Nehru groveled in front of US seeking weapons against China
From the Blog pakhistorian - Nehru groveled in front of US seeking weapons against China November 16th, 2010 Image via Wikipedia NEW DELHI : Ironically, at a time when the US is said to be helping India emerge as a counter-balance to China, comes evidence that the fading superpower was of little value for New Delhi when it desperately needed help to keep the same China at bay in the 1962 war. While bringing back memories of perhaps the worst humiliation independent India suffered, the disclosure in the US of details of letters written by then PM Jawaharlal Nehru to President John F Kennedy seeking “comprehensive assistance” from the US against China shows the pragmatic dimension of his policy of non-alignment. According to reports, Nehru sought aid from the US in these letters, which have been made accessible by the JFK Library in Washington, in the form of air power including fighter aircraft and pilots to handle them and train Indian staff. While it was known even at the time of the 1962 war that Nehru had sought `general’ help from the US, the extent to which Nehru had gone in seeking military aid was not known. The two letters are still classified by the White House and State Department apparently at the request of the Indian government. The Indian government in the past has denied existence of these letters. While seeking comprehensive aid in the second letter, Nehru said India had not asked for more help, particularly air power, because of “wider ramifications” and because it did not want to embarrass its friends. Admitting that Indians couldn’t use air strikes against the rampaging Chinese army for fear of retaliatory action, Nehru went on to specifically ask for 12 squadrons of supersonic all-weather fighters and a modern radar system. He also mentioned that these aircraft would have to be manned by US personnel while the Indians were still being trained. Apart from it having the potential of embarrassing the Congress party, the disclosure has also been described by foreign policy experts, including former foreign secretary Kapil Sibal and former diplomat G Parthasarathy, as a clear case of US letting India down badly. “What has come out is factually correct. These facts came out after the event too but the important thing is that only after we got nothing from the US did arms supplies from the Soviet Union to India commence,” Parthasarathy said. Sibal described the contents of the letters as Nehru’s desperate bid for help against all the principles he had espoused as a leader of the non-aligned movement even though he added that what Nehru did should be judged in the context of history. “Given the Cold War and Communism, it was the only available option for him. Our forces suffered a rout and it was a personal setback for an ailing Nehru given what happened to his Hindi-Chini initiative. The moral of the story is to build up a strong defence against China,” Sibal said. AICC spokesman Manish Tewari , however, justified Nehru’s action. “It is part of historical record that India did request the major powers including the US for logistical help to repudiate the Chinese aggression. This is exactly what enlightened national interest means — that is putting the nation first,” he said. . Read Full Post
Father, Son and the Holy War by Anand Patwardhan wins Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience award
From the Blog beenasarwar - Father, Son and the Holy War by Anand Patwardhan wins Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience award November 16th, 2010 SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED The results of the Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience Award were announced on Monday 8 November and we have two winners, following a tie! The Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience Award is a highly respected award, the winners of which are chosen by the delegates and public who attend the film screenings at Doc/Fest. The winning films of the 2010 award are Father, Son and the Holy War by Anand Patwardhan and Scenes from a Teenage Killing by Morgan Matthews. Doc/Fest’s Film Programmer Hussain Currimbhoy comments of the winning films: “Both films are about violence in society and their ties to masculinity so I can’t think of a more relevant set of films to be giving our prize to at this particular moment in time.” When the directors were informed and were delighted. Anand Patwardhan ( Father, Son and Holy War ) said of result: “Just heard this fantastic news! Never imagined that people would even bother to vote for an old film from the retro section, let alone vote the way they have. A big thank you to the good people of Sheffield and all the new and old friends of the festival. onwards and into the summer…!” Director Morgan Matthews also expressed his gratitude for the award: "We have been working on Scenes From a Teenage Killing for nearly two years and were right up to the wire to get it ready for Sheffield. It has been an incredibly powerful and emotional experience making this film and to watch it twice at Sheffield was very cathartic. We were so moved by the comments and reaction from the audience and this award gives us hope that others who watch the film will be similarly affected. Thank you Sheffield." For more information about the winning films go to: sheffdocfest.com/films http://internationaldocumentaryfestivalsheffieldltd.createsend5.com Journeys to democracy
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