06 KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 19 MAY 2021 Vol.

CXXXXXV 116

Incorporating and directly descended

from THE FRIEND OF INDIA - Founded 1818
As Russia looks east A MEMBER
OF THE

Limits of incrementalism
T
he rocky relationship between the world’s only
superpower and its main challenger has, after
four decades of engagement, once again col-
President Putin subscribes to a pragmatic Eurasianism, and the Eurasian Economic Union ASIAN VOICES
that came into effect in 2015 now consists of five countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Awareness of
Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Simultaneously, the Russians pursue closer cooperation with
China. However, it is possible to see neo-Eurasianism as a counter but not repudiation
Covid

T
of the West he effects of large gatherings
lapsed into mutual distrust, suspicion, and danger- over Eid as well as multiple
ous one-upmanship. There is consensus among home visits will be apparent in
experts that the USA and China now appear to be the days to come and will largely
locked on a collision course that has already depend on how far people complied
fomented a trade war, seems likely to produce a with the SOPs. Only recently, as the
new cold war, and could even result in dangerous virus ravaged India, and even now
military conflicts. Yet, despite Washington’s largely continues to bring unimaginable suf-
legitimate concerns about Beijing’s excessive fering there, officials in Islamabad
warned we could be in a similar situa-
domestic political control and aggressive foreign
tion if precautions were not taken. The
policy stances, the case for an incremental improve- variant across the border, B.1.617.2.,
ment in ties with China within the US policy estab- spread rapidly just as India was pro-
lishment still has strong traction. A host of ‘soft’ claiming it had beaten Covid-19 ~ a
issues are being highlighted as potential facilitators terrible fallacy that had lulled many
in reshaping the trajectory of Sino-American rela- into a false sense of security.
tions including higher education, avant-garde art, This misguided belief, propagated
architecture, and law. The argument is that a focus by India’s top officials, was a major fac-
on and promotion of these and other such would tor behind the mass gatherings and
have an incrementally constructive impact on bilat- indifference to precautions ~ a trend
that was witnessed in Pakistan some
eral exchanges. As if on cue, a new book ~ Middle months ago when compliance fatigue
Class Shanghai: Reshaping US-China Engagement and huge political and private gather-
~ by Cheng Li makes the case for American policy- ings were in full swing.
makers not to lose sight of the “expansive Pakistan cannot afford to be com-
dynamism and diversity in present-day China”. placent. Our healthcare infrastructure
There is, indeed, a long list of those who have and medical manpower do not have

made similar arguments over the past few decades;
these bank on the emergence of an increasingly
cosmopolitan, presumably outward-looking, and
compatible-to-Western-values middle class prov-
ing to be a critical agent of change. These hopes
have, however, remained largely unrealised and
there is nothing to indicate that things will be any
different this time around. The reason lies not so
much in the various analyses of a changing China,
which empirical evidence certainly backs, but in
many strategic thinkers eliding the central theme of
societal-cultural values in these parts wherein har-
mony and social cohesion trump individual free-
doms and personal goals. If this sounds familiar,
it’s because it is ~ the ‘Asian Values’ debate of the
1990s which emanated from a sense of exception-
alism is arguably the most strongly embedded in
the Chinese mass psyche. With a totalitarian state
apparatus in place, upholding this principle is rela-
tively easier than in democracies, hyphenated or
otherwise. So, while reams are written premised on
the hope that deepening cooperation between the
USA and China in less contentious areas of engage-
ment would lead to a progressive softening of Bei-
jing’s stand and what Samuel P. Huntington termed
the ‘Demonstration Effect’ would do the rest thanks
to an aspirational middle class, all indications are
that such an approach would be a misreading of
China. For one, everything is strategic in the Chi-
nese worldview. Secondly, the assumption by the
CPC leadership that the USA still has albeit futile
designs on blocking the country’s inevitable rise to
great-power status is a longstanding one and it
remains unchanged. The rest is, in a sense, all
smoke and mirrors unless proof to the contrary
emerges.
Subalterns & the Virus
R
ussia’s alignment and approach to
regional integration has transitioned
from focus on the West and neglect
of regional integration in the 1990s,
to efforts to reintegrate the post-Soviet space
under Russian leadership and form a ‘Greater
Eurasia’ transcending the post-Soviet space
to include China. Key to understanding this
approach is a declining Russia that struggles
to maintain great power status. Initially, Rus-
sia neglected the post-Soviet states to favour
integration with Europe and the West but
when Moscow failed to find a place commen-
surate with its aspirations in the Western lib-
eral order, it shifted to regional integration of
the post-Soviet space in the hope of creating a
future multi-polar world.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov
last March said that if the European Union
“broke off relations, simply destroying all the
mechanisms built over many years, we have
only individual European countries that want
to be guided by their national interests. Our
relations with China are developing faster
than what is left of relations with European
countries ... in the East, there is an intensive
agenda that grows richer every year.” Lavrov
was suggesting that Russia exercised a delib-
erate choice, but in reality Russia sees future
challenges as originating from the West, and
the concept of neo-Eurasianism as the ideal
rubric driving closer relations with China.
The Russian tilt eastwards is a replay of
the dispute between Slavophiles and west-
ernisers, and the recognition that Russia
needed to modernise, whether by adopting
an European or indigenous model. This
debate was the leitmotif of Russian intellec-
tual thought throughout the nineteenth cen-
tury, though the discussion had already been
joined during the rule of Peter the Great
(1672-1725) and Catherine the Great (1762-
1796) who both had to enforce western norms
capital Sarai (1242-1466) as responsible for
Russia’s autocratic nature, due to which Rus-
sia became forcibly separated from Europe.
While geographically the vast Russian space
spanning Asia placed Russia on the very
periphery of Europe, this perception of dis-
advantage had to change and Russia had to
embrace the West. Such views were contested
by the Slavophile movement, which argued
that Russian traditions of the Orthodox
Church, mysticism, the Tsar and the peasant
community were the foundations on which
JULIUS KRISHNAN
FEIN SRINIVASAN
The writers are, respectively, a scholar of Russian
archives and a former Indian foreign secretary
to rebuild society with the slogan ‘Autocracy,
Orthodoxy, Nationalism’and intellectuals like
Aleksey Khomyakov, Ivan Kireyevskii and
Konstantin Aksakov extolled the superiority
of the Russian way of life.
In implementation of this, Slavophiles
yearned to free fellow Slavs from Ottoman
and Austrian rule, but the Poles, then ruled
by Russia, presented a stumbling block, being
Slav but Catholic. In the 1920s, Russian émi-
grés from the Civil War reconstituted the
Slavophile movement by replacing it with
Eurasianism. Led from Sofia and Prague by
Orthodox Church. Although there was a fun-
damental incompatibility with Communism,
especially regarding the role of religion and
the internationalism of Communism,
Eurasianism agreed with Communists that
justice should be dependent on the state, and
the state was responsible for a solid working-
class and autarkic planned economy. This
movement was terminated by the Soviets,
ostensibly for being bourgeois, but due to
repression of all opposition. When the Soviet
Union ended in 1990, Eurasianism revived to
restore Russian morale over the loss of Empire
and the concept now appeals to nationalist
Russian academics and politicians as rejec-
tion of the West and Atlantic domination.
Neo-Eurasianism encompasses a broad
spectrum of supportive academics and their
interpretations. It includes the theories of Lev
Gumilov (whose Tatar grandmother claimed
descent from the Mongols) who argued that
Mongol occupation shielded an emergent
Russian ethos from the West and allowed it
time to achieve its unique maturity, and those
of Alexandr Dugin, who wanted a totalitarian
Russian-dominated Eurasian Empire to chal-
lenge the Atlanticist allies. For Russia to be
respected, Eurasianism argues that it must
recreate the golden age of the Soviet Com-
munist era, evoke the patriotism of World War
II and rehabilitate the Russian Empire as a
natural historic process to present an alter-
native to United States-led globalisation.
President Putin subscribes to a pragmat-
ic Eurasianism, and the Eurasian Economic
Union that came into effect in 2015 now con-
sists of five countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kaza-
khstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Simultane-
ously, the Russians pursue closer cooperation
with China. However, it is possible to see neo-
Eurasianism as a counter but not repudiation
of the West. Despite Putin condemning
Europe’s liberal values as ‘sexless and barren’
the resources to cater to a high volume
of critically ill Covid-19 patients.
We have already lost over 200
doctors and at least 30 paramedics ~
an alarming figure given that Pak-
istan’s overall recorded infections
at each peak were far lower than
badly hit countries like the UK, where
nearly as many healthcare workers
have died.
The high number of medical per-
sonnel deaths in Pakistan reveal the
gaps in our healthcare system. With a
new study showing multiple virus
strains in Punjab, there is even more
reason for concern. Given our lack of
healthcare resources, the govern-
ment’s focus must be on ramping up
testing, SOP compliance and vaccine
coverage.
Mask-wearing, social distancing
and limited gatherings, too, are key
to keeping infections low. Super-
spreaders like the Kumbh Mela in
India have been linked to the crippling
third wave of infections. Even when
Pakistan emerges from the third wave,
it should ensure that gatherings are
restricted and mask-wearing is com-
pulsory.
Above all, the government must
make all-out efforts to encourage peo-
ple to get vaccinated. As vaccine sup-
plies come in, a mass awareness cam-
paign should begin. This is essential,
as the return to any kind of ‘normalcy’
is underpinned by mass immunisa-
tion.
While the government is doing a
good job of managing vaccination

T
he news-break from Odisha is much too on a large segment of reluctant Russian nobil- Nikolai Trubestskoii and Pyotr Savitskii, this and ‘dark chaos’, the West continues the main centres, the real challenge lies in per-
frightful even at the mildest estimation. If ity. After defeat in the Crimean War, the aris- was presented as geographical and cultural focus of Russian foreign policy. Notwith- suading reluctant members of the
Ganjam district in the southern part of the tocracy concurred that Russia was backward nationalism. standing the growing economic, military and public to get the jab.
state was the epicentre of the coronavirus pandem- and in need of change. One justification for Eurasianism was diplomatic strength of Russo-Chinese rela- An awareness campaign that edu-
Both westernisers and Slavophiles suf- that the vast Russian landmass of continental tions, the Orthodox Church and the inherent cates people on the dangers of con-
ic last year, it is the western swathe of the state that fered from an inferiority complex with regard size enabled its economy to be autarkic. The xenophobia throughout Russian society tracting the virus and the protection
has this year been mortally afflicted. It thus comes to the West. The westernisers juxtaposed their concept accepted that Mongol rule over Rus- about Caucasians, Central Asians and Chi- the vaccine offers will encourage
about that there were 11,000 fresh cases, including ideas against 200 years of Mongol conquest, sia had forged a unique historical and cultur- nese are too strong for Russia to turn its back reluctant citizens to get themselves
21 deaths, in these districts, bordering Chhattis- regarding the iron-fisted rule from Mongol al Russian identity, further enhanced by the on the West. inoculated.
garh, on Saturday. Though the spurt has been
attributed to the spike in the neighbouring state,
there is little or no reason to be overly confident LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@thestatesman.com
over the fact that the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) has
declined in the predominantly tribal western dis-
tricts. It is imperative for the so-called “flattening of
the curve” to be enduring, most particularly in
Conflict in Israel ington’s obstructionist
approach will encourage
by showing us his wild side
in a recent commercial. Greg
creates a very gloomy
atmosphere amid the rapid
see that some people of our
state are still disbelieving the
Israel to escalate violence, Chapell has gone on to rise in Covid cases in Bengal outbreak of Covid disease
regions that are by and large perdurably poor and SIR, Israel is preparing for a several commanders in the and that will help neither remark that he has picked which surpassed the 21000 and suspect a ploy to mis-
its people are strangers to medical science. Pre- ground invasion of the Gaza recent Israeli air strikes but the cause of peace in the on the best Aussie brains mark on Saturday. Given the lead people in order to ben-
dictably, the current second wave has been more strip. With its troops and its support among Palestini- region nor America’s slip- and created a team hard to deteriorating condition of efit pharma companies.
dangerous than the first last year when 8,000 cases tanks close to its border with ans is soaring. ping global image. beat. our state, our CM Mamata To harbour such beliefs
were recorded each day. This year, the daily afflic- Gaza, it has pounded the The US has issued a Yours, etc., Shovanlal Hopefully the cricket Banerjee has taken the right even after witnessing deaths
tions have soared to 12,000. The worst affected dis- territory with artillery and statement supporting Chakraborty, authorities will acknowledge decision in announcing and devastation around the
tricts are Khorda, Angul, Puri, Kalahandi, Kendra- airstrikes, while Hamas has Israel’s right to defend itself Kolkata, 16 May. his contribution to the game complete lockdown for a world on a daily basis, shows
para, Rayagada and Sundergarh. Khorda district responded with rocket fire. against Hamas’ rockets. in his second innings and period of two weeks starting the lack of ignorance of our
With the two sides in the Noam Chomsky has come DRAVID’S WAY reward him accordingly. from May 16. brothers and sisters whose
reported the highest 1414 fresh cases, with the mood for all-out war, nei- done heavily on the state- SIR, This refers to your edi- Yours, etc., Anthony Although imposing a irresponsible behaviour in
majority from Bhubaneswar. Odisha now has ther has shown any concern ment as it has made no torial ‘Tutor extraordinaire’ Henriques, lockdown is not the ideal this critical time is aggravat-
106,471 active cases, representing 17.73 per cent of about civilian casualties. mention of the Palestinians’ (16 May). Unlike many of his Mumbai, 16 May. way for any government to ing the situation.
the total number of positive cases. Israel, in particular, has tar- right to defend themselves contemporaries who have contain the spread of this Our state government
Not wholly unrelated to the dreadful scourge geted several apartment and is thus not even-handed preferred the cool comfort RAISE AWARENESS virus, governments of most needs to raise awareness
is the plight of the tribal settlers who belong to the buildings in Gaza in the in dealing with the actors. of the commentary box, SIR, The sad demise of states are compelled to take among the people regarding
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in dif- name of eliminating Hamas The US has also blocked a Rahul Dravid has been busy Mamata Banerjee’s brother this decision to somehow the lethal threat of this viru-
ferent parts of the state. At least two Bonda tribals, commanders. This included call for an open meeting of on the field spotting and Aseem Banerjee who suc- break the chain of transmis- lent virus.
one of India’s most primitive tribal groups, in the Associated Press build- the UN security council to nurturing raw talent. He has cumbed to Covid-19 after sion. Yours, etc., Iftekhar Ahmed,
ing. It has killed over a hun- discuss the situation. Wash- managed to surprise us all battling for a month indeed It is quite annoying to Kolkata, 16 May.
Malkangiri district have contracted the infection, dred civilians so far, includ-
according to a report in this newspaper. This subal- ing 27 children.
tern segment direly deserves special care in a state Human Rights groups
that has been plagued by the virus for more than a RESTRAINT NEEDED
are pointing out that both
year. It is all very well to mobilise self-help groups sides are engaging in vio- SIR, This refers to the report, ‘Governor visits Nandigram,
and civil society in the wider canvas to sensitise the lence that merits description hits out at CM’ (16 May). A habitual critic of the Mamata
tribals. Vaccination is on the list of priorities, but as war crimes. Mixed com- Banerjee-led Trinamul government, West Bengal Gover-
Odisha struggles with a shortage of vaccines as do munities of Jews and Arabs nor Jagdeep Dhankhar has been given to ignoring the
large parts of India. Another group that has been in Israel are engulfed in vio- principle that constitutional heads should not air their
lence too. The present situa- differences with the elected regime in public. It is unfor-
affected are the children of seasonal labourers or
tion could draw neighbour- tunate that in West Bengal, the Governor and Chief Min-
migrant workers who had recently begun to resume ing countries into the con- ister have been at loggerheads even in the middle of a
their duties. In rural Odisha, school children flict. A geographic expan- raging pandemic. Governor Dhankhar’s visit to Nandi-
accompany their parents to the worksites ~ mainly sion of hostilities looms in a gram followed by Assam, in the aftermath of post-poll
brick kilns ~ and in the process make themselves highly volatile region. violence, was avoidable. Raj Bhavan needs to show
vulnerable. A recent survey revealed that 82 per Just before the Israeli restraint and not resort to actions which may give rise to
cent of migrant children who attended school dur- bombardment of Gaza, a the perception that Mr. Dhankhar is acting at the behest
ing the first wave of Covid-19 are out school in the disparate collection of par- of the BJP high command. A cordial relationship is imper-
second wave. The pandemic has affected children, ties was on the verge of ative for a healthy democracy and peaceful political
and fears that the third wave will hit kids are espe- forming a coalition to oust atmosphere. However, the objection of the Chief Minister
Prime Minister Benjamin ~ who once supported then Governor Gopal Krishna
cially worrisome. Child labour supplements the Netanyahu. The possibility Gandhi’s criticism of the Buddhadev Bhattacharya-led
family’s income and this has been an adverse fallout that Netanyahu ordered the Left Front government over firing at Nandigram ~ to Mr.
of the potentially deadly second wave of the coron- airstrikes to put off the coali- Dhankhar’s stinging observations gives rise to the suspi-
avirus. Thus children scarcely have an option other tion’s effort at government cion that she has something to hide.
than to accompany their parents to worksites. The formation cannot be ruled Yours, etc., S.S.Paul, Nadia, 16 May.
source of livelihood is also a source of the virus. out. Hamas may have lost