Seems to be a more appropriate title of this article. Ramachandra Guha is always a delightful read. He uses 100 words where other writers use 400. Two telling instances in this article:

I reached New Haven on a Friday, and was introduced to the Dean of the School where I was to teach. On Sunday I was taking a walk through the campus when I saw the Dean park his car, take a large carton out of the boot, and carry it across the road to the School and up three flights to his office.

That sight of the boss as his own coolie was a body blow to my anti-Americanism. My father and grandfather had both been heads of Indian research laboratories; any material they took to work or back-even a slim file with a single piece of paper in it-would be placed in the car by one flunkey and carried inside by another. (Doubtless the Warden of an Oxford College can likewise call upon a willing porter.) Over the years, I have often been struck by the dignity of labour in America, by the ease with which high-ranking Americans carry their own loads, fix their own fences, and mow their own lawns.

and

Indian intellectuals have tended to downplay these American achievements: the respect for the individual, the remarkable social mobility, the searching scrutiny to which public officials and state agencies are subjected.[...] The imagination boggles at the thought of a Ken Starr examining the sexual and other peccadilloes of a Benjamin Disraeli. (emphasis mine)

Delightful, isn’t it?

Later in the article, Guha thinks he speaks for all Indians while in reality he merely voices his own opinion, which in my opinion is erroneous. He says.

Like its new-found political mentor, India is more reliably democratic than the other countries of South Asia; at the same time, it seeks to bully and dominate them. At least in the short term, the prestige attached to the term ‘democracy’ in the post Cold War (and post September 11) world will make India even more insolent in its dealings with its neighbours. Echoing a famous President of Mexico, King Gyanendra might well say: ‘Poor Nepal! So far from God, so near to the Republic of India.’

I don’t know what lenses Guha is wearing when he makes a statement which is but inaccurate. It is worth the while to ponder if India, ever in its post-Independence history bullied or even sought to bully other countries? India’s history of unsavoury relations with Nepal hardly qualifies for bullying. And with Gyanendra’s current behaviour, India is perhaps right in flexing its muscles–this again does not mean we’re bullying Nepal. Gyanendra siding with China or Pakistan or both isn’t in the best of our interests. If Nepal should become expedient in the context of protecting India’s interests so be it.

With the Nepal issue out of the way, what other neighbours does that leave us with?

1. Pakistan
2. Bangladesh
3. Afghanistan(?)
4. China
5. Bhutan
6. Sri Lanka

And if we do stretch the definition and include the other “South Asian” neighbours, we come up with Philipines, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Looking at how far India has succeeded in “bullying” these nations, our record is pretty dismal.

• A few years ago, Bangladesh dumped Indian soliders who were either killed or seriously wounded. And its history of sending infiltrators is perhaps unparalleled by any other neighbour.

And how has India responded? Righteous verbal indignation. Nothing more. No action taken.

• Don’t even get me started on Pakistan.

In fact, in Pakistan’s case, India’s flexibility can only be likened to a rubber band. Pakistan routinely sends out terrorists freedom fighters and then runs to the US complaining that India is not flexible. India buckles. In between all this, cricket matches designed to promote “goodwill” happen. Even as the game is played, the terrorist leader calls India an arch enemy. Who’s the bully?

• Afghanistan. Ha!

India made righteous noises when the Taliban destroyed Bamiyan Buddha statues. But that’s it. As always. Why, some eminent seculars defended the demolition. And now we’re sending resources to rebuild a nation that harbours a terrorist group on whose hit list India figures prominently apart from Israel and the US. Bully on, India.

• China.

More knee bending.

• Sri Lanka

After learning the hard way that it doesn’t pay to interefere in others’ internal affairs, India has maintained cordial relations.

• Malaysia

When this whit of a nation displayed its insolence two years ago, India just made some right noises and then let it go.

Ramachandra Guha seems to be bitten by a peculiar syndrome which I’ve only noticed in Dilip D’Souza’s stand on the Rohan Pinto affair. Pity the “underdog” even when the underdog is wrong.