Congress and Jaishankar Row: India and its people have witnessed a journey that could be likened to a boomerang effect. India went from being known as the “golden sparrow” to being looted by imperialists who came in the guise of traders. To mediate between the colonialists and the Indian revolutionaries, an organisation was established by AO Hume, known as Congress.
Its primary objective was to quell the revolution, which it accomplished, and then later, nationalism. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has now stripped the Congress naked of its sins. But before discussing comments of Dr Jaishankar about the Congress party, it is important to look at Dr. Jaishankar’s journey and how he elevated India to the global stage.
Bharat – The Golden Sparrow
India, referred to as Bharat in the Constitution, has been home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations. You must have often heard that Bharat was called a golden sparrow. There were several reasons behind the same like the fertile soil, appropriate monsoon, a trade hub for the world and most importantly ‘Balance of Payment’.
But history suggests that anything valuable faces the utmost devastations and same was the case with Bharat. The rich heritage and wealth attracted people from around the world, sometimes as traders but mostly as rulers. The land has endured numerous barbaric attacks with the intent of invasion, including those by Turks, Mongols, Afghans, and Europeans.
The grand transfer – From Goras to Bhuras
Modern-day India was born in 1947 when the imperial masters left the Asian land. As we call them in India, the “Goras” left, but they handed over control to “Bhura babus,” under whom the nation, once known as the golden sparrow, became a nation that only survived at the mercy of colonialists.
The ones in charge of running the nation didn’t even recognise India as a nation, as evidenced by their opposition to the existence of defence forces. Yes, you heard me right. India’s first prime minister JL Nehru believed that India as a nation doesn’t need a defence plan. He believed that there were no military threats and police is good enough to meet nation’s security needs.
Fast forwarding to today, India is a leader in various domains, including defence, intellect and geopolitics. It boasts one of the world’s largest military forces and a massive volunteer army. Furthermore, External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar, under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, is responsible for managing India’s foreign policy and image on the global stage.
India – The emerging third pole under Dr Jaishankar
Polity books suggest that India initiated the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War era. However, the unnecessary tilt of socialist Nehru towards Communist Soviet Union was hidden to none. It was the inability to balance between the Soviet Union and America led to the latter funding Pakistan against India.
Well, the situation has changed and now the US President Joe Biden refers to India as a strategic ally on the global stage. France too quotes the Indian Foreign Minister and agrees that Europe’s problem is not the world’s problem and Europe does need to get out of the mindset. This aligns with what Dr Jaishankar had previously said when asked about India’s credibility on the global stage due to its purchase of Russian oil during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Just think a bit, Russia and Ukraine are in between a deadly war. US has imposed heavy sanctions on Russia, inflation is rising and to contain the inflation up to a reasonable level, India imports discounted Russian oil. The decision of importing might have been easier to make than trying to convince the world that India does not support war and that the purchase was made in the national interest. It must have been very difficult to tell the Western world that what India buys from Russia in a quarter, Europe buys in an afternoon.
This was done by Dr Jaishankar. He not only bravely battled all the questions and accusations of funding Russia’s war in Ukraine but also fiercely told the West that it needs to grow out of its imperialist mindset. Building upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “hum na duniya ko ankh dikha kar baat karenge, na aankh jhuka kar baat karenge, but duniya se ankh mila k baat karenge,” and continuing the legacy of the late Sushma Swaraj, Jaishankar has helped India establish itself as a significant third pole on the global stage. This made him the darling of the masses. But few knew that he would excel on the domestic pitch as well.
Jaishankar opens Congress’ Pandora Box
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, during his appearance on the ‘Podcast with Smita Prakash’, recounted how he comes from a family of bureaucrats and that his goal had always been to become a secretary. It must not have been easy for a boy who had seen his father being removed from his post to have such a dream.
Yes, in the podcast, Dr Jaishankar revealed that his father, Dr K Subrahmanyam, was removed from the post of Secretary, Defence Production by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi soon after she came back to power in 1980. He also mentioned that his father was superseded during the period when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister and someone junior to him was made the Cabinet Secretary.
Jaishankar in the podcast said that his father was a very upright person guessing that might had caused the problem. About the removal, Dr Jaishankar said, “In 1980, he was Secretary, Defence Production. In 1980 when Indira Gandhi was re-elected, he was the first secretary she removed. And he was the most knowledgeable person everybody would say on defence.”
Dr Jaishankar then jumps on to the actual dilemma saying, “But the fact was that as a person he saw his own career in bureaucracy, actually kind of stalled. And after that, he never became a secretary again. He was superseded during the Rajiv Gandhi period for somebody junior to him who became a cabinet secretary.”
What happened or say what was done by the government was stripping someone of the post they deserve in all capabilities. Taking about the pain that was inflicted due to these action, Dr Jaishankar said, “It was something he felt… we rarely spoke about it. So, he was very, very proud when my elder brother became secretary.”
With a little bit disappointment Dr Jaishankar revealed that his father could not see him becoming a secretary and he passed away in 2011. At the time he had just got Grade 1 position “which is like a secretary…. like an ambassador.” Jaishankar highlighted that he did achieve the goal to be the secretary but with Tata Sons in 2018.
Jaishankar : The man who takes on Congress every then and now
The recent statement by Dr Jaishankar may have come as a surprise to many, but he has been known for countering Congress-led propaganda. Earlier this month, Jaishankar had taken a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, the Gandhi scion, over his remark about territory loss.
What sparked the row was a problematic statement by Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had said that PM Modi has given “100 square kilometres of Indian territory” to China without even a fight, questioning how it will be retrieved. Responding to this, Jaishankar said that some people deliberately spread wrong news about the China issue knowing it is not true for politics. By talking about some land, which was taken by China in 1952, they give impression this happened recently.
Not only this, in the podcast, Dr Jaishankar said that he would listen to Rahul Gandhi if he has superior knowledge and wisdom on China, as the latter often suggests foreign policy measures. Dr Jaishankar cancelled the notion that the Modi government is defensive on the China front and remarked how the Indian government has sent the Indian Army to the LAC (Line of Actual Control), saying, “Rahul Gandhi did not send them. Narendra Modi sent them.” Dr Jaishankar highlighted that India has today the largest peacetime deployment in its history on the China border. He also accused the Congress of playing footsie with history.
Also Read: Jaishankar is all set to give Hindi some serious global swag!
Congress and its problematic history
The Congress is busy spending its leftover resources attacking Dr S Jaishankar and calling him a failure, at a time when he is probably more popular than any other cabinet minister in the Prime Minister’s cabinet. And he has achieved this on his own by taking on America and Europe, telling them that the 21st century belongs to India and that they are no longer imperialists. But it’s understandable that the Congress finds it hard to understand, given its history.
To the surprise of many who believe that Congress was formed to fight for freedom, it was actually constituted by a retired British ICS officer, Allan Octavian Hume in 1885. What was the agenda? Hume had no plans of setting up a pro-independence organization that would help Indians overthrow the British reign.
Rather, it is said that the British wanted to avoid yet another rebellion like that of 1857, so they wished to create a platform for the people to discuss their political problems. It was said that the Indian National Congress was started by A.O. Hume as a part of Viceroy Lord Dufferin’s wish to create a “Safety Valve” against popular discontent.
The Congress maintained the legacy given to it by the imperialist lords, whether it was during the Red Fort Trials or in the case of the necessity of having an army. The Congress never paid any attention to India’s interests. Under these leaders, India was just toeing the international line, pushing Indians to the brink of poverty. So, with strong leadership at the centre, that speaks of India and about India at any stage, the Congress may find it hard to swallow the bitter pill.
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