By Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Sardool Singh Takhar, M.A.. and H. Kaur Sekhon, B. Com.

India has been described by Munro (Ross H. Munro. Time, 3rd April, 1989) as the fourth largest power of the world, based on the strength of its armed forces. Yet, despite this apparent strength, such deductions may misrepresent India’s actual capabilities. The published data on the Indian arsenal is more reliable source upon which accurate conclusions may now be based. Certainly, under the direction of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi during current and previous administrations, Indian armed forces have substantially increased recently to current levels of more than 1.36 million manpower, several hundred fighter aircrafts, M1G 29, MIG 27, M1G21 (all Russian built), Jaguars from Britain and French made Mirage 2000, T27 Russian Tanks for armored corps, heavy artillery guns from Sweden, and ballistic missiles with a range of 1,500 miles.

India has just recently fired a surface to surface missile successfully (World Sikh News, 29th September, 1989), which is also capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In addition, it is also busy in adding four more divisions of army to complement its already existing military might; yet, this arsenal does not allot India new status as a world power. India is a poor nation, a land of beggars, snake charmers and hungry people. Indians, as had been the case during British Raj prior 15th August, 1947 continue to be born, raised, and remain in destitution until their death. Today, it is virtually unimaginable that a nation, the world’s so-called largest democracy, is still unable to feed its own people and provide them a basic shelter for refuge, while Rajiv Gandhi boasts that it is progressing in the direction set by Mahatma Gandhi. The authors have yet to encounter Mahatama Gandhi teaching as alleged by Rajiv Gandhi that India ought to attack it neighbors. Such attacks include those on Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971; Portugal’s colony of Goa, Daman and Dev in 1956; China in 1962; force a tiny (mountainous) kingdom of Sikkim to become its colony; blocking off all land access to Nepal for civilian supplies; killing of more than 3,000 innocent Sri Lankans with the Indian Peace Keeping Force. An examination of India’s alleged successes in its aggressions against Pakistan and china reveals that each of these two countries experienced delays in mobilizing their troops on frontiers bordering an aggressor country. China, in spite of understanding the true nature of India’s peace Policies, accepted the challenge reluctantly and soundly defeated the Indian army. In 1947, 1965 and 1971, the preachers of peace and coexistence in New Delhi, cleverly and tactfully deployed the Sikh military units against Pakistan. The Sikh soldiers fought with great emotional spirits, as did their counterparts in Pakistan’s army, although India won. Today, the situation is different. The Sikhs are victims of Indian terrorism, Any future war against or by India will not be defended or fought by the Sikh soldiers fueled by high-spirited nationalism and pride. The Sikhs increasingly feel that they are merely employed as mercenaries of Hindu India, in which case ought to abandon any notion of winning future victories against Pakistan and China.

Currently, More than 200,000 professional military and paramilitary personnel are stationed in the Sikh nation (Khalistan). Each of these troops has been provided with enormous power under the Black Laws on the Indian parliament (Sekhon, A. S. 1988. The Sword 3: 3641). In spite of this, these troops have not been able to achieve success except for the slaughter of innocent Sikhs in staged encounters, the torture of Sikhs in the so-called interrogation centers or more commonly known in the Sikh nation as “butcher shops”, and the execution of inhumane activities imported from their Soviet mentors (WSN, 22nd September, 1989). This expensive army is continually pitted against handful of ‘freedom fighters’ for the Sikh nation. Even the freedom fighters are not adequately equipped for their self-defense, as are the Mujaheedins of Afghanistan. These freedom fighters for the liberation of the Sikh nation have always defeated the Indian army, paramilitary and police force in direct encounters. In frustration, the Indian army and other forces have resorted to the use of cruel and inhumane means, punishments as well as the usage of chemical terrorism or napalm gas. In addition, the Hindu Indian army burns the holy ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’ commit mass rape of Sikh women regardless of age; humiliate Sikhs; and bums community kitchen (the Langar) and supplies where hundreds of thousands of people belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Dalit (untouchables), Christian faiths sit together and eat on a daily basis. The humiliation of the Sikhs by the Hindu Indian army include the desecration of Sri Darbar Sahib (commonly, and mistakenly known as the Golden Temple), Sri Akal Takht Sahib, and almost every Gurdwara (House of God) of the Sikh nation. Yet, a handful of persistent freedom loving fighters, with the blessings of their Guru (Sir Guru Granth Sahib Ji), their community members, sufferers of Indian terrorism, and freedom loving people of their Sikh nation, maintain their struggle to liberate their Sikh nation from a country with the fourth largest arsenal buildup, worldwide.

The city of Delhi has 32,000 police and paramilitary personnel disproportionately coordinated to keep a few freedom fighters or those discontent with the policies of Rajiv Gandhi’s administration in check. Such is the comparison of an army of professional soldiers of this alleged “world power”. The Indian army had to deploy armored, artillery, air force, naval units, following several months preparations in Chakrata, Uttar Pradesh, to attack or perhaps, vacate the Sikh nation in June 1984, when Operation Bluestar was executed. In this operation, the 4th largest military power of the world lost more than 9,000 professional solders (sekhon 198%8), after which it is difficult to ascertain whether India maintained such global status. In order to be deemed a world power, a country must be self-sufficient economically, while able to provide education, a sufficient quality of living to its citizens, etc. India has failed badly in this respect, and appears to expect to be able to accomplish these necessities at gunpoint or by dictatorial rule. The day is not far when Indians will start turning against their own morally bankrupt, irresponsible, and corrupt administration. The Indian administration must not forget that the Sikhs and their nation still produce 73% and 50% of the total wheat and rice, respectively, along with 26% of the gross national product of Hindu India.

In summation, it is highly inappropriate to call a country that has mortgaged the future of its present and future generations in the hands of its Soviet mentor a world power. It is spending beyond its limits on military supplies while ignoring the welfare of its citizens. This senseless spending is not new in the Indian administration. History reveals that the Jawaharlal Nehru’s administration emptied the treasury during its aggression on China in 1962.

As a result, it had to increase the prices of consumer goods, for instance sugar, by more than 120%. In that duration, the Indian treasury had no gold reserve to purchase from the international market. So the Sikhs and their nation (Punjab) his body weight. How can one call India a world power when its only aim has been to harass its peace-loving neighbors since independence. India has failed badly in providing basic necessities to its poor and hungry masses, It is, therefore, more appropriate to refer to India as a ‘big bully’ rather than a world power.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 15, 1989