Taming the Politicisation of Military Action

Twenty-one of the major political parties who are not a part of the ruling NDA released a joint statement on 27 February 2019 saying they were “anguished over blatant politicisation of sacrifices of armed forces by ruling party” and said that they regretted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not hold an all-party meet in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan “as per the established practice in our democracy”. No example or reference was provided as to which sacrifices of the armed forces was being politicised and a general statement was made.

Following their joint protest in the national capital, a meeting of the opposition parties was held at the residence of Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday 13 February 2019 to have a pre-poll pact and a common minimum programme (CMP). After this meeting, they had declared that Congress President Rahul Gandhi was entrusted the task of preparing the CMP. They had also announced, “We will again sit on February 26, 27 or 28 when we have time.” SP-BSP and Left parties were conspicuous by their absence.

Clearly therefore, the meeting of these opposition parties on 27 February was a meeting for finalization of CMP as was planned a fortnight earlier and not any impromptu or urgent meeting convened to discuss the Indo-Pak developments. While at the end of the meeting, no CMP was released, instead a joint statement was released to the press.

Home Minister had held a meeting of political parties on 16 February 2019 when a resolution was passed. “We strongly condemn terrorism in all forms and the support being given to it across the border,” it read. “The entire nation speaks in one voice to express its determination to fight these challenges. Today we stand united in solidarity with our security forces in fighting terrorism and in defending the unity and integrity of India,” the resolution further read. The leaders had appreciated the Home Minister’s promptness in convening the meeting.  Naresh Gujral of the SAD had said: “All parties unequivocally extend cooperation with the government and express solidarity with the security forces.”

The government had again held a meeting of the political parties on 26 February 2019 after the air-strike on terrorist installation in the early hours of the same day and shared the details with them through two members of the CCS. All parties in one voice praised the security forces and supported the Govt's anti-terror operations. 

In less than 24 hours after this meeting of the political parties with the Government, the opposition releases a statement to the press for public dissemination where they are disparaging and accusing the party in Government of politicising. 

If they were really anguished, they could have sought another meeting with the government rather than going to public. Choosing to go to public rather than talking to government in effect means that it is they, the 21 opposition parties, who are politicising the matter.

Not only are these 21-opposition parties politicising the on-going Indo-Pak imbroglio, they struggling for survival after being reduced to irrelevance in national politics are trying to sew together a garment using torn and dissimilar patches of shapes, sizes, colours and material as a pre-poll coalition on a headless mannequin of no useful size or gender.

Blinded with such opportunistic lust for power, they are not even mindful of projecting a divided public opinion to the rest of the world on a vital matter of solidarity and national security. The only message going out to the public is that for them it is the seat on the throne first, nation comes later. 

The government can pre-empt such horrid attempts by spineless politicians aimed at polluting the public opinion through a daily briefing session for the political parties wherein they could be informed about the preferred voice of the nation. The same may then be shared with the people of the country through a daily follow-up press briefing.

Since the government is of the people, its voice is the voice of the people. If the opposition is standing with the government, the preference of the government will become the prescription for the opposition. After all in a democracy, it is the preference of the people which matters.

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