As I am writing this, a couple of loudspeakers, somewhere close to my house, are blaring out all the evil deeds of the current Congress government, which even a couple of days ago, they were supporting in the name of secularism. Isn’t politics a funny game – wife today, bitch tomorrow.
Really, what’s wrong with them ? They just don’t seem to get it right. Someway or the other, they always end up on the wrong side of nationalism. Now, overt nationalism isn’t a good medicine either. It leads to the side effect, called fascism. BJP, almost touched that milestone, but just fell short – just short of a few seats in the Parliament.
Our red friends – no I am not yet ready to call them foes – look like a deluded lot. Caught in a crossfire, between American dollar and a stone-age-relic of an ideology, they just can’t make up their mind on any issue, where US is involved in any way. The mention of US just makes them jittery, shakes their knees and freeze their feet. Strangely though US dollar does not. I guess money is like Deng’s cat – doesn’t matter what color it is of, as long as it is invested in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura.
Ever since, the first outline of the deal had begun to take shape, Karat Inc. has been on it – like a true communist – tearing it apart. Their only ground or reasoning back then was, that the deal was with US, and hence, unacceptable. Then, they sat with a giant magnifying glass, sadly not to understand the deal, but to find a loophole that they can beat the Government with and justify their premeditated stance. And they found one. The Hyde Act. That ensured a lot of headlines and sound bytes, and of course, a near death of the deal.
Karat’s brinkmanship and mindless posturing pushed them to and beyond the point of no return and as a consequence, their inconsequential pull out. When will our red friends ever learn ? Not that they are a bunch of school drop outs. Their rank and file can boast some of the most intellectually active minds, with degrees from Ivy league Universities or Institutes. But perhaps, even education is not enough to penetrate this impervious wall of ideology. Probably that’s why, in 1942, the imperial WW 2, over night became people’s war, the British became red ally, that’s why in 1948, independence became jhoota (false), that’s why in 1962, India became the aggressor in the Indo-China war, that’s why the naxal movement in the early 70s in Calcutta saw graffiti that screamed, “China’s chairman, our chairman”, that’s why the 1981-1989, Russian occupation of Afghanistan was ok and probably that’s why the current Indo-Us deal is so unacceptable. Habits die hard and leopards don’t change spots.
I am no fan of nuclear energy, at least not in its current avatar, but I am certainly one up for research in this sector. That is the main reason for me to be excited about this deal and not the power shortage that it is supposed to meet, or the nuclear bombs that it will enable us build, but never use.
Sure, there will be something that India will have to give in order to get. That’s quid pro quid. Sure, how much is India giving, of which the Congress hasn’t been entirely honest, is a serious matter of debate. Sure, US has its own history of arm twisting. But to oppose something, just because, US is involved, is nothing but a bad hangover of the cold war era.
Oh…..these communists. When will they ever learn ?
Tags: Communists, India, Indo-Us, Nuclear, West Bengal
