Sunday, February 24, 2008

"India should stand up to China as an equal"

feb 23rd, 2008


http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/feb/22guest.htm  

REDIFF INDIA ABROAD, February 22, 2008

Kanwal Sibal

India should stand up to China as an equal 

India's China policy has been marked by friendship, sentimentalism, fear, diffidence, appeasement, brinksmanship, wishful thinking and engagement. This mixture of attitudes reflects the complexity of the relationship, our difficulties in managing China's challenge, the nature of the Chinese regime, China's strategic advantage over India and the fulgurant rise of China in recent years.

Some very far-reaching strategic mistakes were made in not comprehending the Maoist take-over of China and its implication for India. Mao Tse-Tung seized China through revolutionary violence, while India won freedom through a non-violent struggle. China's leaders were Communist, India's were nurtured in democratic thinking. Mao's China wanted to settle historical wrongs against the country, Mahatma Gandhi [Images] and Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to forget and forgive historical wrongs.

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