Indian Defence Industry - Backward? Non Existent?

Backward & Non Existent?

Backward? Yes. Existent? Just about.

The entire business model of the defence industry is licenced manufacture from other countries. Fifty years ago that was a revolutionary step. Today it is regressive and raises many questions and does not answer any.

There are two schools of thoughts on this. One thinks that India is doomed and we just cannot do it. To support their position, they point to the budget over-runs, delivery delays and indigenisation. Under-budgeting explains both time-and-cost over-runs. The indigenisation levels are another subject. No one - but no one, in the world, makes everything indigenously. The decisive aspect is reliability of supplies during wartime. That is a matter of judgment and finances. This group's motivations are doubtful - and they are frequently accused of acting for vested interests.

The second school paints a rosy picture - and the picture is definitely NOT rosy.

Easy Way Out?

India has been for the last 20 years the one of the top 3 armament purchasers in the world - along with China. India' s defence purchases exceed US$10billion every year. In the next few years, India is expected to buy US$40 billion of armaments. After that kind of spending, what will India be left with - debt and aging pieces of scrap metal.

The Problem

One single issue. Poor funding.

Two thirds of domestic development budgets are taken up by wages and other set up costs. Development activity takes up only 1/3 of the budget. DRDO which is made up of academics and scientists have been a rather poor track record in getting the GOI to understand funding, costs, time frames and monetary elbow room to explore alternative development paths. What they need are good salesmen.

Frugal Engineering

Carlos Ghosn, the current chief of the Renault-Nissan combine used the term frugal engineering to describe India's prowess in world class products at Indian costs. He followed up his talk with his walk. He has inked three deals with Mahindras for the Logan and other similar products; with Bajaj Auto for a below US$3000 car; and with Ashok Leyland for low cost commercial vehicles (in short, cheap trucks).

While other competitors had doubts about the Nano, and Osamu Suzuki and John Elliot, (is Elliot spelt like idi**) were doing a joint production of Nano comedy show, Ghosn was also (possibly) the only one who saw the threat of the Tata-Nano.

Defence Engineering

Indian defence designers and scientists have also done a similar job in defence production.

The Akash missile development project cost less than Rs.500 crores - which is about US$100 million. For that kind of money, international arms suppliers do not give the time of the day.

The 126 aircraft procurement under process is a prime example. The estimate started at US$6.5 billion. Recently it was estimated to cost US$10 billion - and the final bill may cross US$14 billion. With the right (domestic and international) partnerships (for sub assemblies like engine, avionics, airframe, tooling, etc.) and adequate and timely funding, the development cost will be US$ 2 billion. Production costs will be less than US$4 billion. (my estimates). IAF /DRDO estimates for the LCA are lower (I think that is more due to eagerness overkill) than realism.

The Arjuna battle tank development cost of less than Rs.350 crores - over a period of more than 15 years. That is less than US$100 million - over 15 years. What are we talking about? With (not so amusing) low budgets, what elbow room do those designers and scientists have to explore and develop alternatives? If they have delivered a working model, with production plan in place, it is the cheapest battle tank development in the world. With timely and adequate funding, these development cycles and design variations can be speeded up.

India plans to buy 6 numbers of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft at a cost of US$1 billion. The C-130 aircraft has now been in production from 1955, for more than 50 years (yes, for 50 years, with technology refreshments). This C-130 aircraft has now been in production for more than 50 years. A clean slate development of such an aircraft, with frugal Indian engineering, costs less than 100 million to develop. Production cost will not be more than US$200 million.

Can India continue to starve our engineers, designers and industry of funds, orders, business - and lavish spending on foreign industry. These dual standards are costing the Indian tax payers big money - and more importantly, compromising India's defence preparedness. And the the defence forces face the prospect of fighting a war with inadequate armament and training.

Can we do it

Fortune 500 companies entrusted the biggest software problem the world had, the Y2K problem, to the Indian software industry. We had it licked in less than 3 years time. The Indian Government trusts foreign companies - but not Indians companies with defence production. How much more short sighted and regressive can they get?

The ISRO Antrix commercial space launch business is now beginning to challenge world leaders - and developed at Indian costs and world class technology.

The Brahmos collaborative development is another success story.

India needs to develop greater capability - in house, in time and based on global perspectives. This shopping around gets us the contempt (or the patronising attitude) that we deserve.

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness, O descendant of Bharata, and a rise of evil — at that time I manifest myself. To deliver all those who believe in goodness and to annihilate the evil, to reestablish righteousness, I will appear, in millennium after millennium.” Bhagwad Geetha IV, 7-8.

Who was Kalidasa? No one quite knows. After composing some of the best lyrical poetry ever, (in Sanskrit), little is known about him. His life lives in his works. Who was Ved Vyasa - the writer of Mahabharata? Or for that matter Valmiki! No one knows. About any one of these people.

Yet, whenever, India had needed, inspirations have come. To lead us … असतो मा सद्गमय From untruth to the truth … तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय … From darkness to light … मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय … from termination, to eternity …

Tipu Sultan unceasing opposition for more than 30 years (The Mysore Wars - 1767-1799) to the foreign rule before the 1857 War made the British rulers cautious about waging war in India. Immediately thereafter was the challenge of the Sikh qaum - led by Ranjit Singh. The death of Ranjit Singh in (1839) gave them another opportunity. Then followed the Afghan wars and the Sikh Wars (between 1839-1850). In 1857 was the India’s first war of Independence.

From 1857 to the 1900, the British colonial government decimated Indian leadership. Bahadur Shah Zafar was sent to Rangoon. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. Ahalyabai Holkar. Tantia Tope. Leader after leader came to the fore. And India continued to redefine itself.

From feudal and hereditary leaders, the leadership slowly changed. From political to social. In parallel. In 1828, Raja Ram Mohan Roy formed the Brahmo Samaj. In 1875, Swami Dayanand formed the Arya Samaj. On 24th December 1892, Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari - after travelling across India. He was entertained by rajas and the रंक (commoners) of his day.

Then followed the political leadership. Dadabhai Naoroji’s (Congress President in 1886, 1893 1906) and research and quantification of the British Loot from India started a new set of leaders against colonial rule - and a new definition of India. Tilak’s demand for ’swaraj’ and ’swadeshi’ goods unnerved the colonialists. The colonial British Government deported Balgangadhar Tilak to Rangoon. He came back stronger than before. In other countries, when old leaders and rulers were removed or replaced, those countries descended into dictatorship, confusion, poverty. In India, we had wave after wave of leaders - and each time India moved forward. In a direction which has no precedents in world history.

What Happened In Other Countries

Why do Australia and Canada still acknowledge the British Queen as the head of the state? Spain has Juan Carlos I as its king! Did you know that Belgium has Albert II as it King? And Queen Beatrix rules over Holland (The Netherlands). King Akihito is venerated by the Japanese - and is the head of the state. Sweden is ruled by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Luxembourg has the Grand Duke Henri as its equivalent to a King! King Harald V lords over Norway! Queen Margrethe II rules over Denmark. The world still has quite a few monarchies - especially in the OECD. Why?

France removed and guillotined the monarchs - and they got Napoleon Bonaparte, as dictator! Russia tried - and they got 70 years of communist dictatorship. Italy asked King Victor Emmanuel III to go - and got Mussolini. The British exiled the Kaiser of Germany - and the Germans had to put up with Hitler thereafter.

Britain terminated the Turkish Ottoman Empire - and Turkey got a benign dictator, Mustafa Kemal Attaturk, and then not so benign dictators - and is yet to recover! East Europe (Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Albania, etc) promptly started fighting with each other, within and without - after the kings were removed. China became communist after the last emperor - and still has a communist dictatorship. Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, most of Africa, South America - same or similar story.

This history is why Canada and Australia cling to the skirts of British Monarchy.

Republican Democracy

America became one of the first successful Republican democracies - from 1789, when George Washington became the first elected President of USA. (70 years later there was a Civil War). America survived.

Israel, (propped up by massive US aid) is another country which has been a republican democracy for more than 50 years. Switzerland (with guaranteed neutrality from the European powers) is another in modern history to survive 50 years of republican democracy. Srilanka has been another country which has survived 50 years as republican democracy - but just about.

India is the youngest Republican democracy - and we have completed a historic 50 years as republican democracy - Jan 26th 1950, till date.

Gandhiji’s Conquest

But before the republic, came the unification of India - the crowning achievement of Gandhiji. Not the political union (achieved by Sardar Patel) - but the ideological union!

Garibaldi (united Italy), Bismarck (united Germany), Simon Bolivar (liberated and united South American countries) were unifiers who succeeded with the help of armies.

Gandhiji (armed with a walking stick) unified a larger India (and Pakistan) without an army. An India and a Pakistan - bigger than what the largest empire in the history of the world, the British Empire could not conquer with its armies.

One Clean Break

To make a one clean break from the feudal-colonial past - and succeed! That is a dream - never before in the history of the world. India made history - by surviving for 50 years with a republican democracy.

In 1947, India was a feudal society with more than 500 Kings and (some) Queens at the time of Independence. (No, the British did not rule over all of modern India). Large parts of India also had to change from a colonial mindset.

How Is India Unique

However, no other country has 15 official languages.

Switzerland has only 4. Sri Lanka’s Sinhalas do not want to accept Sri Lankan Tamils as full and equal citizens - hence the 20 year old civil war.

Social Equality

Blacks in the USA got full and equal liberty only in 1963 - after President Kennedy sent in the army (the National Guard). De-segregation (between the Blacks and Whites) happened clearly and fully only by 1970-75. It took the death of Martin Luther King (inspired by Gandhiji’s) in 1968 to do that.

But, Gandhiji’s first step, after coming back from South Africa, (many decades before India’s Independence, Unification and the creation of the Republic) was to start social reform against untouchability.

Enforcement - or Help

India and America, created their own constitutions without external enforcement. Republican democracy in Germany was imposed by the Allied Powers - hence their record is blemished.

Religions

In most countries, religion divides. In India, we are different. India has the world’s second /third largest Muslim population. The Indian Christian population is equal to that of most majority-Christian countries - excluding just a few big one like USA, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, etc. Buddhists number nearly 50 lakhs. Sikhs, Parsis (Zoorastrians), Bahais, follows their own religion. Iranians, Armenians, Jews, Chinese have come to India - when persecuted in their homelands.

Racism! Anyone?

No, thanks!

India has the Caucasoid stock - spread over the North and West India; Australoid stock spread over South India and the Mongoloid stock spread over of East and North East. There is also a very small sprinkling of the Negroid stock - less than 1%.

The Challenges Ahead

The challenges ahead are defence and economics.

India’s defence unpreparedness is beyond comprehension. Worse, is the lack of threat perception. Indians (sadly and truly) limit their threat perception to the Pakistanis - and the Chinese. with the world’s largest private reserves of gold India becomes a target. The resultant global and emerging threats are unrealised. We spend billions of dollars on buying arms all over the world - but our domestic arms industry is starving.

The second is economics. The world trade systems, financial agreements, currency management continue to drag down India - and many other countries. Navigating these uncharted waters successfully is the other.

And I am sure that another set of new leaders will arrive and take India forward to another level.

Sooner - not later.

Why Do Australia & Canada Cling To Britain?

Is monarchy dead?

Are there any real life monarchs left in any ‘advanced’ countries? What role do they play? Will a modern country follow these monarchs? Surprisingly, Europe has not removed any monarchs in the last 50 years.

Why do Australia and Canada still acknowledge the British Queen as the head of the state? Spain has Juan Carlos I as its king! Did you know that Belgium has Albert II as it King? And Queen Beatrix rules over Holland (The Netherlands). King Akihito is venerated by the Japanese - and is the head of the state. Sweden is ruled by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Luxembourg has the Grand Duke Henri as its equivalent to a King! King Harald V lords over Norway! Queen Margrethe II rules over Denmark. The world still has quite a few monarchies - especially in the OECD.

Why so many monarchs

After all monarchy is a relic - an institution that should be dead! Right?

Monarchy is not cheap. Monarchs are expensive to maintain. Monarch’s can also be embarassing - especially the family. Just loook at Princess Diana - her saga of bedroom romps and adultery became a reality show - before reality shows were born (Endemol, pay up royalties to the Diana estate!). If they are figure heads, why waste time - and money!

The Difficulty Of Removing Monarchs

France removed and guillotined the monarchs - and they got Napolean Bonaparte, as dictator! Russia tried - and they got 70 years of communist dictatorship. Italy asked King Victor Emmanuel III to go - and got Mussolini. The British exiled the Kaiser of Germany - and the Germans had to put up with Hitler therefater.

Britain terminated the Turkish Ottoman Empire - and Turkey got a benign dictator, Mustafa Kemal Attaturk, and then not so benign dictators - and is yet to recover! East Europe (Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Albania, etc) promptly started fighting with each other, within and without - after the kings were removed. China became communist after the last emperor - and still has a communist dictatorship. Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, most of Africa, South America - same or similar story.

This history is why Canada and Australia cling to the skirts of British Monarchy.

Republican Democracy

The modern desirable is Republican democracy - and every country wishes for one! Very few succeeded. A republican democracy does not have a titular king - hereditary or otherwise. The head of the state is elected - directly or indirectly.

America became one ofthe first successful Republican democracies - from 1789, when George Washington became the first elected President of USA. 70 years later, the strains were showing - North versus South. America was on the verge of Civil War - the main cause of which was the desire of the Southern states to remain idependent or at best as a loose confederation - not a federal union (actually slavery was a side issue).

Israel, (propped up by massive US aid) is another country which has been a republican democracy for more than 50 years. Switzerland (with guaranteed nuetrality from the Euroean powers) is another in modern history to survive 50 years of republican democracy. Srilanka has been another country which has survived 50 years as republican democracy - but just about.

India is the youngest Republican democracy - and we have completed a historic 50 years as republican democracy - Jan 26th 1950, till date.

Gandhiji’s Conquest

But before the republic, came the unification of India - the crowning achievement of Gandhiji. Not the political union (achieved by Sardar Patel) - but the ideological union!

Garibaldi (united Italy), Bismarck (united Germany), Simon Bolivar (liberated and united South American countries) were unifiers who succeded with the help of armies.

Gandhiji (armed with a walking stck) unified a larger India (and Pakistan) without an army. An India and a Pakistan - bigger than what the largest empire in the history of the world, the British Empire could not conquer with its armies.

One Clean Break

To make a one clean break from the fuedal-colonial past - and succeed! That is a dream - never before in the history of the world. India made history - by surviving for 50 years with a republican democracy.

In 1947, India was a fuedal society with more than 500 Kings and (some) Queens at the time of Independence. (No, the British did not rule over all of modern India). Large parts of India also had to change from a colonial mindset.

Why Is India Unique

However, no other country has 15 official languages.

Switzerland has only 4. Sri Lanka’s Sinhalas do not want to accept Sri Lankan Tamils as full and equal citizens - hence the 20 year old civil war.

Social Equality

Blacks in the USA got full and equal liberty only in 1963 - after President Kennedy sent in the army (the National Guard). De-segregation (between the Blacks and Whites) happened clearly and fully only by 1970-75. It took the death of Martin Luther King (inspired by Gandhiji’s) in 1968 to do that.

But, Gandhiji’s first step, after coming back from South Africa, (many decades before India’s Independence, Unification and the creation of the Republic) was to start social reform against untouchability.

Enforcement - or Help

India and America, created their own constitutions without external enforcement. Republican democracy in Germany was imposed by the Allied Powers - hence their record is blemished.

India has the world’s second /third largest Muslim population. The Indian Christian population is equal to that of most majority-Christian countries - excluding just a few big one like USA, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, etc. Buddhists number nearly 50 lakhs. Sikhs, Parsis (Zoorastrians), Bahais, follows their own religion. Iranians, Aremenians, Jews, Chinese have come to India - when persecuted in their homelands.

Racism anyone?

No, thanks!

India has the caucasoid stock - spread over the North and West India; Australoid stock spread over South India and the Mongoloid stock spread over of East and North East. There is also a very small sprinkling of the Negroid stock - less than 1%.

Racism anyone? No, thanks!

Hence, to have a functioning republican democracy without a break for more than 50 years puts India in a different league.

The Challenge Ahead

The challenges ahead are defence and economics.

India’s defence unpreparedness is beyond comprehension. Worse, is the lack of threat perception. Indians (sadly and truly) limit their threat perception to the Pakistanis - and the Chinese. with the world’s largest private reserves of gold India becomes a target. The resultant global and emerging threats are unrealised.

The second is economics. The world trade systems, financial agreements, currency management continue to drag down India - and many other countries. Navigating these uncharted waters successfully is the other.

Does India have the intellectual leadership and strategic intent to create solutions?

World Gold Production - In Anglo Saxon Choke-Hold

Every 10-25 years, the world seems to go from one financial crisis to another. Truckfuls of economic analysis follow each crisis - and everyone agrees after each meltdown, that there will not be another catastrophe. What the poor (and not so poor) economists don't see is that the Anglo Saxon bloc with 80% of the world's gold production in a choke-hold does what it wants.

Why has this system been such a failure? Simple!

The Bretton Woods system.

The world after WW2, has been governed by a financal system that has been a failure - the Bretton Woods Agreement, a millstone around the developing world. As WW2 came to a close, British-American economists came together and devised this system. The Bretton Woods system was technically created by more than 700 delegates from the 44 allied nations. But the match was fixed.

It was designed by the Anglo-Saxon countries (America, Australia, Britain, Canada), for the benefit of the Anglo Saxon countries. Did anyone notice how much Britain resisted and finally did not join the European currency Union. This system has swamped the world with accelerating inflow of dollars (American, Australian, Canadian) and British pounds. Producers and exporters are left with reserves of a depreciating currencies.

It also gave rise to the the Bretton Woods twins (the IMF and the World Bank) which are run and managed by the Anglo Saxon countries. The ABC countries (and their client states like Japan, etc.) have more than 67% of the voting rights. With this huge voting majority, less than 5% of the world’s population (of the ABC countries) decide how 95% of the world lives.

The Bretton Woods twins (the IMF and the World Bank) been significant failures. Aid (spelt, ironically, very similarly to AIDS) projects are approved - which are tied to imports from these Anglo Saxon countries.

Highly paid (mostly western) consultants are paid by aid recipients from debt funding - who recommend more debt and more imports which creates greater indebtedness and rising interest payments which need more aid for which more highly paid consultants are required. At the other end, some of this aid, finally ends up with corrupt bureaucrats and politicians - who tax the citizenry more to pay increasing debt.

Bretton Woods - Broken Promises

The promise of the Bretton Woods system was stability. USA promised the world that they will redeem the dollar for gold - at a rate of US$35. This was supposed to be done out of the London Pool system. Within 20 years, the first promise was broken. Redemptions of dollar for gold to individuals was stopped in 1968 (March15th).

In 1973 (August 15th), the world got the Nixon Chop - where even Governments could not redeem dollar holdings. The dollar was put on float. In little time, dollar value depreciated from US$35 per ounce of gold to US$225 per ounce - 80% reduction in value of dollar value. Foreign reserves of poor countries got eroded. It was a gigantic fraud on the world - especially the poor, developing countries. And the fraud continues.

Some Western countries, especially France redeemed their dollar holding with gold before the float.

Behind Bretton Woods - Gold

The world believed that only the Anglo-Saxon Bloc could deliver. Why?

In 1944, the Anglo Saxon Bloc (countries, colonies and companies) controlled more than 90% of gold production and reserves. The largest private gold reserve in the world, India was still a British colony. Hence, it was fait accompli.

Things are still the same

The Anglo-Saxon bloc of ABC countries is still the largest gold production bloc in the world. The Anglo-Saxon Bloc (countries, colonies and companies) still control more than 80% of world’s gold production - and significant natural resources, like oil. They administer 3 out of the 5 largest countries in the world. Hence, their currencies still have significant heft. Apart from military power.

Hence, financial manipulation is easy. The USA is trillions of dollar in debt - and Ben Bernanke, the Fed Chief says we can always print more money. What happens to the Indians, Chinese, Russians - who stupidly even today believe in the American dollar? Well! Anglo Saxon law says, caveat emptor. Buyer beware!! Their latest victims - good old India and China. India and China have significant dollar holdings. The value of dollar had depreciated by 75% in the last 10 years - from US$225 to US$900.

Most of the economic growth in Post WW2 for the poor countries is due to trade growth, de-colonisation, better health care - and decelerating war engines.

What Can Change

India has emerged as the largest (private) reserve of gold in the world. The countries of South Africa, Ghana, Peru, Indonesia, China, Russia, Papua New Guinea account for nearly 50% of the world’s gold production - though gold operations in these countries are controlled by largely Anglo Saxon Bloc.

A currency bloc, underpinned by India’s private gold reserves - and future expansion of the currency system guaranteed by 50% of the world’s gold production is a feasible start point.

This will make the world more equitable and reduce financial volatility. This will also wean the world away from the savagery of the Anglo Saxon bloc countries who have been involved in every major conflict for the last 400 years.

Indians Are Racists … Yes!

Racism In India

Travel in a Indian railway train and you will hear racist comments. Sardars are the eternal butt of racists jokes. North Indians make “Madrasis” the butt of their jokes - and Madrasis joke about North Indians. Maharashtrians crack jokes about Gujaratis and vice versa. The whole country makes a joke about Indians versus the world - where Indians come out second best. There are other jokes about (in alphabetical order) Bengalis, Biharis, Christian ‘Pavs’, Haryanvi Jats, Malyalees, Marwaris, Muslims, Sindhis, UP bhaiyyas - and nobody is spared. My apologies in case I have missed anyone out! Indian parents joke about their own “dark-er” children.

These jokes can be communal, on colour, history, behavioural traits of certain communities - but rarely on family. Parents, sisters, and wife are off limits.

How is the West different?

The West is very afraid of racism - and they should be. The Western model of genocide and racism, these jokes and ridicule, soon are taken as truth and character assessments are made. The demonisation begins and then the killing starts. The Red Indian natives, the Australian aborigines, the Roma Gypsies, the Jews, the Irish, the Poles, the Blacks - and other minorities have been persecuted, killed and massacred. Hence, this Western guardedness about racism.

Racism is another form!

Travel to Hong Kong and you will see another kind of racism. Chinese taxi drivers and shop keepers compete for the ‘privilege’ of serving white customers. White customers get lower rates at hotels and shops compared to others. I understand that Macau is also similar. In modern China, foreign investors are preferred over domestic entrepreneurs.

What happens In India?

But does any Indian community get demonised?

Not any where even close to western benchmarks. Are there pogroms against these sections? Isolated incidents, yes. But not a pattern. Yes, there are isolated villages where ‘harijans’ are killed - and ‘harijans’ these days kill back. Is it state sponsored? Most definitely not - like it has been in the West. The British Colonial administration declared various communities as ‘criminal tribes’! But Indians did not use the ‘open season’ to kill or loot these ‘criminals’?

This stems from the Vedic tradition. The ‘demon’ Ravana was not demonised in Ramayana. There are numerous ’causes’ which are given for his behaviour. Various Ramayana writers compete with other to give a balanced view of Ravana’s character. Similarly, in Mahabharata, Duryodhana and Shakuni are given balanced treatment. The ‘demon’ king Bali is shown as a just and fair character - whose only mistake is that he is the king of demons and cannot be allowed to become “too” powerful.

In modern India, when the Janata Party tried to demonise Indira Gandhi, they were soundly rejected - and Indira Gandhi won the very next election. Similarly, Gandhiji’s shortcomings and Nehru’s peccadilloes are discussed.

India need not feel so paranoid about internal racism - but should be careful when it comes to the West. Also, Indians need not feel guilty about their own ‘racist’ behaviour and beat their breasts.

Gandhiji ... Irrelevant Today ...?

The Jewish Question

Before WW2, news filtered to Gandhiji about Hitler's persecution of the Jews - from Anglo Saxon sources. Gandhiji had put the British colonialists on the defensive - and the British colonialists tried always to show themselves as betters compared to Hitler's Germany, the French or the Dutch colonialists.

Gandhiji's advice was simple "... a war against Germany ... would be completely justified ... But I do not believe in any war ... pros and cons of ... war is ... outside my ... province ... If I were a Jew ... born in Germany ... I would claim Germany as my home ... as the tallest ... German may, and challenge him to shoot me or cast me in the dungeon; I would refuse to be expelled or to submit to discriminating treatment ... I should not wait for the fellow Jews to join me in civil resistance but would have confidence that in the end the rest are bound to follow my example. If ... Jews ... cannot be worse off than now ... no ... sympathy ... in the world outside Germany can (help)... even if Britain, France and America were to declare hostilities against Germany ... the calculated violence of Hitler may even result in a general massacre of the Jews ..." (ellipsis and bold italics mine).

Jewish Frontier, a New York magazine, riddled Gandhi’s proposal in March, 1939, and sent him a copy. He quoted at length from the attack. “I did not entertain the hope… that the Jews would be at once converted to my view,” Gandhi replied. “I should have been satisfied if even one Jew had been fully convinced and converted… It is highly probable that, as the [Jewish Frontier] writer says, ‘A Jewish Gandhi in Germany, should one arise, could function for about five minutes and would be promptly taken to the guillotine.’ (from The Life Of Mahatma Gandhi by Louis Fischer)

Louis Fischer further adds Gandhiji's reply was "… The method of violence gives no greater guarantee than that of non-violence…”

Louis Fischer mentioned the subject to Gandhi in 1946 when Hitler was dead. “Hitler,” Gandhi said, “killed five million Jews. It is the greatest crime of our time. But the Jews should have offered themselves to the butcher’s knife. They should have thrown themselves into the sea from cliffs… It would have aroused the world and the people of Germany… As it is they succumbed anyway in their millions.”

Gandhiji gave similar advice to the Palestinians. Both, the Jews and Palestinians ignored his advice. The rest is history. More than 10 million Jews and Palestinians killed till date - and the killing continues.

100% Success

For all those who claim that Gandhiji's success was unique should look at history again.

Martin Luther King followed Gandhiji's ideology - and the Negroes have made more progress in the last 30 years than in the previous 300 years. Nelson Mandela's success is too recent and well known for me to repeat. But his neighbour Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkome did not follow Gandhiji - and Zimbabwe's state of affairs is well known. Lech Walesa's success in Poland is there for all to see.

For all those who claim that Gandhiji's methods required benign despots are mistaken.

The blood spilled by the British Colonialists in Kenya, Malysia, Rhodesia, South Africa is unparalleled. The 200 years of American history of legal, institutionalised white bigotry is unprecedented in scope and magnitude. The White Apartheid regime was no less brutal than Hitler. The Communists brooked no dissent and the totalitarian hold on power was defeated by a Union leader.

Lage Raho Munnabhai

Attenborough's 'Gandhi's' (made with Indian Govt.s financial help) commercial success proved the international appeal and power. Gandhiji's relevance to the modern world was well interpreted in the movie Lage Raho Munnabhai. It's commercial success further bolsters Gandhiji's enduring message.

Much like Gandhiji said, ahimsa and satyagraha require strength. Few have the strength.

4000 Years Separate Gandhiji and Hittites

Separated by 4000 years, what could possibly be common between Gandhiji (2000 years after Christ) and Hittites (2000 years before Christ) - the pre-Greek Indians in the Middle East? Both, the Hittites and Gandhiji, rejected Hammurabi’s “eye-for-an-eye” legal thinking and system - 4000 years apart.

Western historians glorified Hammurabi as the world’s first law giver - and Occidental-Levantine (including the Shariat) laws are based on Hammurabi’s legal code of “an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth”. Gandhiji’s famous position was “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” when asked about the Hammurabi’s “eye for an eye” kind of justice.

Hammurabi’s laws and edicts were retributive, vengeful and punishment oriented. The focus of Hammurabi’s legal system is to give a ‘fitting’ counter punishment for a defined offense. Roman law calls this lex talionis and the Old Testament advocates an eye for an eye“, (Hebrew: עין תחת עין‎) is a quotation from Exodus 21:23–27. These created a system of revenge, fueds and vendettas. The result - a fractured Europe, a rampant history of genocide, a fueding Middle East.

The alternate system in that era, 4000 years ago, was the Hittite legal system. We get an insight into the Hittite legal system from (more than) 10,000 clay seals and tablets at Boghaz-koi, unearthed in 1907-08 by Makridi Bey and Hugo Winckler and deciphered by Bedrich Hrozny during 1910-1921. These tablets and seals reveal the legal minds of the Hittites. Hittite law, different from Hammurabi laws, was based on amelioration of the effect of crime and driven less by fear of death and punishment.

The Hittites, Mittanis and Elamites (using Indo-Dravidian languages) were Indo Aryans that dominated Asia from Indian borders to European borders till 500 BC. Kassite, the other major ruling clan in Levant’s geography (apart from the Egyptians) heavily adopted Indo Aryan cultural motifs.

Hammurabi’s main rival in the Middle East arena was Rama-Sin of Larsa (ruler of Larsa) who ruled for 60 years. Raim Sin (1753?-1693? BC) of Larsa, in Sumer (modern Iraq), ruled over Sumer, Elam - present-day Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Sin is the Assyrian moon goddess (in modern Indian languages, Ram-Sin will be translated to Ramachandra). Ram-Sin assumed the title of ‘king of all lands’, blessed by Goddess ‘Nin Makh’ at ‘Opis’, his second capital in Babylonia. Ram-Sin fought for a long time an inconclusive war with Hammurabi (speculatively identified as ‘Ravana’ of the Indus seals). Ram-Sin, king of Babylonia possibly, was finally able to defeat Hammurabi in the joint action with the chief of Subartu, Hurrian and Mitanni kings. Hammurabi was killed in the fight, speculatively suggested by one of the Indus seals.

4000 years later, Gandhiji, described the western civilisation as a “good idea“. Gandhiji’s knowledge of Hittite legal thought would have been (probably close to) zero as the decipherment of Boghaz koi and other Hittite texts was ongoing and incomplete. Elaborate analysis and the commentary on Hittites and Boghaz koi came after Gandhiji’s death.

The Hittite legal revolution 4000 years ago plays out even today.

But, modern Indian law makers and jurists look to the West for getting legal ideas. Under the garb of modernisation, Indian law is becoming negative. Apart from not taking up the challenge of repealing colonial laws, the Indian Government has accepted the colonial legal system (nearly) in toto.

Possibly the best example of post-colonial, western-patterned law is the Section 498. A retributive, revengeful law (patterned on western legal models) is now undermining the very structure of Indian society - marriage. Section 498 has has taken away marriages from the social domain into the legal sphere. From being contributory, accomodative, sacred and life long, Indian marriage system is becoming extractive, adversarial, contractual and short term. Some in the West do see the value in the Indian system - but India seems to think that West is a way out!

Indian law can take inspiration from the Hittites of 4000 years and offer an alternate model to the world. A Gandhian model. The rejection of Hammurabi’s legal system by the Hittites and Gandhiji, separated by 4000 years, is not a co-incidence. Gandhiji’s response, separated by 4000 years from the Hittites, demonstrate the Indian continuity in thought and action.

The Sydney Test - What Is The Issue?

So much heat and so much talk about a cricket match! Surprised?

Well! This was not about cricket and not about winning or losing. This entire match was about 5 things.

Racism

The Aussie weight in the cricketing administration is at an historic low and they cannot take that. Especially, when that power moves to the browns.

A comment by Robert Craddock (January 8th, 2008) in Australia says it all. "INDIA must not be allowed to run the game, and the International Cricket Council now faces one of the biggest days in its 98-year existence - when it simply must seize control of the game. ... India's cricketing wealth may be 50 times that of any rival, but that does not give that country the right to run the game."

So, what does give anyone the right to govern a game. Divine right! Colour of the skin? History!! Race. He who pays the piper call the the tune, Sir. Is Robert Craddock suggesting that Indians foot the bill and Australians will run the game (I dont believe that he is that daft).

Sledging, Banter, Racism

"What we think is just routine banter, they take offence at," Border said. It is straight out cultural stuff. "The cultural issues were always there in our day. When we say 'lucky bastards', they might take offence at that. It was a simple Aussie term no one takes offence to in Australia." Alan Border, quoted By Iain Payten in Australia lose public support article.

Well, in India, monkey is not a racist term, or a pejorative, or even a swear word. India's favorite God is a monkey. So, (as per Border's logic) Symonds should feel honoured - just like Indians should feel honoured if we are called lucky bastards! Even though none of the Australian gods are "lucky bastards"!

All this logic, if Bhajji has in fact called Symonds a monkey. Is it that a white man's word to another white man, worth more than a brown man's word! Mike Proctor seems to think so.

Envy - Pure and Simple

Symonds told AAP - "We have had a very successful side and I think watching how we celebrate and how they celebrate, I think we have been pretty humble in the way we have gone about it ... And personally, I think they have got far too carried away with their celebrations."

Indian cricketers are treated like film stars and rock stars. They are amongst the richest sports people in the world. And that is something, that the Aussies cannot seem to digest - going by the above comment.

Reverse Sweep

"...the Australian captain asserted he is not Harbhajan Singh's bunny ..."

This was supposed to be a mind game by Brett Lee against Sachin Tendulkar. Only it back fired. And Bhajji made life miserable for Ponting. Was this the reason why the Australians went after Bhajji - like a pack of wild dogs, as Peter Roebuck says.

Eight to One

As any statistician will tell you, when umpiring mistakes go against anyone in eight to one ratio (of the possible 20 dismissals), it stinks. Interestingly, all the decisons that favored the Australians were against the Indian top order batsmen and in favor of the Australian top order batsmen. It cannot be a co-incidence. It is not even odds or an even chance. It is design - or a conspiracy. Deccan Herald said Anil Kumble's side was on the wrong end of eight umpiring mistakes, which had affected the outcome.

This was not about cricket at all. It was another demonstration of Anglo Saxon political behaviour in its distilled form. Does this mean that all Anglo Saxons behave in a particular manner? This is not to mistake this article as an attempt to tar or brush all Anglo Saxons. But yes, when Anglo Saxons get into power, their training and conditioning makes them behave in this abominable manner.

The Anglo Saxon Bloc

A significant benefit of the English language to the British is a convenient whitewash of history in the English language publications and media - and the tarring of competitive economies and nations.

How did Britain transit from a backward nation in 16th century, to a preeminent position in the the 20th century? In one word - colonialism. The British search and seizure of colonies enriched them - at the cost of the native populations.

Australia

A continent 4 times the size of India - with a population (2.1 cr) slightly bigger than Mumbai. By excluding non-whites, they have ensured that this super concentration of resources, wealth and prosperity continues. By a token inclusion of Asians, the British-Australian Governments cover their racist economic policies. The co-opted Asians at the social periphery also help the continuation and the justification of Australian policies.

Canada

Slightly smaller than Australia, and with a population of 3.2 crores, (equal to Mumbai and New Delhi) and three times the size of India. Another major producer of gold and silver. Similar wipe-out of native population as Australia and enrichment by exploitation of natural resources.

USA

Another huge landmass but with a better territory to population ratio. A British Colony for close to a 150 years, the gold loot from the Red Indians and new mine discoveries in USA enabled the rise of the British power. Familiar tactics of extermination of the Red Indian tribes, land acquisition and slavery. The initial break from European history, with the enunciation of the Monroe Doctrine, by the USA was soon abandoned.

USA by 1890 acquired a taste of colonialism. They ‘bought’ Philippines from Spain, even today maintains Puerto Rico as a colony and (continues to) eyes Cuba. The Brussels and Berlin conference carved up Africa - and there were few places left to colonise.

By a simple modus operandi of sale of natural resources, Britain (and now Australia, Canada and USA) enriched themselves. These few countries: -

1. Consume disproportionate amounts of natural resources

2. Pollute the world

3. Contribute to global warming (Indian negotiaters are happy by taking a few token carbon credits)

This Anglo Saxon bloc has 3 of the 4 largest countries of the world; wiped out native populations in these 3 countries, acquired these countries by force, sequester the worlds’ natural resources and are united by their will to dominate and exploit the rest of humanity.

They control more than 67% of world gold production, and the media industry. USA, Australia and Canada remain amongst the largest producers of gold in the world - 60% of the world GDP and Oil. This helps America-Australia-Britain-Canada (ABC) Axis to retain hegemony over large parts of the global economy, politics and trade.

A defining feature of these colonial aggressions is that the local populations were considered irrelevant, non-existent or at best a nuisance. The familiar routine was: -

1. Limited Aggression

2. Proposal of submission by the ‘natives’ to the aggressor

3. Limited aggression (show of force) to force submission

4. Enforce submission or genocide.

Theodore Roosevelt “peace and the Anglo-Saxon civilization had to be imposed on the barbarian races of the world just as it had been on the Red Man” (Italics mine). You can substitute the red man for the brown or the black or the yellow or white for that matter another pink man also.

It is this (now racist and at other times a religious, social, political) justifications for exploitation, greed, genocide, that the world keeps trying to rebut - and the ABC Axis keep changing. In the last 400 years, they have also been involved in all the major wars that the world has seen. The killing record of this ABC Axis has been unprecedented in the history of the world. The have nurtured many client states - Israel, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia now which are are at the centre of unrest and global disruptions.

What’s the future

In an equitable world, this pre-eminence for the Anglo-Saxon bloc is a non-starter. Are they likely to give up this position of pelf, greed, riches and adulation. Not likely. The chorus of demise of the USA are ill founded and wishful thinking. Military, economic confrontation are unproductive. Gandhiji has some answers.

India’s Role

The alternate world view that has posited against this exploitative model has been the Non-Aligned Bloc pioneered by India - but now abandoned. The Non-Aligned global model needs further development and enabling mechanisms for success of emerging nations. A few successes and the exploitative ABC Axis will collapse.