But before that, she went round the world beseeching Europe and America to intervene on behalf of the people of East Pakistan to restore them their Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in Pakistani custody somewhere in Pakistani Punjab, and honour the people’s mandate. She continued her diplomatic endeavour, while the Opposition right from Jai Prakash Narayan to the Jana Sangh and some sections of the media kept harassing and mocking her as ‘powerless and gutless’. Wonder whether Mr Modi would care to remember that. But it is worth remembering to learn from her strategy and experience and how she succeeded in her effort.
Cut to our times: when we were welcoming “Doland” Trump, as Modi addressed him in Ahmedabad, the US was playing footsie with Imran Khan, working out a plan to withdraw from Afghanistan without any serious damage or casualties to US/NATO troops. For that, they did a deal with Pakistan to hand over Afghanistan on their departure to these soldiers of fortune, the people, specially women and children of Afghanistan, be damned.
Just like we ignored the threat of Corona, till it hit us on the forehead, we not only turned a blind eye to the US plans but even despatched our External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Doha not once but repeatedly to register our agreement with the deal of US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who many in Afghanistan call “Zalim Khabeeszad”.
As for China, for all its support to Pakistan, the advent of Taliban regime will encourage Islamic jihadists in Uyghur and endanger Chinese security. Perhaps that is what the US may have had in mind as a bonus when they readily handed over Afghanistan to these Pakistani mercenaries. Therefore, for all its commitment to Pakistan, it can’t go the whole hog and turn a blind eye to the expansionist designs of these neo Islamists.
But we kept following faithfully the Americans even to our utter disadvantage. When we were getting oil cheap from Iran and were also offered a direct pipeline, when we were developing the Chabahar port, we dutifully obeyed Trump’s diktat and abandoned all our national interest.
Today the only way to approach Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan is via Iran. But that needs some kind of commitment of friendship treaty with Iran and thus help the Afghan people liberate themselves with our support.
It’s a test of Modi’s imagination and enterprise and it remains to be seen how he fares.
What was Indira Gandhi’s ultimate strategy to secure Bangladesh from the clutches of the army Junta of Pakistan? That’s the need of the hour in Afghanistan as well. Yes, we have to reassure the people of Afghanistan that we are with them and would come to their aid and defence in every which way. But before that we need to do a lot of diplomatic homework.
Sure, we need to secure our western borders before that, not by crushing the Kashmiris under the boot of the Indian armed forces, but by winning their confidence and taking them along in this struggle.
It is Modi’s moment. If he succeeds in chasing away the Talibani mullas from Afghanistan and restoring a modern democratic government in Afghanistan, all his past sins may be forgiven and he may long be remembered in history as a liberator. I wonder, though, if he and the RSS have it in them, given their past narrow mindedness.