IN the days of old, even just a hundred years ago, nations made secret agreements with each other. These treaties were thrown on the face of a warring enemy, who suddenly realized they had a more formidable conflict in their hands after they saw the secret treaty. Some important secret treaties of that era were the secretly concluded treaty of Ottoman–German alliance, concluded at Constantinople on August 2, 1914.
That treaty provided that Germany and Turkey would remain neutral in the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, but if Russia intervened “with active military measures” the two countries would become military allies. Another important secret treaty was the Treaty of London, concluded on April 26, 1915, in which Italy was promised certain territorial concessions in exchange for joining the war on the Triple Entente (Allied) side.
Another secret treaty was the Treaty of Bucharest, concluded between Romania and the Triple Entente powers (Britain, France, Italy, and Russia) on August 17, 1916; under this treaty, Romania pledged to attack Austria-Hungary and not to seek a separate peace in exchange for certain territorial gains. Article 16 of that treaty provided that “The present arrangement shall be held secret.” But it was a different world then, and most of the countries were either under kings, emperors or dictators!
Today, it’s ideologies at stake, not just territories! India believes, and I sincerely hope we still do, in democracy, and we should do all in our power to see that any deal we strike whether in secret or in the midst of fanfare will be one with countries that believe in the same values. Any other deal would be very dangerous and a compromise for immediate gains.
India, abstaining from voting against an aggressive Russia, has made the world sit up and take notice, and now when suddenly China has started talking about ‘holding talks’ instead of violently grabbing our territories, something is amiss, and we need to be sure that India doesn’t fall into the trap of a partnership that is wrongly yoked.
There’s more to gain with nations who have values and right thinking than with bullies. Bullies turn on their own comrades when they are no more useful, and China will do the same with us. It is better to be an ally than a vassal, and it is just a matter of time, before we find out the same.
Let us not be drawn into a hate of all things west which Russia and China have. The only reason they have that hate, is because they aspire to become like the west, and are found lacking because as dictatorships, that won’t happen. To allow that to happen, the minds of their people need to be free. Ours is a democracy! People are free! Let us endeavour to see that we only join those like us, otherwise it will be suicide..!
