Is Sam Pitroda Crazy?

Sam Pitroda has put his foot in his mouth thereby giving the BJP a huge stick with which to be beat Congress. A statement of that kind made three or so weeks away from general elections seems suicidal. This begs the question – Is he crazy?

The simple answer is NO. He is not crazy or suicidal (politically). So what explains the outburst? A “cui bono” analysis is needed here. A lot of peaceniks and left wing loonies will talk about peace even over dead Indian bodies. Guys like Sudheendra Kulkarni, Judge Katju or the entire aman ki asha brigade are repeat offenders of this. But they can afford to say it and get away with it because they do not have to face the voters. Pitroda is very closely associated with Congress and knows what he says has political ramifications for Congress especially the Gandhis. So on whose behalf did he make the statement?

Twitter handle @DrGPradhan has my support despite being reviled by many twitteratti on the right. I consider him as a fellow Modi supporter. For me that is enough. One thing he harps on is an active cooperation between 10 JP and Pindi. On the face of it, both have a common enemy – Narendra Modi. But the theory of cooperation between ISI/Pakistan and the grand old party of India, even to avid Congress haters, may seem a bit farfetched. It would seem too much. But it is this context, Pitroda’s intentions can be explained.

Imran Khan is an isolated man. His plans for Pakistan’s economy lie in tatters. He looks weak in front of the public and knows can be made a sacrificial goat by the army. He knows that there is no talking to Modi sarkar without giving them what they want (and he can’t acquiesce to those demands because the army would not let him). The only thing he can do is influence the Indian voters through his proxies. First attempt was through JeM who carried out the Pulwana attacks. They had hoped for a Manmohan Singh like response which would lead to Modi’s electoral loss. Instead they got the Balakot attack which totally changed the security paradigm in South Asia forever.

So Imran reached out to his other proxies and asked them if somehow public opinion can be changed in the favor of Pakistan. In face of Indian media’s inability to do so, that responsivity fell on Congress. Enter Sam Pitroda who though he was close enough to Congress be taken seriously but removed enough to not damage Congress. Maybe what he said could have been worded better but evern as it was, it would’ve worked with anyone except Modi. Unfortunately, Modi is such skilled politician that he turned it around and made it all about nationalism. Boom! What was supposed to be a favor for a friend across the border has now become a millstone around the neck of the very people Pitroda was supposed to protect.

Maybe, just maybe, Gaurav Pradhan's worst case scenario is correct and 10 JP and Pindi really are connected.

Peace Was a Possibility

Imagine a Scenario.

It is after 25th Dec 2015. PM Modi’s visit to Pakistan is over. A strong and allegedly a hawkish Indian leader touched the Pakistani PM’s mother’s feet. The symbolism screams peace.

PM Sharif decides a radical turnaround of decade old policies. Realistically assesses friendship with China. Looks back at history and realizes that long lasting peace can only be possible when negotiated between strong leaders (the old edict of Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD 76–138) "peace through strength or, failing that, peace through threat). Sharif decides to abandon the failed strategic depth policy in Afghanistan and leaves the hapless Afghans to their own devices. He then, safe under the nuclear umbrella, puts J&K on the backburner and negotiates mutually beneficial trade deal with “Baniya (a common Pakistani invective for Hindus) Modi and turn the South Asian Subcontinent around. Modi becomes the new Reagan and Sharif the new Gorbachev.

Imagine that. How many lives would’ve been saved? How much profit would’ve been made? Every economic initiative of Sharif and then Imran Khan would have yielded dividends.

But it did not. Fueled by a false sense of security and superiority, terror attacks continued Modi kept getting pushed into a corner until Pulwana attacks. It then led to Balakot attacks and now Pakistan and their army stands naked in front of the world and worse in front of their own people. The money from Saudi Arabia is now being spent on defending Pakistan and the infrastructure help from China has now become an easy target.

Pakistan has had all kinds of advantages in the past. It is their intense Hindu hatred which has destroyed all those advantages and continues to destroy any and every opportunity they get. Balakot attack has destroyed the myth of Pakistani army as their only functioning organization. Modi gave them the biggest opportunity for peace in their short history. Instead of taking advantage of that, they are standing over the ruins of Balakot and any hope for betterment of their unfortunate country.