Last fortnight two events occurredsimultaneously. China decided to redeploy its missiles against India. It declared that itwould isolate India internationally. It would also "exploit India's domesticdifferences" to target the Indian government. Second, a five-member Congress partyteam led by Natwar Singh reached China to make amends for the Indian government'sutterances. The CWC had decided to do this almost a year ago.
Naturally this raisedeyebrows. Criticising the government's foreign policy within India is one thing. Butshould a bipartisan approach be abandoned abroad to favour a nation openly hostile toIndia? Experts ask if the situation has precedents. Well, it does. Our researchers dug outthe minutes of two working committee meetings of other parties in similar situations. Wereproduce extracts from those minutes.
'Raja Jaichand called the meeting toorder. He drew attention to the strange situation arising from Muhammed Ghori'ssecond visit to India. He asked: "What do members feel? Should we support PrithvirajChauhan or Ghori? The second Battle of Tarain is imminent. You recall how last yearPrithviraj thrashed Ghori in the first Battle of Tarain!" Thakur Sahib spoke up."If we don't help Ghori, Prithviraj will win again! He'll become impossiblyarrogant!" "But Prithviraj is family! Should we help an outsider againsthim?" "What good is family, Maharaj? You're not dynasty!"
"This is 1192,Maharaj!" another urged. "The world has changed. What is the relevance ofkingdoms now? Since Alexander we've been living in a globalised age! See what Ghazniachieved! We must move with the times!" "Very well," Jaichand said."Send an emissary to Ghori."
' 'The Chairman, Mir Jafar, called the meeting to order. "I'll come tothe point," he said. "You know that Company Bahadur is at our doorstep. Thanksto Mir Kasim's rigid stand we are in grave jeopardy. There could be war! Buxar willvery likely be the battlefield. What do we do?"
"We can't let one individual endanger the whole kingdom, Jenab!" a courtiersaid. "You saw what happened at Plassey. If we befriend the English we would havepeace and prosperity!"
"This is 1764, Huzoor!" another said. "The world runs on technology. Lookat the firepower of the English! Their cannons! Why not help them and seek technologytransfers?"
"It's decided then," Mir Jafar said. "For the sake of world peace weshall support Company Bahadur."'
To finish my brother,
Shake hands with another!
Nations? Don't bother!
It's earth that's our mother!
