In 1974, the Indian government, led by Indira Gandhi, gave away the 'Katchatheevu' island to Sri Lanka, which has become a topic of heated debate during this Lok Sabha election. Both BJP and Congress are accusing each other regarding the decision. Against this backdrop, many may not know that the now strategically important Pakistani port city of Gwadar was once within reach of becoming Indian territory. In the 1950s, Oman had offered to sell Gwadar to India, but the proposition was turned down by the government led by Nehru at the time.
Back then, Gwadar was a small fisherman's town. The town, which resembled a hammer in shape, has today become Pakistan's third largest port, thanks to the influential development with Chinese assistance and its strategic importance. Gwadar had been under the Sultan of Oman's possession since 1783, and it remained so until the 1950s, nearly 200 years later. Before it came under Pakistani control in 1958, the offer to sell it to India had been rejected.
Was it Nehru's strategic mistake?
Contrary to the Kashmir 'blunder,' the acceptance of Tibet as a part of China (1953 and 2003), and ceding Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka (1974), refusing the Gwadar proposal was not the usual step. In the 2016 opinion piece 'The Historic Blunder of India No One Talks About,' Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (Retired) stated that 'refusing the Sultan of Oman's priceless gift was another major mistake in a long list of post-independence strategic blunders.' The story of Gwadar slipping through the fingers indeed raises a number of questions, such as how did a small fishing town across the narrow Gulf of Oman fall under the Omani Sultan's dominion? What made Nehru's India refuse to accept this harbor city? What would have happened had India seized Gwadar in 1956?
How did Oman come into possession of Gwadar?
Oman ...
Source: aajtak
(An 1863 illustration of Gwadar from 'The Illustrated London News' magazine (Photo: Getty))(A surviving edifice from the Omani rule in the old Gwadar town of Balochistan, Pakistan (Photo: Getty))
Gwadar and its adjacent ...
Source: aajtak
An aerial perspective ...
Source: aajtak
The opening ...
Source: aajtak
Today, almost 65 years later, the 'priceless gift' from the Sultan of Oman not taken up might seem like a diplomatic blunder, while others may perceive it as a nuanced and pragmatic decision of the time.
