After its independence from the British, India paid scant importance for its defense system even though India gained two Military victories, one over Pakistan in its first war and the second over the Portuguese colony of Goa. The victoy over Goa was just a walk over for India having despatched to Goa an Infantry of 45,000 while the Portuguese defense comprised 3,995 men, 810 were native (Indo-Portuguese) soldiers many with little military training and utilized primarily for security and anti-extremist operations. There were 200 Naval personnel . These forces were devided amongst the three Portuguese enclaves. In all some 30 killed and 57 wounded on the Portuguese side including one local Goan passerby near Calangute Tinto who was just walking on the road and he was the Portuguese School Teacher, he was shot dead by the Indian Millitary personnel for reason not known to anybody. However, lethargically taking things for granted India even appointed Krishna Menon as its defense minister whose knowledge in this field was not praise worthy, he was not Dick Cheney of USA during the war for the liberation of Kuwait against Iraq nor Moshe Dayan of Israel in 1967 with its war against Arabs. He was just an academically graduate Krishna Menon, a Malyali having hatred for Portuguese and dislike for Goans as it was known then.
India’s weakness in defense was exposed beyond Imagination when China totally routed India in its border war in 1962 where Nehru made Krishna Menon as the scapegoat forcing Menon to vacate the defense portfolio instead of himself vacating his government after suffering such a humiliating defeat. Then with this lesson in mind, India went all out to upgrade its defense in all respects resulting in its victories in Bangladesh and Kargil War.
Similarly from the Corona Virus, India must learn a lesson and provide topmost importance to the Health portfolios not only at the Center but even in all the States and Union Territories. This change must be implemented with immediate effect by handing over the Health portfolios only to the Medically qualified persons. It is not a joke to handle medical intricacies by those Health Ministers who are totally ignorant in this field.
In Goa our government has failed us inspite of giving so many promises, none of our ministers looked capable to handle this type of calamity in an emergency time. To handle this type of emergency you have to be genuinely smart with required knowledge of the subject to deal with. Good that signs of good days coming are visible otherwise our government would not be able to tackle the situation. Our CM must first do something for the portfolio of Health and then things will take good shape.
A.Veronica Fernandes.