As someone with a background in the External Affairs ministry of India and an expert on Indo-Pak relations, it would have been interesting if B. Raman had recalled the words of LK Advani as I&B Minister over 25 years ago when he visited Pakistan. That would have given a context and meaning to the changing times in geopolitics of the region through contemporary history. The analysis is clinical but the conclusions are hazy. It is quite possible that Advani has lost his grip since he is knocking at 80. If he decides today not to withdraw his resignation as President of BJP, it would indeed be an undeserving end to a very significant political career in independent India. I wish he was more rational than emotional during his visit to Pakistan. I agree with Raman that it was an ill-timed visit and the poser in the caption is worth pondering.
Wether Jinah was secular or not has nothing to do with people crying out that Advani has betrayed Hindus .India is a secular nation and all parties need to take this stand.BJP can say anything next time they say in their election rehotric that they are going to change the secular constitution of India.This time if Advani means it and sticks to the stand of secular theory for BJP I will be the most happy individual despite the fact that we Kashmiri pundits have suffered the most as a community in all this tussle.Still my Secular India is great and beautiful as it is.
Some true colours are tumbling out within BJP - and I sincerely hope that people of India is not carried away by the current debate raging in the media. Our country is progressing, and do not derail it like what happened in Iran. Our children should grow as good human beings, and should be proud of their parents - and not as blood soaked zealots !!
It's really unfortunate that Mr.Advani whom all Indians considered as an Iron man has given such a statement in Pakistan that no Hindu can digest forever. What ever we struggle during pre independence time & still struggling is the true lack of unity among Hindus. Why should we fear for anybody for that matter for Pakistan, when the brain behind the Kargil war walked on rose carpet and met the organisations openly in India whom we believe as millitants in India. If Mr.Advani is changing his stand on Hinditva or softening his Hinditva idology , its better in the interest of crores of Hindu's to step down and pave the way for a new comer. I would think Ms.Sushma Swaraj can also lead the BJP in place of Mr.Advani which can counter Congress too !!!
RE:Did ISI play trap for Advani ?
by Narendra on Jun 10, 2005 03:55 AM Permalink
" strongly support his statement.Mr. Jinnah was an secular,he never wanted pakistan to be a muslim state."
If you think Mr Jinnah didnt want Pakistan to be a muslim state then what was the motive behind the creation of Pakistan.. We shouldnt bother whether Jinnah is SECULAR or not but we should bother about how to SECURE Jammu & Kashmir...
sir, how these so called seculars are raising so much hue & cry,over mr. advani's comment? i strongly support his statement.Mr. Jinnah was an secular,he never wanted pakistan to be a muslim state. If seculars in indai were so much secular they could have allowed Mr. jinnah to be the 1st priminister of india.They have not done so bcos they are pseudosecular. In India congress is considered as secular. but i would like to ask if they are seculars then for what they are pleasing minorties? let all the citizens of India to be same,there should no be any minority/majority desparity. but i know that nobody will raise a qestion over the killings of hindus in kashmir, but they will cry for the killings of minorities. is this the secularism? if not then nobody in indai has right to raise qestions over Mr. advani's comment.
Mr. Raman's article gives a new dimension to the Jinnah debate. Perahps, the desire of some of the Indian leaders to project a 'nice guy' image has cost India heavily and perhaps, cunning intelligence agencies of the Western World might have exploited this weakness in the past.
Whether it applies to Advani, especially in the present situation, is a debatable issue. It is quite possible that Advani wanted to debate the issue of 'secularism' more than the issue of 'Jinnah' per se. Of course, it is also possible that Advani, overcome by nostalgia on visiting Karachi, let his guard down.
Could rediff publish an article by some expert pshychologist on this issue?
There was no trap by ISI for Advani by ISI. In fact what he said for Jinnah was to woe Indian Muslim votes. Since BJP disappointed Hindus by not been able to build Ram mandir in Ayodhya evev when it was in power. Now what he said for Jinnah was an attempt to compensate the loss of Hindu votes by winning Muslim Votes. But he forgot one thing that Jinnah is not a respectd leader even in large muslim community of both India and Pakistan. He is just a leader by virtue of formality in Pakistan. His contribution to achieving freedom in acknowledged negatively in both sides. satish sachdeva
