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FLIPSIDE
War of WordsBy Dilip Bobb
This is the time for all partymen to come good; for
leaders to lead from the Front or close to it; and for politicians to hold rallies around
the flag. As an educational measure it becomes necessary to get acquainted with military
phraseology so there's no confusion of the type shown by Defence Minister George
Fernandes. To do this, a special crash course has been started to educate people on both
sides of the border. A sampling of phrases and their meaning.
Himalayan blundering: A phrase that has a
double meaning. One means to commit a monumental blunder, as Pakistan has done in trying
to change the status quo in the Himalayan heights. The other more relevant meaning is the
stand its officials are taking in insisting that India is the aggressor and poor
peace-loving Pakistan is the innocent victim. In Himalayan terms, it is also referred to
as the height of absurdity.
Tololing: Refers to Pakistan's diplomatic position after its
closest ally China stayed neutral on Kargil and the US threatened to cut off the supply of
aid. In future, in the diplomatic arena, any country isolated and condemned by the
international community will be referred to as one for whom the bells are Tololing.
The LoC: Refers to the current battle between the BJP and the
Opposition over the holding of a special session of Parliament. The division is whether a
session of the Rajya Sabha is enough or should the prime minister surrender to the
opposition demand to cross the Line of Control (LoC) and hold a special session of the Lok
Sabha. The Opposition is of the view that with elections due before winter sets in, it's
the only occasion when they can wear their patriotism on their sleeves and, more
importantly, do so on national television.
Safe passage: As in Sonia Gandhi's letter to the prime minister
where she refers to his criticism of the other Mrs Gandhi's government during the 1971 war
and asks that her statements be taken in the same spirit. This, in military parlance, is
also called a tactical retreat and comes in the wake of a barrage of criticism against the
Congress for using Kargil to achieve narrow electoral gains.
Face-saving formula: As in the spirited defence of the defence
minister by his closest aide Jaya Jaitley, who played up the contents of the leaked
telephone conversation between two Pakistan generals to justify the original statements
made by George Fernandes that Nawaz Sharif and the ISI were totally ignorant of Pakistan's
Kargil offensive.
Offensive position: As in the stand currently being taken by
loyalists of the late Rajiv Gandhi, led generally by Mani Shankar Aiyar, which takes the
view that the Bofors guns are saving the country from invasion and proving the most
effective weapon in the Indian Army's arsenal. Ergo, there is no question of anyone having
taken bribes or commissions in the deal. |
