| Lord Palmerston, a former British prime minister and a noted
nationalist, once said, "A country does not have permanent friends, only permanent
interests." It is a philosophy India's bjp-led Government would undoubtedly approve
of. Last fortnight's nuclear tests may not have won it too many friends abroad. An
unruffled Government, however, is convinced it is acting in the national interest. For decades, India's foreign policy was based on conciliation. The
nuclear tests have radically altered that, with India adopting an aggressive posture. The
message is obvious: a nation ignored must now be noticed. Yet, as we note in this week's
cover story, with all such major shifts in policy, there is a fallout. We are now active
members of the arms race, face global censure, and more so have aggravated our neighbours.
Are we prepared for the consequences? Are we ready for the responsibility this power
brings? The cover story deals with these questions.
Yet a country is not built on bombs, but on the sweat and
toil of its unknown inhabitants. From Punjab emerges an upbeat story of a band of young
hi-tech farmers who are gradually altering the traditional concept of agriculture. For
years, the sons of farmers were abandoning their land in pursuit of jobs, unexcited by the
thought of growing wheat. Yet these modern sons of the soil, educated abroad, successfully
growing commercial crops like strawberries and exotic vegetables, are disproving the
deep-rooted belief that farming is economically unviable. It is fitting too that Principal
Correspondent Ramesh Vinayak who tracked these farmers for seven days across the Punjab is
himself a postgraduate in agriculture. Amazed by this growing phenomenon, he says,
"If this trend sustains itself, it could usher in a new breakthrough in the stagnant
green revolution." At least that would be an achievement which won't be debated.
(Aroon Purie) |
