Congress Party’s Duplicitous Behavior over India-China Relations
The Congress Party solicited friendship with China over the past 75-years and played second fiddle in international affairs by propagating Panch Sheel between 1950s and 1970s. Subsequently also, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi indulged in duplicitous behavior in their dealing with China.
Therefore, Jairam Ramesh, as self styled “Know-all” and Chief Spokesperson of the Congress Party, has no right to castigate Modi over his remarks on the India-China border dispute during his interview with US - based Newsweek magazine. Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, "the Prime Minister was at his cowardly worst. His only comment on China’s repeated infringements on Indian sovereignty was that the India-China border situation needs to be addressed urgently to resolve the 'abnormality' in the bilateral interactions." Ramesh asserted that PM Modi's remarks were not only "disgraceful" but also "disrespectful" to the soldiers who laid down their lives while defending the India-China border.
Jairam Ramesh also demanded "The Prime Minister should apologize to the 140 crore Indians for deceiving them on national television on June 19th, 2020, with his statement ‘Na Koi Ghusa Hai, Na Hi Koi Ghus Aaya Hai’ (nobody entered India and nobody has entered any post) and keeping the nation in dark about his failures in protecting the borders with China".
In 2023, Rahul Gandhi too criticized the NDA government, stating that Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar does not understand the threat that China poses to India. Speaking to members of the Indian Journalists' Association in London, Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that "nobody has entered Indian territory" is an invitation to China to repeat its aggression on the LAC.
Having served on the borders of the North East Frontier Agency since 1961 and fought in the 1962 war, commanded a battalion in “Chola Pass” of East Sikkim during 1981-1982, planned operations in Bomdila, Tse La, Tawang and opposite BumLa Pass as a reserve Brigade Commander, and published a Book titled “China’s Holistic Security Strategic Perspective” in 2016, I have no hesitation in condemning the barbs against Modi and Jaishankar by Jairam Ramesh and Rahul Gandhi, which merciless exposes their double standards on sensitive foreign policy issues.
Let me recount the Congress Party stalwart’s flirtations with China over the past 75 years. Nehru, the first Prime Minister for over 16+ years (947-1964) committed following blunders in dealing with China to include: aiding invading PLA army on Mao’s instructions sending rice into Tibet; erasing Tibet as a Nation; handing over Aksai Chin (37,244 sq. Km) on a plate to China during 1950s; failed to settle boundary disputes; the Himalayan Blunder of India-China War; advocating UN/UNSC seat for China; refusing a seat at the UN Security Council saying, “not at the cost of China”; deterring assistance to Naga separatists; and neglecting the Northeast.
Next, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made an official goodwill visit to the PRC in December 1988 accompanied by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Narasimha Rao, Minister of External Affairs of India, and others. During the visit, he discussed the boundary question and agreed to settle this question through peaceful and friendly consultations. They affirmed to take concrete steps, such as establishing a joint working group on the boundary question and others. The Indian side reiterated the consistent policy that Tibet is an autonomous region of China and that anti-China political activities by Tibetan elements are not permitted on Indian soil. Recalling the meeting between Gandhi
Later, Sonia Gandhi also visited China on quite a few occasions. In 1996 she paid a visit, but her planned trip in 2003 was cancelled. However in 1987, Sonia Gandhi, after taking over as the Congress president, accompanied by her son and AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi paid a five-day visit – first by a foreign leader after the conclusion of CPCs National Congress. Senior party leader Karan Singh, Prithviraj Chavan and Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma were part of the high-level delegation.
In 2008, Congress president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, her husband Robert Vadra and Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma attended the inaugural ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing as a guest of the CPC leadership.
During the visit, Rahul Gandhi personally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Wang Jia Rui, Minister in the International Liaison Department of the CPC, which is nothing but the covert intelligence agency, in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and then Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping. The pact agreed to put in place a mechanism that would help regular high-level exchanges between the two sides was signed. Sonia Gandhi, sources told IANS that "It is strictly on the party-to-party basis". What was in the MOU? Why has it not been made public? Are the two party’s indulging in regular high-level exchanges and their outcomes?
Anand Sharma’s official tweet on 12 May 2020, is irrefutable proof of the Congress Party soft pedaling with China “The Indian National Congress recognizes and values the special strategic partnership between India and China. As two ancient civilizations and large economies of the world both countries are destined to make significant contributions in the 21st Century.” Furthermore, there was irrefutable evidence of financial flows from the Chinese side to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
During the above period of UPA rule in 2008, the Chinese occupied Tia Pangnak and Chabji Valley (250km) in Chumur area, Zorawar Fort in Demjok was destroyed by PLA and the PLA set up Observing Point in 2012 and also created the Chinese/new Demjok/Colony with 13 cemented houses. In 2008-2009, India lost Doom Cheley (ancient trade point) between Dungti and Demjok.
During the Doklam crises with China in 2017, Rahul secretly met with the Chinese Ambassador to India and when questioned, the Congress denied it had happened till a photograph was released on the website of the Chinese Embassy! Rahul’s closeness with the Chinese was again on display when visited Kailash Mansarovar in September 2018. Everything was laid out for him and reports came out of the Chinese Ambassador even being present when he departed from New Delhi. Similarly, a photo was released of the entire Gandhi -Vadra family being hosted by Chinese at the Olympics.
An article by S Gurumurthy in The New Indian Express titled, ‘UPA policies weakening India and enriching China’ clearly exposes the benefits China got during the UPA regime. He stated: India’s imports from China were 13 pc of the country’s total imports in 2006-7. It rose to 17 pc by 2011-12. As a result, India’s trade deficit with China topped USD 175 billion in the last six years to 2012-13. The UPA was the architect of the huge deficit syndrome with China. India ran a trade deficit of $1 billion with China in 2001-2. By the third year of the UPA rule, it rose to USD 9 billion. Later it galloped to USD 16 billion [in the 4 years] USD 23 billion [in the 5] USD 19 billion [in the 6] USD 28 billion [in the 7] USD 39 billion [in the 8] and USD 41 billion [in the 9] aggregating to USD 175 billion or 54pc of India’s total current account deficit of USD 325 billion in the last seven years. The capital goods imported from China alone amounted to USD 150 billion-plus. India imported from China three times more than it exported to it.
Based on the irrefutable evidence given above, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and their sycophant followers must maintain restraint in passing disparaging and provocative remarks on significant bilateral issues with far reaching ramifications in posterity. By indulging in such duplicitous behavior, they are not only scoring self goals only against themselves with adverse fallout on long term national security interests.
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