Experts dismayed at Indian response to West Asian crises

[ROUDRAM]

Dismayed at the “overcautious” attitude of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government while responding to the West Asian crises, experts have warned that lack of clarity of the Indian foreign office may rob the country of any sympathy in the region. “It is obviously in our interest to be on the right side of the new forces that will emerge to prominence in Egypt. They will remember who supported them in their hour of history and who sat on the fence,” cautions Chinmaya R Gharekhan, who served in Egypt.

However, officials here believe that situation was still fluid in the wake of the army now stepping in to support President Hosni Mubarak. “Till yesterday, inputs from Cairo had suggested the picture was not yet clear, which is why we took our time,” they explained. In a measured response, India viewed the situation as an articulation of the “aspirations of the Egyptian people for reform” and hoped the crisis will be resolved in a peaceful manner in the best interests of its people.

Describing the protests as an “internal affair” of the country, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna hoped that a solution acceptable to the protesters will be found. A statement by the External Affairs Ministry also said that India continues to closely follow the “mass protests in Egypt which are an articulation of the aspirations of the Egyptian people for reform.”

In the absence of a clear chain of command among the protesters, India is treading a cautious path, sharing worries of the West that the Islamic Brotherhood may take control. Assailing such views, Gharekhan, the prime minister’s former advisor on West Asia, says India has nothing to fear from such a development. “At least we Indians must not make the mistake of shunning whatever government comes to power in Cairo through a peaceful, democratic process. Governments around the world will have to deal with it since it is not the Gaza Strip that can be ignored,” he believed.

Egypt and Tunisia may be hundreds of miles away from India, but security experts here are seriously debating the consequences of revolution on South Asia and more particularly on Jammu and Kashmir. Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal, director of the army’s think tank, Centre of Land Warfare Studies, fears that the Kashmir situation remains volatile and subterranean tensions may again rise to surface without major provocation.

“If the Kashmiri people come out on the streets of Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara, Anantnag and half a dozen other towns like they did in 1988-89, in today’s mega-media age, it will be well-nigh impossible for India to” keep the situation under control, he says. “The government of India must lose no further time in meeting the aspirations of the Kashmiri people for autonomy and self rule within the framework of the Indian Constitution. It is time to stop inflaming passions on votebank-based party lines and to act in a statesman-like manner in keeping with the national interest.”

Major General Dhruv Katoch, a former senior officer of Military Intelligence, believes that the Tunisian revolt was a wakeup call not only to Arab states with autocratic rulers but to the subcontinent too. “The situation in some of Pakistan’s provinces is more volatile and a spark could set a rebellion in the already troubled Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces and in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas,” he says.

Meanwhile, Dabur and Marico have suspended their operations in Egypt. “At this point of time, there is disruption in trade – both export and import dispatches from Egypt have been kept on hold,” said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisation.

[POOLA RANGADU]

This is an INTERNAL affair of EGYPT. It might appear to be a good cause...to voice FOR the revolt in Egypt. But this might result in eventual MONARCHY...which might again result in ANARCHY.

TUNESIA..is also right next to egypt and is also on the verge of a revolt against their current leader.

It is very IMPORTANT to stay balanced and CAUTIOUS before commenting about other countries internal affairs, unless requested to be HELPED.

This is the same mistake INDIA did in SRILANKA's case.

[PAVITHRA]

[quote author=POOLA RANGADU link=topic=150612.msg1754645#msg1754645 date=1296668487]
This is an INTERNAL affair of EGYPT. It might appear to be a good cause...to voice FOR the revolt in Egypt. But this might result in eventual MONARCHY...which might again result in ANARCHY.

TUNESIA..is also right next to egypt and is also on the verge of a revolt against their current leader.

It is very IMPORTANT to stay balanced and CAUTIOUS before commenting about other countries internal affairs, unless requested to be HELPED.

This is the same mistake INDIA did in SRILANKA's case.
[/quote]
@gr33d @gr33d

[ROUDRAM]

[quote author=POOLA RANGADU link=topic=150612.msg1754645#msg1754645 date=1296668487]
This is an INTERNAL affair of EGYPT. It might appear to be a good cause...to voice FOR the revolt in Egypt. But this might result in eventual MONARCHY...which might again result in ANARCHY.

TUNESIA..is also right next to egypt and is also on the verge of a revolt against their current leader.

It is very IMPORTANT to stay balanced and CAUTIOUS before commenting about other countries internal affairs, unless requested to be HELPED.

This is the same mistake INDIA did in SRILANKA's case.
[/quote] @3$% @3$% @3$% India did not do any mistake in srilankan case............ there were some people in the govt who wanted IPKF out of srilanka......... they passed on wrong intell to the armed forces on the ground

[POOLA RANGADU]

[quote author=ROUDRAM link=topic=150612.msg1754652#msg1754652 date=1296668575]
@3$% @3$% @3$% India did not do any mistake in srilankan case............ there were some peopelw in the govt who wanted IPKF out of srilanka......... they passed on wrong intell to the armed forces on the ground
[/quote]

whether it is the IPKF or intelligence forces or the leaders...who entered into the SRILANKAN scenario, it is still treated as INDIA.

[ROUDRAM]

[quote author=POOLA RANGADU link=topic=150612.msg1754674#msg1754674 date=1296668767]
whether it is the IPKF or intelligence forces or the leaders...who entered into the SRILANKAN scenario, it is still treated as INDIA.
[/quote]

so why dont you talk abt operation cactus......... where indian army restored the govt of maldives .......

FYI if india just sits quite and watches............. its gonna loose big time lo CHina.......... especially in middle east and  North african countries

[POOLA RANGADU]

[quote author=ROUDRAM link=topic=150612.msg1754710#msg1754710 date=1296669016]
so why dont you talk abt operation cactus......... where indian army restored the govt of maldives .......

FYI if india just sits quite and watches............. its gonna loose big time lo CHina.......... especially in middle east and  North african countries
[/quote]

this is not a show of knowledge .

i posted my view. You post yours.  I support the current stand of the PM. U can have ur own stand.

Ur giggling and scoffing is uncalled for and makes u look silly. this is not a personal comment.  I understand u want to prove urself smart.Too bad, i DONT get provoked ONLINE.

[ROUDRAM]

[quote author=POOLA RANGADU link=topic=150612.msg1754858#msg1754858 date=1296670302]
this is not a show of knowledge .

i posted my view. You post yours.  I support the current stand of the PM. U can have ur own stand.

Ur giggling and scoffing is uncalled for and makes u look silly. this is not a personal comment.  I understand u want to prove urself smart.Too bad, i DONT get provoked ONLINE.
[/quote]

TO have a stand one should have some knowledge and understanding of the situation

any ways i am not  MR.Knowitall

[D9]

[quote author=ROUDRAM link=topic=150612.msg1755168#msg1755168 date=1296672954]
TO have a stand one should have some knowledge and understanding of the situation

any ways i am not[color=red]  MR.Knowitall[/color]
[/quote]  @3$% @3$% @3$% @3$% @3$%