The contribution of the Congress to India's progress

If there is one family that has, quite literally, spilled blood (whether or not they have been in power), it is the Nehru Gandhi family. We must never forget their contribution to the country. Of course, while they are in power, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry will not let us forget either.

Here, then, is a summary of the contribution of this family to India and its freedom.

Jawahar Lal Nehru

The Kashmir fiasco. Patel negotiated and got all the other states - all 564 of them. Nehru had to manage exactly ONE - and he messed that up. We still have that conflict raging. Even though the conflict was created by the Nehru Gandhi family, and grossly mismanaged by them, not one member of the family has been hurt in Kashmir. Which is more than what we can say for the innocent Kashmiri youth and the army jawans posted in hostile terrain. How come no one blames the politicians for the Kashmir fiasco? The AFSPA is discussed again and again, but no one discusses why the average kashmiri youth is so disillusioned that terrorism is actually an *option* for them. Why does no one discuss the absolute failure of the national machinery to create a sustainable solution in Kashmir. The Army, after all, is there because you nincompoops cannot do anything. Here is a solution. Lets call the army back, and send the politicians to Kashmir.

The 1962 war: After cries of Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai, the country was "taken by surprise" by the 1962 war(which we lost, irrespective of what the Congress written history books tell you. Net loss of territory at the end of a war is not victory. )
"Taken by surprise" is a very good explanation for a VERY large scale war.

The Father of sycophancy led leadership: The only reason that Nehru became the PM, was Gandhi. All the Province Congress units favored the name of Patel for PM. Gandhi wanted Nehru.  Nehru needed Gandhi to ascend the throne. And then, what does Nehru do? Promptly downplay the importance of all other national leaders  in the history books - reducing them to sidekicks - Tilak, Patel, Bose... have they honestly got their due in our history books? The culture continues in the Congress to this day.

The Partition of India: Did you know that Jinnah started his political career with the Indian National Congress? As late as 1937, he was trying to arrive at ways to integrate Hindu and Muslim demands in a free India? He was trying to create a joint front to face and negotiate with the British. What happened, between then, and 1946, when he put his foot down and asked for a separate Pakistan, no compromise? Take a wild guess. Or, read some more. You might get some very interesting insights into what our "leaders" did to us at the most important time in our modern history.

The Foundation
This has to be given to Nehru - he laid the foundation right. He created industrial plants, and Educational institutions which are still the forerunners in their domains. His focus on self reliance in these domains is also commendable.

Indira Gandhi
Her contribution can never be forgotten.

Emergency
The only leader who can get away with using Emergency blatantly because there is no other way to save her government.

Forced Sterilisations
Her son (Sanjay Gandhi)'s focus on population control was rightly placed. And his integrity in standing up for that reform is very very commendable. Wish a leader with half a spine would get up today and ask us to collectively stop breeding like mosquitoes. But i digress. His methods, however, left a lot to be desired. Targets for Nasbandi, forced sterilisations are hardly the stuff democracies are made of.

The Punjab Issue , Operation Bluestar, and the 1984 Sikh riots
Let me try and explain, briefly, what happened in Punjab. The Akalis, based on the Akal Takht philosophy, were getting political mileage from the Sikhs - the predominant voter population in Punjab. Indira had to find a way to look better than them, and fast. Along comes Bhindrawale - a "Sant" created and nurtured by the Congress. He was an upright man who believed, quite simply, in Sikh supremacy. Slowly, he turned into a Frankenstein. The ISI saw a ripe opportunity here to milk and harvest the state which had contributed the most tothe Green Revolution. It was one of the richest states of the country, and madam herself had created a fissure that was waiting to be exploited. Along came the weapons, and the 'training", and "terrorism" entered the land taht had always known peace between the 2 communities - HIndus and Sikhs. Even the British could not, in all 300 years, divide the Hindus and the Sikhs. Indira did that work admirably well.

When it was not possible to control the terrorism in any way, she had only one option left - to directly storm the Golden Temple. That was the headquarters and that was the only way to do it. It was necessary, even though a lot of Sikhs have not forgiven the desecration. But whats interesting is what made it necessary.

She was shot dead by her Sikh guards. Immediately, the poor, working class Sikh population across the Northern part of the country - people who had nothing to do with terrorism, Punjab problem, or the assassination, were massacred with a planned brutality that had to be seen to be believed. 25 years later, no one has been punished for this massacre.

The Bangladesh War
We won the battle, and lost the BIG war. What has Bangladesh done since its "independence"? It has exported population and terror into India at a scale that cannot be imagined. THAT was one mistake India could have done without.
Part 2 coming up..