Jaswant-Jinnah-Jeopardy
The "Party with a Difference" has shown that it has become a debate-stifling, party that tolerates no differences. By expelling Jaswant Singh, an intelligent patriot whose service to the country has been immeasurable, it has shown its preference for dogma over critical thinking. Jaswant Singh is one of the very few, if not only, politicians to have held all the top portfolios (Finance, Defence, External Affairs) except for Home in independent India. He was instrumental in guiding India’s rise as a global power during his tenure in the government. He is probably the only BJP leader in its top echelons who has actively served in India’s army and fought for it.
Are the party’s leaders so blinded by their ‘ideology’ that they fail to see the larger potential agenda behind Jaswant’s praise of Jinnah? For peace to exist between India and Pakistan on India’s terms, it is crucial that Pakistanis do not feel that India wants to conquer them. By continuously denigrating Jinnah, Indian politicains have effectively been saying that they do not believe in Pakistan’s legitimacy. Re-evaluation of the role of Pakistan’s founder can actually help ease Indo-Pak relations. Prior to the 1940’s, it is accepted by many that Jinnah did play a positive role in the evolution of Indian nationalism. To demonise his subsequent actions without an attempt to understand the motivation behind them serves no good.
In general, robust debate and re-examination of history always leads to a better understanding of the past, which leads to a better understanding of the present.Jaswant in no way implied that his views on Jinnah had anything to do with the BJP. Most BJP leaders who were party to the decision to expel him probably haven’t even read his book. Have they even quoted any passage from his book which could be seen as damaging to Sardar Patel’s repution? I doubt it.
It truly is a sad day for Indian politics when the main opposition party shows it is lacking in intellectual vigor and that ideological rigidity triumphs over long term national interests.
