K Subrahmanyam was amiable, conscientious, dedicated, forthright, talented and an inspirational thinker. Civil servants after retirement generally go to seed. But Subrahmanyam never retired. He gave so much to life and got so much out of it; he was a man of great moral passion. He was creatively consistent and so often right. He was a pioneer. Subrahmanyam single-handedly educated us on the complexities of security and strategy. He was in my judgement a one-man think tank. But he was also an institution builder. I cannot claim intimacy, but I knew him reasonably well. A conversation with him was a lesson; a memorable experience. The tributes paid to him are a testimony to his national stature. I recall a laudatory centre piece he wrote in The Times of India about my role as secretary general of the 7th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit held in New Delhi in March 1983.
I got to know his son, Jaishankar, when I was external affairs minister. He is one of the brightest stars of the Indian Foreign Services. I extend my sincere condolences to the family.
The Egypt problem
The turmoil in Egypt is a seismic event. Is it a revolt or a revolution. Either way, Egypt has changed. Mr Hosni Mubarak is a strong and stubborn man. The conclusion that his authority is diminished, his image tarnished and his current policy discredited, is inescapable.
Ten days ago, I spoke to an Israeli academic friend in Haifa. I asked him if Tunisia would have an impact on Egypt and other Arab nations. He answered that this was most unlikely. The regimes in Cairo and Amman were sensible, stable and strong. A week later, I called him again. He said everyone was completely surprised when Cairo exploded. Every Israeli was anxious and worried. It is well known that Israel has one of the best secret services in the world. Both Egypt and Jordan have diplomatic missions in Israel. No other Arab country does. The intelligence agencies of Israel, the US, Egypt and Jordan are in touch almost daily. Yet, all were caught off guard.
The US is confronted with a very worrying situation. Mr Mubarak is, or was, the favourite Arab leader in Washington. As one of the largest and most populous Arab countries, it is the heavyweight in the Middle East. The US, Egypt and Israel are the powerful trio for containing Iran. If Mr Mubarak were to go, then the US foreign policy in the Middle East will be most adversely affected. The peace process will be indefinitely halted, and Arab nations will be jittery.
Mr Mubarak began as a NAM supporter. He attended the 7th NAM Summit in March 1983. As secretary general of the summit, I saw him at close quarters. Soon he embraced the US. He forgot about the Nehru-Nasser-Tito era. He lost interest in India. Awarded the Nehru Prize in the mid-nineties, he did not turn up to collect it for nearly 15 years.
What is happening in Tahrir Square does President Mubarak no credit. He has let loose thugs in the Square to hit at the anti-Mubarak protesters. Yes, he has provided stability, but at what cost? His announcement that he will continue till September is both incomprehensible and staggeringly arrogant. His political antenna is facing the wrong way. Although the Egyptian economy is doing reasonably well, 40 per cent Egyptians live on $2 every day. Unemployment is nearly 10 per cent.
A peculiar Arab phenomenon is that the Arab dictators do not retire. Mr Mubarak has been at the helm since 1981; Mr Gaddafi since 1969; Mr Bouteflika of Algeria for over 20 years. The president of Yemen has been misruling for 33 years. Mr Ben Ali stifled the Tunisians for 23 years. Mr Assad senior was president of Syria for 25 years; he was succeeded by his son.
I am asked, “Could this happen in India?” My answer is an emphatic “No”. Democracy has taken root in India. In the Arab world, it hasn’t. Our diversity is our strength. The experiment of Emergency strengthened the democracy of India. There is no dictatorship here.
Why do Americans send third-rate and insensitive diplomats to India? Of course, exceptions are there: Ambassadors Chester Bowles, Ellsworth Bunker and J K Galbraith. The American woman in the US establishment in Hyderabad should be recalled.
A series of discourtesies has been inflicted on Indians by the US establishment. Ambassadors Meera Shankar and Hardev Puri were recently shabbily treated. Now the Indian students in a bogus US university are reduced to a semi-criminal status. Prominent Indians have been denied visas. Let me name just one — Prof Goverdhan Mehta, Fellow of the Royal Society, the president of the Indian National Science Academy.
Tailpiece
The government should have handled the Karmapa issue with greater sensitivity and confidentiality. No doubt, irregularities have been committed but ham-fisted dealings are no way to go about in such cases.
