Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Nov 12: In an exclusive interview with IndiaTomorrow.net, former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas spoke strongly against the toxic climate of warmongering that has drawn India and Pakistan to eyeball to eyeball contact after the Uri attack. Denouncing the war language of elected political leaders in India and Pakistan, Admiral Ramdas said war would not resolve any dispute, rather would create more and more problems.
Excerpts from the interview:
Is war a solution to any dispute?
Not at all, you need a political solution because war always brings more and more harassment and problems for our people, people here and people there, people everywhere. And you know this is the worst thing that can happen to the nation’s economy where we are hoping to bring up very very poor people who have got lots of complaints. They don’t have food, they don’t have shelters. They don’t have education and they don’t have access to healthcare. So, how we can solve these issues by war, we don’t.
How do you look at impacts of hysteria of nationalism on youths?
You know Rabindranath Tagore had a beautiful saying regarding nationalism. Nationalism is the invention of the west. We survived with China for seven thousand years without any nationalism. Our monks went to Tibet and China. We went to far east. We had no problems. All they knew us as there are some wise people coming from India not otherwise. But you know, today everything is sharpened as nationalism; I think we have to change our mindset. Remember that there are many of us here, once upon a time we were one country. People are same, because to draw the line does not change the people.
What should people do to avoid war in the nuclear power subcontinent?
People should put pressure on their chosen political leaders and say – look, please don’t be irresponsible, think that if war can solve all issues. We want peace and justice, only then things would move forward in a peaceful and positive way.
