‘I will always be a friendly critic of India’

Dr Sumit Ganguly was one of the two Americans awarded the Pravasi Samman by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the 7th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas which concluded in Chennai on January 9.

Ganguly is Professor of Political Science and Director of Research at Indiana University’s Center on American and Global Security and an adjunct senior fellow of the Pacific Council on International Policy. He is the author of several books on strategic issues facing the Indian subcontinent, including Nuclear Proliferation In South Asia: Crisis Behaviour And The Bomb and Conflict Unending: India-Pakistan Tensions Since 1947.

In an interview to Ramananda Sengupta , Ganguly discusses options before India following the terrorist attack in Mumbai, and what the Samman award means to him.

What does the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, not the award, but the event itself, mean to you?

This is an important way for the government to connect with a very large Diaspora, many of whose members have become quite successful professionally, and many of whom can contribute, if appropriately drawn in, to India’s development. That, I believe, is the real significance of the PBD. This is the first time I have attended this event, though I am well aware that this has been going on for six years now.

Now for the award, when and how did you know you were getting it?

Ambassador Ronen Sen called me in December, saying I had been selected for this award, and would I accept it? I said of course, I would be delighted and honoured.

First reactions?

I was obviously surprised, pleased, frankly delighted. This is a national award. Only two individuals from the United States have been given this award this year, and I feel that I am in particularly exalted company given that the other recipient is a noted professor of business administration, CK Prahalad.

Does this award make you feel obliged in some way to do more for India?

I don’t think so. I think I have done what I have always thought was in India’s best interests, that I have been extremely supportive of India when the occasion demanded it, and I have been suitably critical when I think the country has been pursuing a course which I believe undermines its values and its most cherished institutions. And I think will continue to do the same. I will always remain a friendly critic of India.

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Pravasi Divas aside, you are an acknowledged expert on strategic issues facing the subcontinent. What do you think are the options before India following the latest terrorist attack on Mumbai?

I think India is pursuing exactly the right strategy. Even though initially I was inclined to believe that some short sharp, surgical strikes across the line of control might have conveyed an appropriate message to Pakistan, in retrospect that strikes me as probably a wrong strategy, because that might actually have played into the hands of the Pakistani military. It might have rallied the Pakistani nation against India. Instead, the steady application of systematic, multilateral diplomatic pressure is a much more viable strategy. If carried out with some degree of persistence, it could actually well serve India and place Pakistan in the dock.

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You have argued in your books that the fact that both India and Pakistan have probably averted many other possible wars simply because both are nuclear powers…. Is that what you suspect happened in this particular instance?

The possibility of nuclear war was probably limited. But certainly escalation to a full scale conventional war, and then the Pakistani threat to use nuclear weapons, might have been a distinct possibility. And I think that’s one reason, amongst others, why the government has demonstrated such extraordinary restraint. I don’t think that is a central concern, but I think that is a concern.

So what were these terrorists hoping to achieve?

I think they were hoping to achieve three things. One, they were hoping to set off communal discord and violence in Bombay, second, they also wanted to discourage foreign investment and foreigners from coming to India, and third, I think they were hoping to provoke a confrontation with Pakistan. These were their three principal goals.

And all three failed?

Absolutely. All three have failed miserably. That is something extremely positive.

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Back to the Pravasi Divas: was there something you felt ought to be different?

Not fundamentally different, but the Divas could probably benefit from a more judicious mix of people who are invited. Community organizers, academics, professionals from various fields. There was a decent mix, but it could be improved upon.

A bit more organisation might be desirable. But on the other hand, I don’t want to appear overtly critical given the sheer numbers that were involved and the security that was necessary especially in the light of an explicit threat by the Deccan Mujahideen, whoever they might be.

The 7th Pravasi Divas: Complete coverage