India – Pakistan Relations: The Story of a Fractured Fraternity

Book Review 

“India – Pakistan Relations

The Story of a Fractured Fraternity” 

By: MP Ajithkumar 

(Kaplaz Publications, C-30, Satyavati Nagar, Delhi – 110052, E Mail: [email protected] , 2006, Rs. 750/-) 

Dr. TS Girishkumar 
 

For a nation like India, history is an area which presents much challenges; first of all, the history of India is so ancient but without any explicit records as the slaves of science would wish in the direct written form, secondly, the history of India as in the present written form of Western pattern began at the hands of colonial rulers from far flung England who had no particular cause to undergo pain in search for truth, and they also did not have the requisite resources, manner as well as mentality to this task. To point an indicator; the history of India is mixed and connected with Philosophy, Vedic Hindutva, Spirituality and many similar aspects, in ways most intricate. 

Personalities like Prof PN Oak began ‘Institute for Re writing India’s History’ with this background, as the need of revisiting as well as rewriting History becomes so helplessly important for anything near truth to be known. 

The book under review here deals with one of the most complicated and much misrepresented phenomena for India, which is Indo Pak relations. Dr.MP Ajithkumar makes an earnest attempt to look into various aspects of this, in an unbiased manner as an academic, but at the same time the patriotism never loosing its hold. The book has nine chapters in all; and 308 pages in dummy. Many things had been said about Indo Pak relations in the past, but hardly any one had tried to read what had been behind the curtain, and in between the lines, which Dr.Ajithkumar dares to boldly, through exact narration avoiding rhetoric, as well as with much wanted philosophical insights where ever required. 

The division of India, the Muslim mentality, and the development of Pakistan as a terrorist nation right under the very nose of India are never anything near simple phenomena. This has its own stories, and mostly untold, for fear of Muslims taking offence. Muslim appeasement had been ‘the’ draw backs with Indian leadership, and a classical example is Mahatma Gandhi himself. Gandhiji’s appeasement to the Mullah minded Muslims had made Dr.Ajithkumar refer to Gandhi as an ‘obstinate mule’ who refuses to listen to personalities including Ravindranath Tagore against Muslim appeasement. Interestingly, Mohammad Ali Jinnah also strongly criticises Gandhiji for his Muslim appeasement attitude, apart form many other Indian luminaries. Dr. Ajithkumar painfully relates about the Indo Pak wars, how bravely our Armed forces fought and won all the battles, and how sadly our nit wit politicians failed in diplomatic fronts all the time, after each battle. 

To my mind, all Indians ought to read this work, to revisit India’s history written first by the Europeans through their bias, and then through the Communists through their international bias. Perhaps more of such works are a dire necessity for this nation and its students as well as citizens. 

Dr. MP Ajithkumar gives extensive references to many incidents, which are indeed rare with many books. In a word, this book ought to function as a reference text and guideline to any Indian who wishes to be Indian.