U.S.A. or any other country. They cannot bring peace if there is instability in the major part of the subcontinent.
Today, by some countries wanting to support the prestige of one man, they are threatening peace in the entire sub-continent. I do not personally think that they can save Pakistan, or keep it united, or keep it strong by supporting a person who is not an elected person, who is a military dictator. This is what we are concerned about-not really today’s problems, but the basic values for which we have fought, for which so many of our people have given their lives. These are the values which are being attacked.
And if they are attacked next door to us, what guarantee have we that they can survive in our country and they cannot be attacked there? This is what bothers us. It is not important who is to blame, though I think Pakistan is to blame, but I do not want to score a debating point. What is important is: How can we now have peace? You cannot have peace just by saying that the troops should move. You can only have peace if the basic problem which has arisen is solved. and the basic problem is not in the West, were the troops are facing each other, but in the East. Since I have mentioned troops, I would like to say one word more, and that is that Pakistan moved its troops about a week or ten days before we did anything. And the United Nations observer, who was there, took up this question with them. They said, “this is nothing serious, this is just ordinary training exercise”. It is very strange indeed that you have these exercise and you keep your troops posted, not for a day or two days, but over a week. And ten days passed without any action from the United Nations or anybody else. Then we said, “these people may attack and in order to defend ourselves we must move up our troops”. Already twice, or three times if you include Chine, we have been invaded and been found unprepared. No government can last in a country if the people feel that it is not going to defend the country or defend security.
We waited patiently hoping that something would be done, some way would be found. But nobody was bothered. Not a word was said while these troops were on our borders facing us. It was only when our troops went in, that suddenly the world’s concern came up: “Oh, the two troops are facing each other”.
It is true that war is a dreadful thing. I have lived through the last war in London during the worst part of the blitz. And I know that wars now are much worse. I know what happens to the civilian population. Never would anybody want war for their people. And certainly India will do nothing to provoke a war or conflict. But India is determined to safeguard her interests. India is determined to keep her freedom intact. India is united as never before, and India feels so strongly about these basic things whether it is freedom, whether it is democracy. It is a whole way of life with us. It is not a dogma, is not an ‘ism’ that we follow. It is a way of life which has kept our nation alive for thirty centuries. And we are not going to have it attacked because it suits somebody or other, or does not suit somebody or other. We want help, we want support, we welcome sympathy. But basically, in the world, every individual ultimately is alone and every nation is ultimately alonc. And India is prepared to fight alone for what is thinks worth fighting for......
