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No lessons learnt from Afghanistan



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No Lessons Learnt From Afghanistan

The Statesman (New Delhi)
December 28, 2000

Sir ? The Indian government?s decision to befriend the generals in
Myanmar (Burma) is distressing on all counts. It is sought to be
justified by an appeal to pragmatism. If we have at all learnt any
lessons from history, it will be clear that the new policy is anything
but pragmatic. No nation has ever derived long-term pragmatic dividends
from a policy of befriending military juntas in other countries,
particularly neighbouring countries, where a strong public sentiment for
democracy exists.

What our government, in effect, is doing is making the people of Myanmar
permanently suspicious of Indian intentions. This is what we did in
Afghanistan when the Russians invaded that country. We sided with the
Russians and their puppet Najibulla. As a result, we have no friends
amongst the Afghan people, not even amongst the small group which is
still trying to fight the Taliban.

We must remember that the military juntas are not permanent; this one
seems to be on its way out. Only the people are permanent, and the
people in Myanmar are not with the generals. If any short-term gains are
achieved now by the rulers in Delhi, these will turn out to be illusory
within a decade, if not sooner.

I have no doubt, that when we were actively supporting the luckless
Najibulla of Afghanistan, there was no dearth of knowledgeable
commentators like J K Dutt (Ties with Myanmar, 30 November), who were
applauding the government?s policy. In the event, it did not help the
Russians and it did not help us.

We are constantly at pains to remind the world, at least those parts,
which may be listening, that we are the ?largest? democracy in the
world. If numbers are a merit in themselves, we should certainly
congratulate ourselves. However, population explosion is not a great
achievement. The quality of our ?democracy? is certainly not something
we can be happy about: look at the number of criminals among our
legislators. Let us not compound whatever merit may have survived in our
democracy by supping with the generals who, not long ago, brutally
suppressed the verdict of elections. ? Yours, etc., T S Gill.
Shillong, 3 December.



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<b><font size=+2>No Lessons Learnt From Afghanistan</font></b>
<p>The Statesman (New Delhi)
<br>December 28, 2000
<p>Sir ? The Indian government?s decision to befriend the generals in Myanmar
(Burma) is distressing on all counts. It is sought to be justified by an
appeal to pragmatism. If we have at all learnt any lessons from history,
it will be clear that the new policy is anything but pragmatic. No nation
has ever derived long-term pragmatic dividends from a policy of befriending
military juntas in other countries, particularly neighbouring countries,
where a strong public sentiment for democracy exists.
<p>What our government, in effect, is doing is making the people of Myanmar
permanently suspicious of Indian intentions. This is what we did in Afghanistan
when the Russians invaded that country. We sided with the Russians and
their puppet Najibulla. As a result, we have no friends amongst the Afghan
people, not even amongst the small group which is still trying to fight
the Taliban.
<p>We must remember that the military juntas are not permanent; this one
seems to be on its way out. Only the people are permanent, and the people
in Myanmar are not with the generals. If any short-term gains are achieved
now by the rulers in Delhi, these will turn out to be illusory within a
decade, if not sooner.
<p>I have no doubt, that when we were actively supporting the luckless
Najibulla of Afghanistan, there was no dearth of knowledgeable commentators
like J K Dutt (Ties with Myanmar, 30 November), who were applauding the
government?s policy. In the event, it did not help the Russians and it
did not help us.
<p>We are constantly at pains to remind the world, at least those parts,
which may be listening, that we are the ?largest? democracy in the world.
If numbers are a merit in themselves, we should certainly congratulate
ourselves. However, population explosion is not a great achievement. The
quality of our ?democracy? is certainly not something we can be happy about:
look at the number of criminals among our legislators. Let us not compound
whatever merit may have survived in our democracy by supping with the generals
who, not long ago, brutally suppressed the verdict of elections. ? Yours,
etc., <b>T S Gill.</b>
<br>Shillong, 3 December.
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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