In his speech ‘India and Beyond’, Shivshankar Menon envisioned India from the eyes of Sardar Patel. By Iknoor Kaur
We all know about the bloodshed of innocent lives that cost Partition in 1947. What most of youngsters are not aware of is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s landmark extempore speech which immediately put breaks on the then sporadic game of blood and gore. In a bid to recall Patel’s contribution to modern India, Shivshankar Menon delivered a lecture organised by All India Radio. Titled ‘India and Beyond’, his speech looked at India through Patel’s vision. He stated that through all of Patel’s endeavours, what stood out was his integrity. He also added, “It was the same integrity and clarity that Patel displayed in his understanding of the world and India’s place in it.”
He continued, “Patel was a realist, who understood the balance of forces and placed little reliance on international understanding and institutions. But unlike present day Kautilyas or Machiavellis trying to claim him as their own, Patel’s was a realism tempered by principle and integrity. He had confidence in ourselves and the ambition to try, all based on a strong patriotism, (not chauvinism).”
Talking about present-day India, Menon commented, “India too is different from Patel’s time. We have gathered experience and expertise, and we have active media and public involvement in policy which was absent in the forties and fifties. But with all these achievements and improvements in our strength do we display the confidence and ambition that Patel didIJ I am afraid that not all of us do.”
He also brought up the issue of the recent uproar over the Prime Minister’s word with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. He said that India has still not learnt how to deal with its neighbour. “When 40 self-styled experts and some political groups say do not talk to Pakistan until ideal conditions exist and all terrorism stops, it betrays a lack of self confidence. That is precisely what the terrorists and their sponsors in the Pakistani establishment want, for us not to talk to those in Pakistan who might differ from them. Our Pakistan policy still faces the dilemmas that Patel’s generation faced — of how to prevent the enemies of India from having their way.”
“Not talking does not change the behaviour of our enemies. In fact it hands them a success that only encourages them,” he added.
However, in contrast to that he also stated that Patel’s advice regarding Kashmir is what we follow today. “Today, in effect, we follow Patel’s prescription against taking the Kashmir issue to the UN and have been successful in preventing international meddling in what is our internal affair. As for Pakistan, she is committed, albeit reluctantly, since the Simla Agreement of 1972, to deal with us bilaterally on all issues — as was Patel’s preference,” he shared.
He also spoke on the much talked about Indo-China relationship. “The matter of our dealings with China is more complex. You must all be aware of Patel’s letter to Nehru of November 7, 1950. It bears re-reading in full today for the clear headed appraisal it makes of the situation. One and a half months after writing this letter Patel passed away. The discussion on these issues that was to take place with Nehru, never did. One of the fascinating ‘what if’ questions in our history is the course that events would have taken with China if we had acted with sufficient vigour on Patel’s suggestions, when they were made,” he said.
As he called Gandhi the country’s moral compass and referred to Patel as the national security calculus, he said in his closing remarks, “If we are to transform India, a realist or ‘Patelist’ engagement with the rest of the world is what we must implement; engaging the world from strength while recognising reality for what it is, foreswearing hubris and belligerence.”