as an India-Pakistan thing. That is to ignore the very real threat to India from China. China occupies 38,000 sq km of Indian soil, and covets much, much more. And it is a fact that they have missiles pointed at India located in Tibet. People often dismiss the threat to India from China on the grounds that Indo-Chinese relations have never been better. But consider: Nehru thought exactly the same thing (remember Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai?), contrary to what his generals and intelligence men were telling him, and the result was a humiliating defeat in 1962 at the hands of China. Indian-Chinese relations have also been on an uptick since 1986, which was the last time India had a confrontation with Chinese forces in no-man's land in Arunachal (India bested the Chinese then). Clearly, China is less willing to tackle a strong adversary than one that lets its guard down. India's nuclear tests, while they may have temporarily made relations with China more tense, will pay off in the longer term when China realises that we are ,an adversary they are better off befriending than antagonising, if only because the cost of antagonising India will be as heavy for them as it will be for India. Srinivas Ramdas Sunder
Date sent: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 10:04:23 EDT An excellent, well written piece by Mr Nandy. We can only hope that the powers that be in New Delhi and Islamabad take heed to some of his suggestions. The political leadership in both these countries should realise that neither country can ever hope to derive long-term benefits from the destruction (military or economic) of the other. The expectation of both these countries coexisting in mutual harmony may be an utopian ideal, but reaching that goal midway would be far preferable than retiring to bed every night with the spectre of mutual nuclear annihilation.
Date sent: Tue, 02 Jun 1998 09:14:17 -0400 Usually Pritish Nandy spouts useless Leftist rhetoric. But this time he makes a lot of sense.
Prasad Paruchuri
Date sent: Tue, 2 Jun 98 15:46:14 UT Utterly foolish. Selective argument taking into consideration only the points you want to talk. Or is it ignorance? One wishes that Mr Nandy has as much nationalism, pride and jingoism as Mr Clinton!!! Even a fraction will do! As for Pakistan, its basis and sustenance is the rabidly fundamentalistic Islamic religion (look at the number of terrorist incidents),hatred for non-Muslims,lies and disinformation. Why did Gandhi agree for the Partition of India on religious lines? Of course he was blackmailed by Muslims and afraid of a civil war by Muslims. Mr Nandy forgets that still there are nearly a million deaths and untold misery. To anybody living in India the security threat for the country, its survival and progress, from both Pakistan and China, is evident. Will the USA and Clinton allow such terrorist activities against them from both within and without as is being waged against India? Pakistan and its rulers are not interested in peace and peaceful coexistence. They are driven by Satan, by hatred and jealousy towards India and will not sleep until their religious hatred is quenched.
Date sent: Tue, 02 Jun 1998 10:11:57 -0700 Way to go, Pritish. I believe this time you thought this in your brain rather than your heart as you did last time when you defended Thackeray. Saif
Date sent: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 00:29:57 +0530 This guy has lost his hair and head. Who asked Clinton to play cop for Pak and India and who asked Nandy to play cop for Clinton? If he had to stand up for old Bill, he could have just said that Clinton was impartial. He didn't take sides. He just wants to avoid any possible nuclear arms race in a very volatile and hostile Asia. Instead he starts with Jayalalitha and ends with Gandhiji! The body of the text is Clinton. Just what are you trying to tell us, Nandy? Sudhin U Bhobe
Date sent: Tue, 02 Jun 1998 18:10:49 -0400 A perfectly foolish and nonsensical column written by a perfect fool!! Only FOOLS appoint themselves as "experts" in every field -- from common politics, to art, to science, to weaponry, to economics, etc., and Nandy finds something to say about all as an "expert." Well, every court has to have a jester -- and we have Pritish Nandy!! Both he and Clinton bring much comic relief to an otherwise complex world!
Date sent: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 11:35:45 +0100 Brilliant. Though I do not agree with everything he says, his views do make good sense. Thanks. Raj
Date sent: Mon, 8 Jun 1998 17:42:23 +0900 Dear sir, This article is nothing but junk. I don't know why this guy's (Pritish Nandy) articles are posted on your site. 90% of the time he seems to be a non-Indian telling the people of India how they should think, live, behave. It's no surprise that his popularity has descended steeply in recent years. Believe me your site doesn't need him. Removing his contributions will make your site a better place.
Date sent: Fri, 29 May 1998 05:11:34 -0500 This one is an awesome column by Pritish. Kudos to him for providing a different opinion on the issue and to Redifffor publishing it. Valli
Date sent: Tue, 12 May 1998 12:14:55 -0700 Atta boy, Nandy. Has the real Nandy finally stood up? But what took him so long to understand the Hindu viewpoint on secularism, or what is commonly known as pseudosecularism? The liberal doctrines of pluralism, egalitarianism, secularism and tolerance are just that -- PEST -- when you don't have the necessary muscle to control the logical consequences that must visit the weak society like ours. PEST can be allowed in only when Indian society has achieved the political maturity of the West to deal with the PEST when it gets out of hand. Nandy, however, still does not get the whole picture when he compares Bal Thackeray with Khomeini. I am sure he will realise this mistake in due course having now come thus far. Also, he has failed to notice that those who defended Rushdie were mainly Westerners, there was no known secularist coward in India to have actively defended Rushdie. Yes, Nandy needs to be congratulated for realising that Indians will NOT be sidetracked by Paki showbizz stooges when their politicians and army are fully immersed in terrorism. Indians do have a heart, and at the moment it is bleeding for Kashmir. Pradip Parekh |
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