Operation Pushback

Operation Pushback IN the distant forties, when the elitist leaders were much exercised over the pros and cons of conceding the demand for Pakistan, one particular expression found its way into the political vocabulary. The morality or otherwise of 'dismemberment' of the nation was the staple of many artless debates. Nearly half a century has elapsed, first Pakistan, and, following the hash the Pakistani rulers made of their relationship with the people of its eastern wing, Bangladesh have since emerged as political realities. These may perhaps be cited as two successive instances of 'dismembering' not so much the Indian nation, but of the empire British might had once put together This business of dismemberment would, in retrospect, appear to have become a self-perpetuating habit. If Punjab and Kashmir are today in effect almost totally alienated from the rest of India, the credit firmly belongs to the political establishment which, but for short interruptions, has been continuously responsible for the country's administration. Indira Gandhi's determination not to allow the Akalis to win the elections in Punjab in 1980 or her decision to eject Farooq Abdullah from 'the chief ministerial slot in 1984 had little to do with specific national interests.