Subash Chandra Bose, an American Historian and Politics A Terrible deplorable Mixture

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The book on the right is a collection of short essays. reviews and reflections of a Historian well entrenched in the "South Asia" baliwick. A Jewish heritage amkes him natrually drift to the left of the political spectrum, but when it comes to India we find him squarely with the Congress on all key issues. His book Brothers Against the Raj was based on material found and curated in the Netaji Research Bureau and and therefore presents the lives of Sarat and Subash from a perspective that does not annoy the family. However there is one very offensive line that I eake stong exception to: "British documents of the period note the he (Subash Chandra Bose) was presumed dead. If found alive, he would have been the only civilian tried (p.385). Tried for what Mr, Gordon? The implication of this sinsiter line is that Bose was guilty of collaborating with the Germans and the Japansese on whom the British Raj had declared war. Now it is very clear that being a subject state India had no say in this decision and Indians are at liberty to use the situation created by World War II to puruse its Independence. Leonard Gordon has crossed a line in making this absurd remark. Let me bring in the analogy of General Charles de Gaulle.

After the defeat and surrender of France, Col De Gaulle deserted Ftance and set up the Fighting France and sought soldiers in Algiers to join his force. It was only the good will of Winston Churchill that made de Gaulle join the victory parade after Liberation though his Fightin France had done precious little. And France will not question this politically convenient interpretation as (a) avoided the stigma of collaboration (b) avoided the consequences of defeat in that France was rewarded a victor and got a permanent seat on the Security Council. A defeated nation that collaborated with Germany becamr free of moral and political stain and Subash Chandra Bose who like Gaulle faught for his Nation has to be "tried" as Japan was defeated. Had the tables been turned the results would have been different.

Leonard Gordon has shown how easily his "white privilege" got his easy access to the Indian political and cultural elite. When Indira Gandhi's regime refused visa, he got Jyoti Basu and Satyajit Ray sign a joint letter requesting visa and the then Chief Minster of WEst Bengal Siddhartha Shankar Ray signed it and sent it to the PMO. If this is not privilege what else can we call it. And western scholars are able to suborn Indian loyalties very easily and this unfortunate tendency is still goin on. Every week we have the same suspects joining hands with white American scholars to lambast India. Colonialism still endures,

een

The Bose Deception is germane to this discussion. There has been virulent controversy over the alleged plane crash in August 1944 in which the regime in power in India at that time and the Congress playing to the gallery declared Bose dead. As far as India is concerned the people at large refused to buy this self serving theory especially as the British Government under Clement Atlee decided to Transfer Power to Jawaharlal Nehru and his Party. Bose dead would have been very convenient to this arrangement and this explains why the Intelligence Bureau kept track of Bose and kept up very close surveillence on the family.

Subash Chandra Bose remains the only Hero of the Freedom Struggle.

The Deep State, the Truth and the Battle for our Democray. Kash Patel exposes the Swamp

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Anybody with doubts about the democratic credentials of USA must read this book. Kashyap Pramod Patel, the presumptive head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the new Administration of President Trump has exposed the ugly underbelly of what he calls the Swamp or the Deep State. That USA is in a state of permanent war with the rest of the world in well known: less so are the institutional and ideological compulsions behind the constant drum beat of war and military adventures. When President Trump  left Office in 2020 there was an uneasy peace which was soon shattered by the Ukraine-Russia War. It is now generally assumed that had Trump not been deprived of his victory in the 2020  Election, the pretext for Russian invasion, the NATO membership for Ukraine would not have been present. As we survey the world today we see a widening arc of conflict from Central Europe, to Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangla Desh. Taiwan was a point of contention even in his first term and North Korea was far less beligerent during his term in the White House.

Kash Patel as he obviously likes being called is the son of Gujarathi immigarnts who settled in Queens, New York after Idi Amin expelled Indians from Uganda. A lwayer by profession, Kash Patel worked in Florida and caught the eye of the Republican establishment there as a "public defender". In this memoir of his four years in the first Trump Administration, Patel was instrumental in exposing the deep conspiracy that emanated from the Democrat Party and the Campaign headquarters of Hilary Clinton. Joe biden has even awarded her the Presidental Medal of Honor. Using a disgraced MI6 agent Christopher Steele to prepare a "dossier" with fabricated evidence, the Deep State and its assets in the Media such as the Washington Post and New York Times ran a vicious campaign to descredit Trump as a :Russian Agent". The methods used were similar to the ones used in India to run the false narrative against Narendra Modi and his alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat Riots. In both cases a high decibel campaign of  slander, selective leaks, motivated public statements and lawfare were used to create a narrative. Kash Patel was part of the Congressional team investigatiing Russia Gate and the Nunnes Memo estabished the fact that Trump was in no way connected with Vladmir Putin. It is shocking that well respected global newspapers sold themselves for political causes  that are close to the Deep State.

The most damning part of the book is when Kashyap Patel discusses the Benghazi killings of the American Ambassador and his staff in the compound of the Embassy. Obama who dis bot want the Inquiry damage the political climate for Hilary Clinton's Presidential Campaign used the FBI leadership to scuttle the probe. Real crimes involving American citizens were set aside and FBI misused to harass and intimidate ordinary citizens suggests that in the brave new world of Hi Tech USA, totalitarianism lurks. And there is no defence as even the courts are compromised.  FBI and its leadership was again deployed for political purposes when  the Director made a public statement knowing that it was false that Hunter Biden's lap top which contained documents relating to his deals in Ukraine was a Russian plant and Russian Disinformation. The failure of FBI to investigate the hunter Biden Lap top and the egregious corruption it proves indicates that the security apparatus was being misused. Kash Patel is livid and he regard both the FBI and the ODNI as parts of the corrupt Deep State.

Kashyap Patel is perhaps being too simplistic when he attacks an entity called the Deep State, It is in reality too diffuse, too complex and too widespread to be apprehended in a single term or word. Perhaps we should call it an ideology that believes in western dominance, permanent war, covert and overt interventions in parts of the world where economic and geopolitical interests converge, and selective use of law and ultimately its foreign policy is militaristic and costly in terms of blood and tresaure, US interventions in Serbia, Iraq, Libya and Syria have all been fueled by a pliant media willing to sell the War Now line.

I enjoyed reading this book. I encourage geopolitical and foreign policy experts in India to read this book as Kashp Patel will move into the White House from the FBI Headquarters. politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Canada, India and the Unknown Gunmen: Is India responsible for the killing of criminals in Canada?

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The Unknown Gunmen by Col Ajay Raina is a good place to start.  There have been a spate of killings that seemingly target anti-India terrorists. In Pakistan alone several of the terrorists involved in the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar have been eliminated together with terrorists belonging to the LeT and JeM, The Pakistani press has been crying itself hoarse over these executions though it has not provided any incriminating proof. Before proceeding we must look at this issue of "cross border" executions.

India has been wary of dealing with Pakistan ever since the audacious Mumbai Attacks on 26/11/2008. Obviously the teror attacks were organized by the Pakistani State and no meaningful resolution has happened. In fact the book by R V S Mani seems to imply that the Mumbai Terror Attacks were enable by the then UPA regime which colluded with Pakistan to help drive the narrative of "Saffron Terror". The Indian Army and Airforce were both ready to launch punitive strikes but the Government of Man Mohan Singh stood down. Since 2014 the policy has changes: surgical strikes and attacks on terror camps and facilities have taken place. And as the book Unknown Gunmen seems to imply, India has some ingress into opposition networks in Pakistan. It must be said that state Sovereignty casnnot be respected if a state indulges in terrorism and interferes in the internal affairs of another country. Westphalian statecraft does not apply in these circumstances. 

Justin Trudeau has made some outrageous allegations about the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Government of Canada is dependent on the support of extremist Sikh parties for survival and there are serious charges that China has helped Justin's Liberal Party win the elections. Is the Prime Minister of Canada diverting attention from China by making these allegations and this is exactly the line taken by the Ministry of External Affairs in its uncharecteristically harsh response to Canada. The fact that Nijjar may have been involved in the killing of Malik a Sikh extremist  who mended his relationship with India was ignored by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in its investigation. Gangland rivalries within Khalistani Terror groups linked to US asset Patwant Singh Pannu are being ignored  and India which has sent 28 extradiction requests for the criminals involved is being blamed by the Canadian Government. The complicity of the Canadian Government is clear from the fact that Nijjar's petition for citizenship was fast tracked in spite of serious errors in documentation. 

In the latest round of accusations against India, Canada has brought in the name of Laurence Bishnoi whos is lodged in an Indian jail. Laurence and Goldy Barar are rivals and both groups are killing rival gang members and Canada is dragging the name of India in the murky waters of inter gang rivalries and conflicts. It must be said that Lawrence Bishnoi has emerged as a cult figure after he started a crusade against the Balck Buck shooting convicts. But this does not mean that the Government of India in any manner is supporting him. Therefore the insinuation that India is operating through Lawrence Bishnoi is misplaced.

Col Ajay Raina's book is written in  free flowing journalistic manner and he seems to suggest that R  &AW has made deep inroads into terror networks in Pakistan, Dubai and Thailand. There is little evidence from intelligence sources to back up the claims and the author has relied entirely on press accounts. However it is an interesting read.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis: J D Vance and American Politics

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Even the title is poetic. J D Vance who has been declared the running mate of President Trump, the once and future President of the United States is all of 38 years old and is a Senator from the state of Ohio. He has carved out a space for himself on the American Right by carefully selling himself as the epitome of a self made man who has caught the American dream in a green bay and danced with it to political visibility. His wife and mother of there three children is Indian and so obviously there is a great deal of interest in his politics and opinions. We were a little surprised by the nomination as Vance had attacked President Trump in a savage manner and did not expect him to be favored. But the die is cast and it is a Trump-Vance ticket. Vivek Ramaswamy had an incredible  run but after the Presidential debates he withdrew and it is certain that he will find a prominent place in the Trump Administration.

Vance advertises himself as a Hillbilly, a colorful word that has several  less respectable synonyms of which "poor white trash" is well known. After the Civil  War in America many white share croppers  and tenant farmers were displaced and made their way to the Appalachian regions. Vance's family settled in Kentucky and later Ohio. Poverty,  alcohol and substance abuse, serial marriages and joblessness were all part and parcel of Hillbilly society. And J D Vance's writes about his own mother as a typical representative of Appalachian upbringing--quick temper, a foul tongue, a violent passionate temper coupled with strong familial loyalty and Vance writes, " I was the abandoned son of a father I hardly knew and a mother I wished I did'nt."A very poignant statement about family in the poor regions of the US. As the country song of Lisa put it, learn right from wrong from a color T V.

Vance entered Yale Law School and graduated with a good degree in Law and joined a very prestigious Law firm. From his public positions he seems to have opposed the Iraq War and the costly military adventures  in Syria, Libya and other parts of Asia. And here he will certainly be on the side for maintaining peace in the world. The whole world is watching the Presidential Election very closely as another term for the war mongering Deep State will spell disaster. The crucial vote in this battle will be the African American vote.

Since the turn of the  twentieth century, the American Media and the "Professorate" has run a campaign blaming the Republicans for all the ills confronting African American Society. It has been pointed out that black families were functional entities until the 1960 when with the Civil Rights Movement and the transition to all enveloping Social Welfare, the families began to disintegrate with absentee fathers and multiple social crises within the Black Community. Some scholars have traced the process of ghettoization of Blacks to the Federal Housing Agency set up by the Democratic President Dwight Eisenhower when funds were made available for housing and by redlining neighborhoods whites  only communities were set up and with the concentration of high paying jobs the local schools tended to be better leaving the African American communities bereft of skills, social capital, jobs and education. The nanny state provided doles and that very much sealed the fate of most communities.

The Democrats are crafting a narrative that centers of "Black Empowerment" but few are trusting this narrative driven by the corporate media and Hollywood.

ARNI JAGIR AND THE "TEARS OF THE NAWAB": Histroy if Fiction

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

History writing is an underdeveloped art in India and Historical Fiction remains a distant dream, While the 1857 Revolt has inspired a few credible pieces of historical fiction, South India has essentially defied the charms of a novelist. This book The Nawab's Tears is neither well written not is the historical research of a high order. The plot is weak, the dialogues flat and one dimensional, the characters are really cardboard cut-outs. Yet I would like to take this book seriously as I am connected to both Vijayanagara as a Historian and Arni as I have heard tales about the goings on in the palace.

Palace of Poosimalai, Arni

 The attractive European style   building was constructed in the l   late nineteenth century, in a "French Style" to serve as the   residence of a court favorite. The   History of the Arni Jagir goes   back  to the days of the great Emperor Shivaji who conquered Tanjavur and Senji and made one Vedaji  Bhaskar Pant the Qiladar of the area, Consisting of around 125 villages, the Jagir was quickly acquired by the Bhonsle rulers of Tanjavur from whom it passed into the hands of the Nawab of Carnatic and saw considerable shifts in its fortunes as the English East India Company and Tippu Sultan faught for supremacy. In the famous Treaties, Sanads and Engagemenrts vol X were have the confirmation that in June 1789 the East India Company entered into a Treaty with Arni in which the jagir was conferred on Tirumal Rao and his successors. After the Administration of Sir Thomas Munro, Puddukkotai and Arni were the few estates which were not under the Royatwari Settlement. A Tribute of 10,000 Arcot Rupees was fixed as the peshkush, tribute, to the Nawab of Arcot. There is no record that  this amount was ever paid as the Nawab himself ceased to be an important player in politics after the Peace Settlement of Vienna which was signed in 1815. The Nawab was the only Indian potentate who signed this Settlement. The Jagirdars were firm devottees of the Madhava Philosophy and one of the heads of the Uttaradi Mutt attained Samadhi in Satyamangalam as Arni was called.

Arni Jagirdars were educated as the Madras Administration took over the samastanam and took custody under the Court of Wards decree. Consequently the princes were sent to Bangalore for education and later Tirumal Rao and Srinivasa Rao were both educated at Presdidency College, Chennai. The revenue of the Jagir picked up after the dissoulution of the Court of Wards and the Annual Reports of the Madras Irrigation Department and the Revenue Department show that considerable improvements were made. Silk production was encouraged and Arni Silk still remains an important item in the local economy. The jagirdars were notorious spendthrifts and lived a ;life of luxury. William Pogson, the noted Scottish Architect was commissioned to design the famous "Arni House" in Halls Road, Chennai.

Arni House, Halls Road

  It is against the back drop of the history       sketched above that we must situate the   context of the Nawab's Tears. This book  has been inspired by Dan Brown's Da Vinci   Code, Willkie Collins, Moonstone, Indiana   Jones with a touch of Hercule Pirot thrown in for good measure. The novel revolves arounf Krishna a widow of the last Jagirdar who asks her college flame Aravan to help her with some secret codes that she discovered in a diary belonging to one Captain Miller. Needless to say the necklace which was the Nawab's Tears as its immediate owner Chanda Sahib had been brutally executed after being defeated. The Masonic Lodge and its rituals play a prominent part in the novel. All said and done this is an entertsining read. Now I turn to certain Historical details which are certainly open to different interpretations.

There are frequent allusions to the History of Vijayanagara in this novel. Robert Sewell's Forgotten Empire even appears in the Bibliography. First, there is an equivalence drawn beteeen Hindu monarch's treatment of images and temples in the territory of rival kings after they had conquered them and Muslim conquerors like Malik Kafur and others including the Deccani Sultanates. The Historians of JNU are primarily responsible for the false equivalence. He gives the example of the Pallava conquest of Vatapi by the King Nandivarman. The image of Ganesha was neither destroyed or descecrated. It was brought to Kanchipuram and installed in the temple. Similarly when Rajendra Chola I (1014-1044) defeated the Chalukyas he drought back as war trophies images which till today are in worship in the temple of Gangaikondasolapuram. Similarly when Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529)  defeated the Gajapathis of Orissa he brought back the image of Balakrishna from Udayagiri which was installed in the Krishna Temple which he specially constructed for this image. Unfortunately the Historians in their desire to please the powers that be made such outlandish claims and the novelist has only repeated them. Similarly the Gilani brothers who betrayed the Ruler, Rama Raya on the Battlefield of Talikota is referrewd to in a near contemporary account by Fredrick Ceasar.

This book needs a good editor to sharpen the storyline. And the writer does show the potential for Indian History to be engaging.

India's General Election 2024 The Prospects of the BJP and strategies

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The bugle of elections has been sounded and the campaign to capture power has started. There is an increase of 11.5% in the strength of the Electorate and a significantly larger number of candidates are conrtesting, compared to the 2019 Elections. There are two broad allainces, the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP and the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance the I. N. D. I Alliance. Rahul Gandhi, though not the declared leader, is the public face of this motely crowd.

Let us start with the I. N. D, I Alliance. The grouping is riven with personalitiy clashes and strong anti incumbancy wave in the two major states ruled by components of the Alliance: West Bengal and Karnataka. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the NDA is mounting a serious challenge but both the DMK and the CPM have deep roots and so there is only limited hope of BJP gaining a strong posse of seats. I expect asround 6 to 12 seats for the NDA from both these states together. In Karnataka and in West Bengal the BJP is slated to do well. The campaign of Rahul Gandhi is proving to be a huge embarassment to his Alliance. His statement against Sakthi has not gone down well and he has not mastered the art of political rhetoric which even ordinary members of the BJP have total command over. The seats for the INDI Alliance will not increase and Congress numbers may even fall. Except Punjab where the APP will getr the majority of the seats, the INDI Alliance is on a stricky wicket everywhere else in the country.

What are the issues before the Electorate: Governance, Internal Security, Economy, Infrastructure and Employment. On all these issue, except employment the Government has performed well. Governance has remained  more or less corruption free and there are no major scandals, financial or otherwise, affecting the credibility of the BJP. The Electoral Bonds which the Congress has tried to portray as "Licensed Corruption" was introduced to check the role of unaccounted money in the electoral process. The very fact that the electoral bonds could be traced back to the original donor is proof of the good faith in which the Government acted. Unfortunately the Government of India has to contend with a unified Opposition and a hyperactive Judiciary which struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme. It will be reintroduced after the General Elections. And a major slew of reforms of the judiciary including the judges appointing judges system that is in vogue today will ne introduced. The CAA has finally been passed and except for some organized identity groups, there is hope that Citizenship will be rolled out to the minorities in Pakistan. There have been some tension with regard to Center-State Relations. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have refused to cooperate with the Centre on sensitive issues pertaining to transnational crime. I expect the next Government to define Law and Order which have been left by the Constitution to the Statesmore precisely. The Indian Economy has been growing at an average of 8% and the World Bank  and IMF expect this trend to continue. Unfortunately this is largely growth without employment as the only jobs available to the younger generation are in the gig economy. India has seen a phenomenal growth in terms of Infrastructure and the investment in Ports, Railways and Highways will continue. In fact the impressive economic growth figures of India comes from Infrastructural growth.

Given the track record of Governance, Internal Security and Economy I expect Narendra Modi to make a clean sweep in the forthcoming elections. I have not been wrong in my electoral prediction so far and I venture to state that the BJP will win between 334 to 354 seats. give or take a few. The 400+ that the leadership talks of is hype. Unless South India makes a complete U turn  in its politics, this number is not possible. And South India has outlawed miracles. 

All in all a BJP led Government seems probable.  Apart from the Electoral Bonds and the Arvind Khejriwal arrest and imprisonment the Government has not taken any major misstep. The Liquor Policy Scam in which Kavitha the daughter of K C  Rao, the former CM of Telengana and Manish Sisodia and of course now, the Chief Minister od Delhi figure as accused, is only fizz in a beer bottle. It will be impossible for the ED to prove the case in court and this makes me suspect that political motives are behind this strategy. If the Cabinet is guilty of making the decision why is the LT. Gov of Delhi who signed off on the policy not make part of the conspiracy.

India is facing serious challenges in the neighborhood. The tensions in West Asia are increasing and the war in Ukraine though is winding down is showing no sign of approaching peace. Tensions with China will continue as India maintains a strong and aggressive posture.

The Vishwanath Temple in Benares: Review of Vishwanath Rises and Rises by Meenakshi Jain

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Vishwanath Rises and Rises: The Story of Eternal Kashi

Meenakshi Jain

New Delhi: Aryan Books 2024

After the restoration and consecration of the Bhavya Rama Temple at Ayodhya on January 22, 2024 a new set of historical issues have arisen: the Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi and the Krishna Janmastan at Mathura. Both were destroyed by the Mughal king Aurangazeb in 1669 and there are historical documents  that establish the destruction on the explicit orders of the king. 

Historians like Dr Meenakshi Jain who have worked extensively on the Rama Temple at Ayodhya and were instrumental in exposing the hollowness of the claims of the critics have now turned their attention to Benares. This book and Vikram Sampath's volume are the most comprehensive dealing with the historical and legal aspects of the issue. The latter is significant in that the Places of Worship Act of 1991 is seen as a statutory impediment to the demand for restitution and restoration of places of worship associated with the indigenous faith

of India. The map drawn by James Prinsep makes it clear that the floor plan of the Gyan Vyapi Mosque followed closely that of the temple and the three domes visible in the picture were placed directly above the sacred garba griha of the destroyed temple. As per the religious character of the site Courts will have no real issue ruling in favour of the indigenous faith of India. 

The book is a comprehensive history of Varanasi and its sacred heritage as reflected in archaeology and judicial and administrative documents. As early as 1809 itself there were systematic attempts to reclaim the site where the Lat Bhairava Temple stood which had been turned into a Mosque. In the struggle that followed sev eral people were killed and order restored. As in Ayodhya the indigenous people were allowed to worship at the site which will prove significant in determing the religious character of the site.

The sacred geography of Benares was shaped by the Skanda Puran a text put together during the 11th or 12 th century when the Ghadavalas were the ruling power. The Ghadavalas shifted their capital from Kanauj in order to be in a position to protect Benares which was being attacked by the Turks from the end of the 12th century. One consequence of the repeated destruction wrought upon Benares by the turushka is seen in the fact that places associated with the practice of the Pasupata Cult came to be inscribed on the larger canvass of Saivism. Apart from Aibak and Razia there were several instances of attacks on Benares. And after each cycle destruction effort was made to reconsecrate the destroyed temple by Rajputs, Mahrattas, and Sikhs. Ahilya Holkar restored the temple of Vishwanath destroyed by Aurangzeb at a site as close to the destroyed temple as possible and this temple still stands. The 12th century text Varanasi mahatmya provides information on the complex religious character of Varanasi that prevailed at the eve of the Turkish depredations over northern India.

The Vishwanath temple is credited to be the site of the Jotirling  of Siva and is said to be one of 12 sites so designated distributed from Kedarnath in the north to Somnath or Veraval in Gujarat and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. The Skanda Puran does not refer to the concept of Jyotirling and none of the Pasupata religious texts that survive contain any discussion on this important aspect of Saiva theology. Is it possible that this concept was fashioned to protect the virtual sanctity of Saiva temples that had been desecrated by the muslim invaders. The physical structure may have been destroyed by the divine image remains transcendental.

This book is full of interesting facts and contains a wealth of information that both historians and lay readers will find useful.