IFEEL anger that the present-day politicians can act so low as to use even the most delicate matters of defence and security to their partisan advantage. Previously, the matter of defence was accepted as the country’s concern. That is why Jayaprakash Narayan, who had been maligned for his anti-corruption movement in Gujarat by Indira Gandhi, had no hesitation in agreeing to her request to go on international tours to educate the public about the delicate situation in Bangladesh. No one played politics with the country’s security and dignity and the sacrifice and planning of the defence forces. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then leader of the opposition, called Indira ‘Durga’. The Congress projected it not as a victory of the Indian Army for its brilliant strategy, rather it was claimed as Indira’s personal victory and strategy. Still, nobody grudged it. It is common to give credit to the current leader — just as the Allies won the world war, but in the UK, it was Churchill, and not the coalition partner Labour Party, who got the credit. It is a different matter that England’s electorate was sensible enough to realise that post-war reconstruction required a modest-looking Attlee than the bumbling Churchill. The CPM is now taking the same stand as the Congress — not surprising — having accepted in the West Bengal general election the role of a junior partner, it has to follow the lead given by Rahul Gandhi. Need I remind the CPM and CPI that in the war against Hitler, they gave all credit to Stalin’s leadership than to the unimaginably courageous Red Army? It is natural in politics. The Army does not want public kudos, it only wants its due recognition, dignity and respect.Let Rahul also be updated that because of this victory in East Bengal, Indira preponed the general election in the country by almost two years. The election was due to be held in February 1972, but Indira, in the wake of the Bangladesh victory, dissolved Parliament on December 27, 1970, and held fresh election and obtained overwhelming victory — unlike when parliamentary elections were held in February 1967, the Congress had won only 54 per cent seats. No one accused Indira of foul play, as Rahul has done now of Modi. Everyone took it as a normal political strategy which every party is entitled to. What would Rahul like to call his grandmother’s normal political strategy?Following the Uri attack, there was a condemnation of the alleged lack of proper response by the government. The healthy conventions of democracies that these matters are left best to be determined by the Army and its experts (along with the mandatory consultation with the Opposition, of course only on general information and not strategic details) was ignored by Modi, so when the government owned up to the strategic strikes inside Pakistan area, the Opposition demanded proof — an insult to the Army and its achievements. And when pressed to a corner, the government yielded and purported to give proof; maybe a little too self-congratulatory. There the matter should have rested under mature politicians. But then Rahul, who in the first instance behaved like a responsible opposition leader, soon let partisan thinking take over and in a totally unacceptable language attacked Modi for ‘jawanon ke khoon ki dalali’. To make his point stronger, he referred to Raj Babbar’s film Insaf ka Tarazu, proudly proclaiming that ‘Congress has given justice to the people. Congress has respected insaf ka tarazu which Modi has not’. Would some of Rahul’s cronies explain to him that Raj Babbar’s role in the said film was that of a villain-rapist and since he was protected by his riches and cronies, the public took upon itself to avenge the insult to womanhood by killing the villain. Is there any relevance to the present situation?These election strategies are normal in a democratic state — every political party is perfectly within its rights to take political advantage. I am surprised that the Congress and the Left are behaving in such a cringing and ‘unsportman-like’ manner. In this game of one-upmanship, Congress spokesperson correctly taunted the BJP by reminding it that as far back as 1965, it was Lal Bahadur Shastri, Congress PM, who crossed the LoC. But some cynics may comment that though the Congress wants to take the credit for Shastri’s bold action, but in reality, it acts so shamelessly that none of the top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, considered it their duty to pay homage at his samadhi on his birth anniversary recently. Does one take the revival of Barua’s insulting slogan of ‘India is Indira’, with the difference of substituting instead Sonia or Rahul, as the Congress philosophy?Of course, the BJP conduct in the post-strikes is also stinking. It is a nauseating suggestion, as if these strikes were given under the special command of Modi or BJP president Amit Shah. The abhorrent elections strategy by the BJP in UP is openly to whip up anti-Muslim sentiment. Look at the way compensation was given to the kin of the man who died in hospital and was charged with the murder of Akhlak in Dadri. Also, the way in which actor Nawajuddin was prevented by BJP and Shiv Sena goons to participate in Ram Lila when he volunteered to do so.It is uncomfortable how Pakistani actors are now being denied work in India, even when all permissions have been duly given. The only hope of mutual goodwill and ultimate peace between India and Pakistan depends on keeping alive our common lines of communication, films, plays, music, and common heritage, especially of Punjab on either side. India and Pakistan are like Siamese twin. We can either destroy ourselves by our animosity or become the leaders of the world if we start living peacefully, amid mutual trust. If that sounds like the ravings of a person who spent the first 25 years of his life in Lahore and cannot forget the common culture of a Punjabi (which I believe still exists in both Punjabs), let me be so tainted.The writer is a former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court