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Kamal Nath heard playing communal politics while talking to Muslim clerics, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Kamal Nath heard playing communal politics while talking to Muslim clerics, video goes viral

A video has emerged of senior Congress leader Kamal Nath allegedly advising Muslims to remain patient till the assembly elections and “we will deal with them later”. BJP spokespersons seemed to suggest that senior Congress leader Kamal Nath was talking about dealing with Hindus on behalf of Muslims.

The video was shared by many on social media and even the senior BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. The time and location of the video are, however, still unknown.


In the video, Nath can be heard saying, “The RSS is associated with Nagpur. They come by morning and leave by night. They have only one slogan, ‘If you want to vote for Hindus, then vote for Hindu-Sher Modi. If you want to vote for Muslims, vote for Congress. They know only these two lines, they know nothing else. This is their politics and you will have to be cautious. They will try to provoke you. We will deal with them later but you’ll have to suffer everything until the assembly elections.”

Congress in its manifesto for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections promised to ban RSS shakhas in government buildings and revoke the permission given to government officials to attend events organized by the saffron organization. Congress also demanded the removal of Deputy Advocate General of the state for speaking out against its manifesto.

In the past, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had compared the RSS with the Muslim Brotherhood. We had speculated then that the Congress may be planning a crackdown on the organization. Kamal Nath’s words in the video, which appears to be authentic, is the surest sign of it yet.

Dear Shashi Tharoor, today a ‘chaiwala’ is the Prime Minister, not because of, but despite Jawaharlal Nehru

Nirwa Mehta
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Dear Shashi Tharoor, today a ‘chaiwala’ is the Prime Minister, not because of, but despite Jawaharlal Nehru

Congress leaders have time and again taken digs at the humble beginnings of Prime Minister Modi. It all started five years back when Mani Shankar Aiyar in January 2014, just a few months before the country voted in 2014 general elections, said, “Modi can never become PM, can sell tea.”

The then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate took this opportunity to make it part of his campaign with widely popular ‘Chai Pe Charcha’, where he held talks and connected with citizens over chai. Aiyar was left to gulp down his words, as a few months later, not only did Modi become the prime minister, he did so with a thumping majority.

But the elitist comments from Congress didn’t stop. In fact, Mani Shankar Aiyar himself upped his game and during the run-up to Gujarat Assembly elections last year, he called PM Modi ‘neech’, a lowly, casteist slur.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad too has made a casteist statement on PM Modi by referring to him as ‘Gangu Teli’ (Modi belongs to the Teli caste). Congress leader Jairam Ramesh referred to PM Modi as ‘Bhasmasur’, a mythological demon, during the 2014 elections.

Not to be left too behind, Congress President Rahul Gandhi himself had once referred to PM Modi as ‘khoon ka dalal‘ after the surgical strikes.

Yesterday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor commented that it is because of Jawaharlal Nehru, the patriarch of the entitled dynasty that has believed India is their family business, that a ‘chaiwala’ has become a prime minister.


Amusingly, Tharoor’s remark comes just months after another senior Congress leader and a staunch Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist Mallikarjun Kharge had said that a ‘chaiwala’ could become a prime minister only because Congress ‘preserved democracy’.

This comes from a party which out of 71 odd years of Indian independence has been in power for 55 years. Of these 55 years, someone from The Family was the prime minister for 37 odd years. Narendra Modi winning elections with a thumping victory in 2014 was a proverbial slap on the collective faces of the slaves of the dynasty.

A man from humble beginnings, with no fortune to spend, no surname to back, has become the prime minister and the elitist Congress leaders cannot digest it.

Shashi Tharoor’s remark is just the reflection of deep-rooted casteist, elitist mindset Congress nurtures while masquerading as a socialist, liberal political party.

So, no, Shashi Tharoor. It is not because of Nehru that a ‘chaiwala’ has become a Prime Minister of India. It is despite Nehru and his progeny that have believed themselves, heirs of the coveted chair, that he has become the Prime Minister of India.

As an aside, the timing of Tharoor’s comment about the Prime Minister being a ‘chaiwala’ is eerily similar to Aiyar’s comment. If history is anything to go by, Congress should be careful of the ides of March.

Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi advises Pakistan government to get their house in order before bothering about Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi advises Pakistan government to get their house in order before bothering about Kashmir

Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has stirred a hornet’s nest across the border by his latest remarks on Kashmir. Addressing the House of Commons in London, Afridi advised Pakistan Government to set their own house in order before worrying about Kashmir.


As per the media reports, the former Pakistani cricketer has urged his government to focus on the developmental work in the current four provinces of Pakistan instead of directing their resources towards the strife-torn Kashmir. Afridi was present in London to participate in an event related to his Shahid Afridi foundation.

“Pakistan doesn’t need Kashmir; it is not able to even handle the four provinces it has,” Afridi said during the press interaction.

In what appears to be an indirect snub to the terrorist organisations based in Pakistan and their ISI handlers, he also stated that people are dying there in Kashmir, it should all stop. Humanity should live. It is very sad to see that people are being killed unnecessarily.

Conscious of the repercussion his comments might trigger back in Pakistan, he also seemed to placate Pakistani establishment by demanding to make Kashmir a Free country.

But the latest declarations by Afridi should be taken with a pinch of salt. Earlier this year, he posted an obnoxious tweet regarding the clampdown on terrorists by the Indian Armed Forces. His tweet triggered responses from Indian counterparts like Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Gautam Gambhir and Kapil Dev, who all blasted him for his tweet on Kashmir.


No one else but Afridi can explain the recent change of heart. Perhaps, he has realised the world is more intrigued by India’s meteoric growth than being engulfed in the hackneyed Kashmir dispute. He may have also resigned to the fact that the only way he and other Pakistani players can get lucrative IPL contracts is by sidelining the Kashmir issue.

Supreme Court refuses to hear plea of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmed Watali linked to terror funding

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court refuses to hear plea of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmed Watali linked to terror funding

On Tuesday, the apex court of the country refused to entertain an appeal filed by Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmed Watali arrested by the NIA in a case of alleged terror funding in the Kashmir valley.

Acknowledging NIA’s submissions that Watali’s release would cause great harm to the ongoing probe in the terror-funding case, the court refused to grant him bail.

Watali was arrested on August 17 last year and was charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 18, 2018, along with Pakistan-based terrorist leaders Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, seven Kashmiri separatist leaders and others in the case of alleged terror funding in the Kashmir Valley.

Zahoor Ahmed Watali, who heads the Trison group, was considered to be a vital link among the extensive network of seditious elements in the valley. According to the IB officials, he allegedly uses his business to funnel ISI funds into Kashmir to promote separatist activities. He was believed to have developed close-knit relations with the ISI officers since his days as a driver of late Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone. He was reputed to be in constant touch with retired and serving personnel of the Pakistan Army and ISI.

This is not the first time Watali has been under the radar of security agencies. In 1990 he was arrested for sheltering terrorists in Kashmir valley. He was subsequently released in April 1991 only to be apprehended later again in August 1994 for connections with the financing of the terrorist organisation Al Burg with Pakistan’s ISI.

A thorough investigation into his bank accounts revealed that he has received extensive remittances from the bank accounts based out of the middle-east countries. NIA alleges that soon after his return from Dubai in October 2011, remittances worth lakhs were transferred to his bank accounts.

The Enforcement Directorate in April 2018 slapped FEMA notice against Watali, accusing him of working as a conduit for foreign funding into Jammu and Kashmir by terror organisations. The ED further added that he couldn’t provide satisfactory explanations about the source of the funds and the remittances he received from the foreign benefactors.

In addition to this, Watali owns large swathes of properties, not just in Jammu and Kashmir but in various parts of the country. He owns properties in plush neighbourhoods in Delhi such as Greater Kailash, Sainik Farms, Chittaranjan Park, DLF Gurgaon, and Kalkaji. He is also believed to have properties in upscale locations in London. NIA found documents at his properties during the raids, hinting that these properties might have been acquired by paying in cash.

The Irish lady’s misconduct is merely the latest in a long list of transgressions by ‘liberals’

K Bhattacharjee
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The Irish lady’s misconduct is merely the latest in a long list of transgressions by ‘liberals’

A video went viral on social media yesterday which showed an Irish lady abusing the Air India crew in vile language because they refused her extra wine. In the video, the lady could be heard saying that she is an international criminal lawyer and has been working for the human rights of Palestinians and Rohingyas.

The sheer entitlement that the lady exhibits has become a hallmark of liberal behaviour in western countries. Liberals in the West appear to live under the delusion that they are entitled to certain privileges and deferential treatment by everyone around them. The lady clearly believes that she is entitled to extra wine merely because she is a proponent of the liberal worldview.

It’s not the first time that a liberal has embarrassed herself in a flight. Earlier this year, a Swedish student created a ruckus inside a flight to prevent the deportation of an Afghan asylum seeker. It might appear crazy but the person whose deportation she was trying to prevent had a criminal record. He had been convicted and spent time in jail. Despite pleas by the airline staff to sit down and obvious disgruntlement of fellow passengers, she continued the ruckus and broadcast it on social media via Facebook Live. She is set to be prosecuted under “for crimes against the aviation law”.

On another occasion, activists prevented the deportation of an asylum seeker on an Australian flight. “I just sat down and made it look like nothing was happening and once the last passenger was on and ready to go I stood up and told the air hostess that I wouldn’t sit down or leave until Puvaneethan was taken off the plane,” Ms Pilbrow, a 21-year-old activist, said.

There are numerous other such incidents. All of this only goes on to show that liberals have complete disregard for law and the convenience and comfort of those around them. Worst of all, they get cheered and receive pats on the back for causing entirely avoidable harassment to those around them.

As the Irish lady proved quite clearly, liberals perceive themselves to be above conventional norms of manners and etiquette. In their world, they are heroes before whom the plebs are meant to shower adulation. Those around them exist solely for the purpose of their gratification. the humanitarian concerns of liberals are not motivated by the benevolent aspects of human nature but are borne out of darker aspirations such as the will to power and a desire for glory.

Liberals harbour a particular grudge towards those performing their duty in an orderly fashion. Perhaps, it is because they have an innate affinity towards chaos or disrupting ‘tyranny’ earns them special brownie points among their brethren. If achieving glory wasn’t the primary objective, then why did the Swedish student broadcast her ‘protest’ via Facebook Live?

Across the world, liberals believe they can abandon common decency and treat those around them they disagree with in the most egregious manner because they have somehow earned that right. The Irish lady believed she had earned the right to have extra wine served to her because she had helped Palestinians and Rohingyas. The Swedish lady believed she had earned the right to harass her co-passengers because it was for the ‘greater good’. But what is the greater good served here really? That a convicted criminal’s deportation was delayed? That a liberal earned herself the right to feel great about herself at the expense of security for others?

These are, surprisingly enough, only minor transgressions liberals have indulged themselves in because of their false sense of superiority and moral righteousness. They have, in the past, much like Jihadis, attacked trump supporters because of differences in political opinion. They have shut down conservative speakers in University campuses. In India, they seek to desecrate the faith of hundreds and thousands of people. They whitewash the crimes of tyrants to score political victories against the NDA government. Journalists even try to hide their alleged financial crimes under the garb of threats to freedom of expression. This is nothing short of a disgrace.

Behind their garb of moral superiority lie a desire to control others and accumulate power. In recent times, their mask has been coming off with remarkable frequency. The vile behaviour of the Irish lady is only the latest is a long list of misconduct by liberals.

SC reserves judgement on Rafale case: Here is all you need to know about the hearing

OpIndia Staff
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SC reserves judgement on Rafale case: Here is all you need to know about the hearing

The Rafale saga continued in the Court today after the Government submitted details of the deal in a sealed envelope on November 12. The non-confidential details were shared with the petitioners as well, as per the court order.

Session 1

Prashant Bhushan

Petitioner M.L. Sharma argued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the deal before negotiations. Senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan made the claim that there was no sovereign guarantee from the French side in the deal.


Bhushan also argued that delivery would have been quicker with HAL and this government has only delayed the delivery of the aircraft.


Bhushan also asserted that government’s claims of secrecy regarding pricing is a bogus argument. Bhushan further argued that authorities had abused their authority by awarding the contract to Dassault at inflated prices and by giving offset to Reliance.

Arun Shourie

Arun Shourie claimed that a company with the experience of Dassault would not have chosen Reliance as an offset partner. He further claimed that the Rafale deal was a way for the Franch company to tide over its financial crisis and therefore, they will support whatever the government says. The actual pricing of the aircraft is contrary to that revealed in the Parliament, Shourie added. He further asserted that HAL was perfectly capable of producing Aircraft, rubbishing claims to the contrary. “If HAL can build Sukhoi, why not Rafale?” Shourie asked.

Attorney General for the Government

CJI Ranjan Gogoi wished to meet an officer from the Airforce on the matter. The Attorney General assured that an officer will be there soon. AG Venugopal contended that the French government’s consent is required for producing the pricing documents. He also asserted that it was for the experts to decide what weaponry is to be bought. AG Venugopal also argued that the Rafale Deal wasn’t a matter for judicial intervention as the allegations have their origins in media reports and rumours. The CJI inquired whether the pricing of the previous deal was revealed in public, the Attorney General said that it wasn’t.

Session 2

The second session began with Air Marshall and Air Vice Marshall in the Court. Answering the CJI’s queries, the IAF officers responded that the latest induction to the IAF was the Sukhoi 30 which were “3.5 generation” aircraft while the Rafale jet is a 5th generation aircraft with stealth technology. The IAF officers were then excused by the Court with the words, “It is a different war game here in Court.”


Voicing the arguments of the petitioners, Justice K.M. Joseph asked the AG how could the Prime Minister announce a new deal in April 2015. The CJI interjected and reminded the Justice that as per his own note, the withdrawal processes had begun the previous month. The AG also stated in Court that HAL offered a time slot that was 2.7 times of what Dassault was taking. The Government also has a letter of comfort by France, the AG said. He concluded his arguments by saying that IAF has been reporting the shortage of aircraft as a consequence of which it will be difficult for them to defend the country.

Sanjay Hegde appeals to ‘Judicial Conscience’

In his rejoinder argument, Prashant Bhushan argued that the objective of the intergovernmental agreement was only to eliminate the need for tenders. Sanjay Hegde appealed to the ‘judicial conscience’ of the Court and argued that deviations from the previous deal ought to satisfy it. He also argued that the Rafale deal cannot be termed an intergovernmental agreement and dubbed it a pure commercial contract with a private company.

Judgment reserved

After both sides presented their arguments in the Court, the three Justice bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi reserved its judgment on the petitions seeking a Court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal.

Jawaharlal Nehru was so humble, he didn’t give Bharat Ratna to himself, just accepted that he was awesome

Nirwa Mehta
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Jawaharlal Nehru was so humble, he didn’t give Bharat Ratna to himself, just accepted that he was awesome

Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, was born on 14th November 1889 in now restored Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

In 1951, after his initial ’embarrassment’ wore off, Nehru accepted that his birthday be celebrated as ‘Children’s’ Day’ in India, not because ‘he loved children’ as it is widely propagated, but because drawing inspiration from Queen Elizabeth II, whose birthday is celebrated as Flag Day to raise money for Save the Child Fund. So humble.

So humble that back in 1955, when then President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was also a Congress leader, before retiring from Congress party politics, conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, to Nehru, he did not say no. Dr Prasad had done so using his discretionary powers and without consulting the Cabinet.

Nehru, instead of declining the honour while the Prime Minister from his own government, just accepted that he was awesome.

And then he had his daughter, Indira Gandhi, work as his unofficial personal assistant during his time as the Prime Minister of India. Nehru served as Congress President in 1934-35 and from 1951 to 54. In 1959, Indira was made the AICC President. Soon, she moved to Nehru’s official residence to look after his affairs. Kind of like how Donald Trump has his daughter Ivanka helping him out.

Indira Gandhi

Speaking of which, the vanity sort of has had a trickle-down effect. After Nehru, his daughter India, too, believed she was awesome and invincible. Following her father’s death, she was elected as a Rajya Sabha MP and served in Lal Bahadur Shastri’s cabinet. After Shastri’s death, Indira was chosen as Prime Minister of India over Morarji Desai, and she did not say no. She, too, was awarded a Bharat Ratna while in office in 1971. She, too, did not say no to the award.

And if we talk about Indira and vanity, could the Emergency be far behind? The victory over Pakistan in 1971, put Indira on the pedestal. But when economy floundered, the opposition increased. Smelling rebellion, Indira promptly imposed Emergency in the name of national security on 25th of June, 1975. And with Emergency, one is reminded of Sanjay Gandhi and how he almost ran the country in proxy along with his friends and the notorious sterilisation program?

Sanjay Gandhi

Level of narcissism was so high that Indira Gandhi’s son Sanjay Gandhi tried to burn down all copies of ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’, a political satire film made on the Emergency. He was held guilty of the same and spent a month in Tihar and the film was finally released in 1978 after Congress lost the elections.

Rajiv Gandhi

After Sanjay Gandhi, who was widely believed to be Indira’s heir apparent (because dynasty trumps democracy) and was expected to succeed her and become India’s Prime Minister, died in a plane crash, the responsibility of taking over the country fell on Rajiv Gandhi’s shoulders. Rajiv, who was a commercial pilot by profession, also did not say no when he was asked by Congress members to contest from Amethi.

When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on 31st October 1984, her son, Rajiv, was asked to fill in her shoes. He, too, did not say no. A former pilot with about 3 years of experience as an MP, was made the prime minister, despite people much senior to him who could have easily filled in. As a newly elected prime minister, he presided over 1984 anti-Sikh riots which broke over the country following his mother’s assassination. After all, it was just the ground shaking after a big tree had fallen. No big deal. <sarcasm>

Sonia Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously. Clearly, he could not have said no. His wife, Sonia, was offered to become the Congress President. Thankfully, that was perhaps the only time someone from The Family said no. Not sure what her answer would have been if Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

Moving on, after staying away from active politics for a few years, Sonia was made Congress President in 1998, 7 years after her husband’s death. She had no prior experience, nor inclination (at least she claimed so), but this time, she did not say no. Within 62 days of becoming Congress’ primary member, she was the Party President.

Rahul Gandhi

In 1999 she fought and won the Amethi seat, which was earlier held by her husband and her brother in law from the family. In 2004, she let the seat go in favour of her son Rahul Gandhi. I recently heard that people in Amethi are so far off from reality that they still think they are voting for Rajiv Gandhi. I’m not sure if it was a joke because, in India, it is very much possible.

Sonia Gandhi is currently MP from Rae Bareilly and after almost 20 years as party president, she passed on the baton to her son, Rahul Gandhi in December 2017. Rahul Gandhi, who was then the party’s Vice President had led his party to as many as 27 electoral defeats. Despite that, even Rahul Gandhi did not say no to his promotion.

Right from 1947 to now, out of over 70 long years, Congress has been in power for almost 55 years. Of these 55 years, The Family has been in power for as many as 37 years. Of course, one would feel vain and entitled. After all, in a democracy like India, Rahul Gandhi has batted for the dynasty in the past.

And going by the precedent set by the royal bloodline, perhaps Rahul Gandhi will offer his own nomination for Bharat Ratna for not having made it to the top post.

Rs 75 commemorative coin to be issued on 75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji Bose

OpIndia Staff
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Rs 75 commemorative coin to be issued on 75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji Bose

The government of India on 13th November announced that a ₹75 commemorative coin will be issued on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the hoisting of the Tricolour for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair.

On December 30 in the year 1943, Netaji Bose had hoisted the first Independent Indian flag in Andaman and Nicobar. On that occasion, he also had announced the islands to be first Indian territory free from British rule. At that time, the islands were under the control of Japan. The Axis powers had liberated the islands from British rule during the World War -II. Bose had renamed the Andaman island as Shaheed and Nicobar island as Swaraj. The Azad Hind flag was hoisted at Cellular Jail in Port Blair.

The finance ministry has issued a notification announcing the release of the coin. “The coin of seventy-five rupees denomination shall only be coined at the Mint for issue under the authority of the central government on the occasion of ’75th Anniversary of Hoisting of Tricolour’ for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair,” the notification says.

Azad Hind Flag. Source: Wikimedia Commons

This will be a 35 gram metal alloy coin, made of 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel and 5% zinc. The coin will bear the portrait of Netaji saluting the flag in front of the cellular jail.  The words “75th Anniversary” will be depicted below the portrait. Words ‘First Flag Hoisting Day’ will be inscribed on the coin in Devanagari and English.

On October 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hoisted the National Flag at Red Fort to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government by Bose.

Defence analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra’s bail application rejected for the second time

OpIndia Staff
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Defence analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra’s bail application rejected for the second time

A camp court at the Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar has declined defence analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra’s bail plea. Iyer-Mitra has been in custody since October 24 for allegedly ‘hurting the religious sentiments’ of the people of Odisha.

This is the second time that the court has rejected his bail plea. Earlier, Iyer was sent to a 14-day judicial custody and lodged at Jharpara jail after his bail plea was rejected by the Bhubaneswar Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM).

On October 24, the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police arrested him in connection with a criminal case filed for his tweets in 2017.

Advocates of the Odisha High Court have been on strike since August 29. An alleged assault on lawyer Debi Prasad Pattnaik by police personnel had made the advocates go on a strike. Meanwhile, camp courts with paralegals representing the parties have been set up in Jharpada Jail to try prisoners, based on a High Court order.

Abhijit Iyer Mitra was first arrested in September for allegedly derogatory comments on the Sun Temple in Konark. He had posted a satirical video on social networking website, Twitter, where he mocked the architecture of the Konark Temple. He had, in the same thread, also clarified that his video was in jest.

A Delhi court granted him bail after he furnished a security of Rs 1 lakh. The court also ordered him to join the police investigation but he did not, alleging a threat to his life. Iyer-Mitra then moved the Supreme Court for protection from arrest. On October 4, the top court refused to grant him bail, saying jail was the “safest place” for him.

On October 24, Iyer-Mitra had also apologised to the house committee of the Odisha Assembly for his comments on the Sun Temple. “I beg apology because of my stupidity,” he had said.

Manoj Joshi, head of the National Security Programme at ORF, who has earlier worked with Iyer, condemned the court’s judgement. According to Joshi, Iyer-Mitra loves to “joke and laugh around”. About him being in jail for over 20 days now for a supposedly sarcastic tweet, he said, it was a “mockery of the law.”

Many prominent people on social media too had reacted on the SC’s dismissal of Mitra’s bail petition.


Iyer-Mitra is the son of former IAS officer V S Chandralekha, who was later the Tamil Nadu president of Subramanian Swamy’s Janata Party, which later merged with BJP before the 2014 general elections.

Though Abhijit’s remarks stoke protests and controversies, it was also opined by many that he was being targeted because he was a guest of Baijayant Panda, the former BJD MP who was expelled from the party by BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik earlier this year. They have said that this is the Odisha CM’s vendetta politics.

The state authorities have also launched an inquiry against Panda who had taken Abhijit Mitra and journalist Arti Tikoo Singh on a chopper ride over Chilika lake. Panda’s chopper was seized by authorities in Odisha for alleged violation of norms.

Can we ask what was the entire cost of Nehru’s 1948 Kashmir blunder?

Abhishek Banerjee
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Can we ask what was the entire cost of Nehru’s 1948 Kashmir blunder?

Growing up in India means that we all know Kashmir to be a dangerous place where precious Indian lives are lost on a daily basis. This has always been the norm, as far back as we can remember. I think that every child knows the expression ‘Line of Control’ or ‘LoC’ by the age of five. Indian soldiers posted in harsh conditions, both civilians and security forces getting killed in the enemy fire and terrorist attacks. The only Indians who might remember a time when Kashmir was not like this would probably be well over 70 years old.

But the fact is that it didn’t have to be so. It is true that there was an orgy of violence at the time of Partition. But eventually the horrors came to an end and people began to rebuild their lives with whatever they had left.

There were other princely states besides Kashmir where things did not go smoothly after the British left. Such as Junagadh or Hyderabad. In fact, Goa was incorporated into the nation only in 1961, after a brief flashpoint with the Portuguese.

But in each of these cases, the problems went away quickly after accession. None of them turned into the living horror that India has been suffering in Kashmir for the last 70 years.

When Pakistan first invaded the then independent princely state of Kashmir in Oct 1947, the Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession to India in return for help from the Indian Army. The Indian Army quickly recovered two-thirds of Kashmir. One wonders how history would have turned out if the Army had been allowed to recapture the whole of Kashmir instead of Nehru making the blunder of taking the matter to the UN.

In fact, India requested UN intervention to broker a peace as early as Jan 1, 1948, when the Army was still in the thick of operations. One wonders what kind of impact this would have had on the morale of the Indian soldier still fighting on the frontier when he heard that his government was already pleading for peace.

The UN brokered a ‘ceasefire’. Since that day, Kashmir has remained an open wound.

Suppose one were to sit down and count the total cost since that blunder in 1948. All the lives that have been lost. All the sufferings that have been visited upon the lives of soldiers and civilians. And all the money that has been spent by the state on preventing disturbances in Kashmir. Don’t forget to count the opportunity cost as well, i.e., what would Kashmir have become today had it been as peaceful as Hyderabad or Goa? Think of the tourist potential of Kashmir. They call it ‘Heaven on Earth’ for a reason.

So what is the total cost? What astronomical sum does it come to?

These days everyone wants to count every paisa and keep the government accountable. Which is fundamentally a good thing. People want to know the “cost” of the 50-day demonetization experiment. They want to ensure that the 3000 crores spent on the Statue of Unity are recovered fully and quickly through stimulus to the local economy. And any loss to the economy, real or perceived, is examined with a fine-toothed comb. Even when it comes to GST, which is an obvious investment in India’s future.

Even economists who advocated for GST on numerous public platforms are quick to distance themselves from any perceived slowdown in the economy, no matter how temporary.


In our current public discourse, it does not matter that India overhauled its entire taxation system in 6 months and came out roaring as the fastest growing economy in the world. Compare this, for instance, to the experience that developed countries like Canada and Australia had with GST.

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These were highly developed countries with 2-3 crore people with almost fully formalized economies.

But who cares if India implemented GST faster and better than most developed countries? Like the quintessential Indian parent, our intellectuals will be happy with nothing less than 100% perfection. Even if India actually did do better than everyone else in the class, i.e., better than the proverbial Sharma ji ka beta.

Curiously, the only thing our zealous media and intellectuals don’t want to tally up and count is the entire cost of Nehru’s blunder in Kashmir.

This must be what makes Nehru great. Indian intelligentsia refuses to evaluate Nehru by an objective standard, or for that matter, any standard whatsoever.

What was the cost of Nehru’s blunder in Kashmir? Nobody knows and nobody wants to find out.

What was the entire opportunity cost of 40 years of Nehruvian Communism in India? Nobody knows and nobody wants to find out.

What was the entire cost of the ‘visionary’ Nehru positioning India on the wrong side of history, believing that the future is full of hope due to the Soviet Union and what it has done?

It doesn’t matter. He was a visionary no matter what. We don’t measure Nehru. We just worship him. Three generations of intellectuals and their students have been paid to believe and propagate that.

In essence, Nehru was a Bharat Ratna because he went where no Indian kid has ever gone before. He was free from comparisons with the proverbial Sharmaji ka beta.

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