APPEASEMENT"--Calming, Reconciling, Acquiring Peace by way of concessions or gifts.
The word became a part of foreign policy lexicon because of Neville Chamberlain's policy towards Hitler's Third Reich during the Years 1937 -1939.Hitler was threatening Czechoslovakia to part with Sudentland apparently because the German speaking population was in majority in the province. The real reasons lay in the minerals and other natural resources the province possessed. France under a pact should have come to the aid of the Czechs. However instead of standing up to Hitler both the French and the British panicked. The Czechs were given the option of either yielding to Hitler or facing the might of the mighty German army ....alone! Under the terms of the Munich agreement between BRITAIN, FRANCE,GERMANY AND ITALY, Sudentland was handed over to Germany.The supreme irony of it all was that the Czechs were not even invited to the Munich conference. Chamberlain on his return from Munich was treated like a Hero and in a speech made famous for its supreme appeasement said " My good friends ,for the second time in our History , a British P.M has returned from Germany bringing peace with Honour. I believe it is PEACE FOR OUR TIME." A few months later Germany and Britain were at WAR.World War II had begun.
1947.....India had attained Independence. A war had been fought over Kashmir and territory obtained at great cost. Kashmir has immense Strategic value due to its Geography and topography. The Indian state instead of assimilating it into the mainstream of the country introduce Article 370 to appease Shaikh Abdullah. The consequences: Indians cannot buy land in the state ,Kashmiri females marrying Non Kashmiris Lose all their property rights, their Chief Minister for a very long time was reffered to as SADR-E-RIYASAT (Prime Minister). Thousands of young Indian soldiers have lost their lives in order to stop Kashmir from breaking away.
CIRCA 1987, the case of an old Muslim lady comes up before the Supreme court. The court in its wisdom applies section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code instead of the Muslim Personal law (yes, personal law is applied to cases of marriages, gifts etc. and there is no common procedure code for these cases) and grants her alimony. The then P.M Rajiv Gandhi defends the decision and Arif Mohd Khan makes a spirited defense. As fundamentalists get active Rajiv Gandhi backs down and a Law is brought in place to negate the ruling of the court. Fundamentalists win and Arif Mohd Khan who has been viciously betrayed by his P.M ,Resigns. The name of the old Muslim lady SHAH BANO.
1989: INDIA becomes the first country to ban THE SATANIC VERSES written by Salman Rushdie. The fundamentalists who were opposing the book admitted that they had not even read the book, but they knew anyhow! The Indian state has a habit of yielding to the bully.
Cut to the present and the singularly happy news of the torch relay for the Olympics passing of peacefully in New Delhi. Singularly happy because all the Govt. offices in the vicinity of the route were shut down from 1:00P.M to 6:oo P.M , ostensibly to provide security to the torch. Knowing how most of the Govt. offices work in the country where empolyees and officers do not venture into the office before 11:00 A.M , I believe you get my point. As per reports the elite N.S.G formed the second layer of security cordon after the first layer of Chinese commandoes. We have reached a depth where we allow foreign security agencies to take over our system. The Chinese should have been reminded that the torch belonged to the International Community (remember Aamir Khan) and was not Chinese and therefore securing it was our responsibility. But then appeasing China has been a policy of the Indian state since our Independence inspite of 1962's betrayal, the open Chinese support for the clandestine Pak missile programme, the open Chinese claim over Arunachal Pradesh ......the list is endless. We appeased China by betraying Tibet in 1950 and today one of the most religious site for the Hindus the Kailash Mansarovar lies in Chinese occupation and Indians need permit to visit the place. Any country with a semblance of national interest would have agreed that a Free Tibet was Best guarantee for Indian borders but then don't we know that the Indian state believes in appeasement of all ! Nation be damned!
I keep referring to the Indian steate as an Indian trait is to blame individuals for failure and apportion victory among all, whereas all of us as citizens of a democracy are equally responsible for the policies being adopted to run the country. After all does a policy of appeasement not affect us adversely as individuals. I appreciate R. K. LAXMAN's common man for his keen observation but his silence has to be replaced by a Speech , a speech so powerful that the World takes notice. We Indians are the successors of Arjuna ,the twang of whose bow GANDIVA use to terrify the enemies and bow them to submission.
We Indians have to prove Gunthar Myrdal's assertion of India being a "soft state" incorrect (albeit it was Economics he was referring to). The appeasement of sections, is not helping the country. Fundamentalists are having a free run, a country which refers to ATITHI DEVO BHAVA (Guest is God) has forced Taslima Nasrin to run away, is on the verge of betraying the Dalai Lama, a neighbour who is itself dependent on a superpower for its needs dreams of bleeding us to death through " A THOUSAND CUTS" (ISI's policy of dividing India). Even Bangladesh , which owes its Indepedence to us can have the audacity to kill B.S.F personnel and parade them around like animals (wonder whether PETA would allow that also).
The common man of the country has to raise his voice and as Swami Vivekanand said "Arise, Awake and stop not before your Goal is reached."
"AN APPEASER IS ONE WHO FEEDS A CROCODILE HOPING IT WILL EAT HIM LAST" ---WINSTON CHURCHILL.
e
