However, surrounded by belligerent and unscrupulously expansionist neighbours, India had no alternative but to create its own defence umbrella.
The era of imperialism and colonialism is long over. Young millennials read about it in history textbooks, novels and story books. The much-romanticised advent of democracy and the hopes, expectations and aspirations that were savoured during freedom struggles rather globally, have also acquired a pragmatic and experiential perception among the voters who are supposed to be the ultimate sovereign. The strengths, weaknesses and vulnerability of the elected representatives and political leadership, including those elevated to positions of power, have also emerged very prominently. In India, elections are no more fought in the true spirit of democracy as articulated in the Constitution of the country. Who is not aware of the dependence of most of the political outfits on money power, caste combinations, regional and linguistic considerations and attempts at communal polarization? The spirit of unselfish public service stands replaced–exception apart–by the stories of meteoric rise in affluence and economic status of well-known “leaders” who, amazingly, continue to win elections which have become the prerogative of only those with huge financial resources at their disposal. Higher requirement of funding for elections leads to certain obvious inferences, ballooning corruption being one of these. There is also a disturbing outcome of the present situation that has crept in the system in the shape of foreign intrusion and involvement in the election process. Obviously, it could lead to severe corrupt practices and create a playground for the unscrupulous internal elements. There are examples of such manoeuvres and manipulations in several countries, and India needs to remain on an awakened alert. While several state agencies dexterously look after the varied factors on security and defence, both internal and external, the role of education in preparing people and the nations remains most critical and crucial. It is education system and its content, process and pedagogy that needs to promote patriotism, love for the nation and its people, strengthen the spirit of democracy and constitutional values, including the fundamental values enshrined in the Article 51-A of the Constitution of India. Our post-independence experience clearly confirms that “people get the government they deserve”. It should be an eye-opener to everyone, as the decline in human values all-around is evident to one and all. Obviously, it could happen only when citizens are not adequately prepared by the formal education system as also the social systems in internalizing the essence of democracy and obligations to the nation and fellow human beings. This must be countered and contained before further deterioration sets in.
The process of inclusive growth and development proceeds at the right speed only when the nation values its culture, progressive traditions, people love their nation, the knowledge systems are well looked after to prepare well-equipped, innovative, inspired, skilled and devoted manpower. If schools and institutions of higher learning are functioning well, the nation proceeds ahead with assurance and confidence. There, however, is one factor that deserves priority in every sense, as in its absence, things can fall apart at any time. In the current global scenario, nations have no alternative but to give top priority to their defence needs, both external and internal. This aspect has a context to be analysed particularly over the last eight-nine decades.
Having suffered two world wars, and the inevitable violence, loss of life and destruction associated with it, the global communities realized that humanity was in dire need of a peaceful world. Peace became the global aspiration. The League of Nations was created on 10 January 1920. It was endorsed by 41 nations in Geneva on 15 November 1920. The United Nations Organization–now UN–was created on 24 October 1945 in San Francisco. Both of these were aimed at recreating the common civilizational practice of arriving at a consensus through sincere dialogue and informed interaction. India offers one of the finest examples of the dialogical tradition. The intent was very succinctly expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” Sadly enough, wars, violence, deaths and destruction continue unabated! As if the sufferings inflicted during and after these were not enough, the humanity, in addition; faces ever-increasing curse of fundamentalism, terrorism, hatred and mutual distrust. It is the mutual distrust that makes every nation spend far beyond their genuine capacities on defence and security needs of the nations. In such conditions, huge spending on armament research, production and purchase is inevitable. What was achieved in Los Alamos on 16 July 1945 at 5.29 am, was effectively lost in Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki on 9 August of the same year. It brings forth the famous lines of Bertrand Russell: “Man has no chance of survival if knowledge only remains knowledge but if we could transform knowledge in to wisdom; he would not only survive but will be able to ascend to greater and greater heights of achievements”.
However, those in positions of power sometimes take decisions that display total lack of the education of the heart, and absence of empathy and compassion, the basic human traits that could never be ignored.
Things are becoming more complex by the day, contexts are changing fast and several alternative futures are being visualized. The nuclear arms race that includes production, accumulation, and keenness to make increasingly lethal weapons forced the developing countries to shift focus to security needs instead of much-need enhanced focus on elimination of hunger, removal of poverty, combating ill-health and universalizing education, and participate in the arms race. The bipolar world witnessed creation of military alliances that promised security to member states, to be partners in wars that may ensue in future. Those outside such agreements had no alternative than to strengthen their defence preparedness to live in peace. They had to equip themselves with deterrent capabilities and that that meant a big dent in their budget obviously, at the cost of huge reductions in schemes and programmes related to poverty alleviation, health infrastructure and health concerns. Organizations like UN, and its own creation, the UNSC, just watched the situation rather with unstated unconcern. They have only a formal presence the nuclear arms race continues undisturbed; creations like CTBT and NPT are meant just for meetings, deliberations and preparing minutes for record! The Russian-Ukraine war when analysed incisively clearly indicates the grim scenario before nations like India. Surrounded be well-known belligerent and unscrupulously expansionist neighbours, India had no alternative but to create its own defence umbrella. That not only justifies but makes Pokhran-I and Pokhran-II India’s vital and compulsory necessity.
Professor J.S. Rajput works in education, social cohesion and religious amity.