Through the course of this article, I would like to discuss an issue that is related to the current scenario.
We are aware of the present chaos that arose due to the clash between Chinese troops and Indian soldiers on the LOC. Initially, it was reported that two Indian soldiers lost their lives and became martyrs. Unfortunately, this number was revised to twenty after some time. On the other hand, according to Indian officials, about forty Chinese soldiers were killed by our forces.
It is worth noting that China was prepared for this situation since the start. Their attack was not only sudden but also frantic and unforeseen. Even history shows us that whoever attacks without giving prior warning has an undue advantage.
It is evident that the circumstances will not allow resolution through more peaceful channels. Mere talks or by seeds of harmony do not seem to be enough to establish peace between these neighboring countries.
The conflict between the two countries dates back to 1962. Unfortunately, during this year, a war arose between India and China. Before this occurrence, there was a spirit of friendship between them. It was common to find hoardings and posters which promoted their bond. Things were so peaceful that the Chinese Prime Minister, Zhou Enlai, frequently visited India.
The British colonial administrator Sir Henry McMahon proposed a demarcation line called the McMahon Line. It demarcates the territory of Tibet and North-eastern India. However, China did not accept this line and subsequently claimed possession over Ladakh and NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) and present-day Arunachal Pradesh. On the other hand, India welcomed the McMahon Line, which was proposed by the British. China then offered a proposal to be given possession of Ladakh, and in return, India could claim the NEFA. India did not find this proposal acceptable.
At that time, it was not foreseen by Indian officials that China would abruptly attack the Ladakh region. This war lasted for a month, after which China unilaterally halted it without the interference of any International bodies. Then the Aksai Chin area was invaded by the Chinese troops. They decided to hand over the NEFA area to India despite their earlier claims that it was their territory. It took them about to month to take over a stretch of land that nearly equals the size of Switzerland. Now this country has started the One-Road Belt initiative, which connects countries. In the long run, this project will help the country reap great benefits.
We had a reasonably good relationship with China when they attacked recently. Many Chinese earned their bread and butter from Indian soil. You can find many of their citizens in Delhi and Calcutta. The country did not even think twice before attacking Indian soldiers at the LOC. They did not even spare a warning before it. We can conclude that the previous government’s policies can’t be blamed for this matter. The foreign policy of Prime Minister Modi and his four visits to China are not enough to stop the conflict. The history of Indias’ neighbor is as straightforward as it can be. The dispute can never be overpowered with mere diplomacy as China is pretty unpredictable and can generally not be trusted.
Multiple examples can illustrate China’s expansionist design. This design motivated it to conquer Tibet in 1950. The state even invaded Macau, which was previously a part of Portuguese territory. Another example includes that of Hong Kong. Earlier, there was an agreement that Hong Kong could have its system with little to no interference from China. This idea has been summarized as ‘One country, two systems’. The protests there illuminate the truth. Even if you search about the Islands near the Indian Ocean and China Sea, the disputes disclose China’s expansionist behavior.
The need of the hour is to look at China’s whole character. Its repression of Uighurs Muslims in Xinjiang province is an example of immense cruelty. In the past, Xinjiang was an independent province where people claimed to belong to ‘East Turkistan’. However, China attacked Xinjiang, and it became a part of its territory. Now, China has moved forward to erase and eliminate the cultural and religious identity of minorities. China’s assertive cruelty is apparent when you observe that at least 1 million Uighur Muslims were placed in detention camps. China initially denied the existence of any detention camp. However, they had to retract as they were exposed through various sources, including satellites. They were essentially forced to confirm the existence of camps, which they portrayed as ‘re-education centers’. China claims that these centers are made to instill proper and correct education within minds. However, restrictions reported by those who escaped are contrary. According to reports, the people are barred from keeping a beard or wearing a hijab in these camps. The world is aware of 85 camps in China, but who knows the real count.
The question here is, Is the world against China over the re-education Centers?
Twenty-two countries from the West and Japan wrote a letter to the UN criticizing China’s Xinjiang Camps. Shockingly, 54 Muslim-majority states did not sign this letter. Moreover, they even defended China’s counter-extremist efforts in Xinjiang. Countries like Saudi Arab and Qatar praised China for its development policies, which provided care to Muslim citizens.
However, it is worth reflecting on the question of whether detention camps exist to end terrorism or not.
Expansionist design and repression of people are inherent in China’s nature. The Tiananmen Square Incident is a classic example of state-sponsored persecution. The protest was a student-led demonstration calling for democracy, free speech, and an end on censorship of the press in China. What followed in Beijing during 1989 was gruesome. Chinese troops advanced into central parts of Beijing on the city’s major thoroughfares in the early morning hours of June 4. Many demonstrators and bystanders met their death due to these troops. The international community was shocked. Several human rights organizations, political analysts, and the public, in general, condemned the Chinese government for the massacre. However, this further ignited the protest, which spread to around 400 cities in China.
Those people only wanted internal reforms within Hong Kong, yet they had to face such consequences. All these incidents are condemnable irrespective of whichever part of the world they happen within.
These incidents show China is characteristically unreliable and relies heavily on deception. Their treatment towards Uighur Muslims has been exposed; however, they continued to deny the truth. This attitude of theirs makes it challenging to deal with them.
Internally in China, individual liberty isn’t a priority for the state, and hence whosoever speaks against the government policies is arrested. It is considered a threat to national security. The judiciary, too, is not free from the clutches of the government.
Our country has now entered into a fight with China. From an economic point of view, we claim to be an agricultural country, but the world’s largest agriculture producing country is China. The world’s largest exports and second-highest imports are from China. The politicians want us to believe that drastic actions have been taken against China. However, we know the reality. Our officials won’t attack China.
Back in the past, there were ethics of war. Now, it is no longer surprising to witness an unanticipated attack on a country. The world’s opinion on these violations does not have any meaningful impact. In fact, China never cares about world opinion. This attitude was present even when the state was dealing with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, or Tibet. The country is not only unreliable but also unpredictable.
Interestingly, the total highest trade deficit of all countries majorly benefits China. China makes sure that every agreement profits them the most, even if it is a bad deal for others. Recently, the Confederation of All India Traders, a traders’ body, condemned the Chinese ‘military aggression’ at the LAC. This body decided to step up its nationwide campaign by releasing a list of over 450 broad categories of commodities to boycott. This list affects over 3,000 Chinese products.
However, Why did the traders’ body only release a list for 3000 products? In reality, China’s export to India is quite massive and not limited to such a small quantity? It is worth asking ourselves: Are we too dependent on China?
Right after the statement of the traders’ body, the trade promotion council of India gave a notice stating that Trade War With China was not a Good Idea. Anti-Chinese sentiments are not in the economic interest of the country. If one looks at the current reality, it is apparent that India cannot afford to boycott Chinese products. Pursuing a strategy for import substitution is unrealistic. India has a trade deficit with China of USD 50 billion, which is gradually decreasing. However, it can’t be eliminated immediately.
The question here is, HOW did China grow to this extent?
1) The dramatic progress in largely eradicating poverty over the past three decades in China is well known.
2) China reformed its policies and focused its attention on reducing poverty in the country.
3) Despite China’s unreliability, the country is experiencing remarkable growth. The state achieved this by eradicating poverty.
4) China’s industrialization and trade policies were framed keeping in mind the betterment of its poor through education, various training, etc.
5) The world was stunned when China’s poverty fell from 88% in 1981 to 0.7% in 2015.
Now, possessing enormous power, China talks to the world on its terms. China succeeded in eradicating poverty despite having massive poverty. Why can’t India do the same?
If you pay attention, there is a great lesson to learn from China. Keeping their awful characteristics like censorship on the press aside, we as a country should strive to follow their sound characteristics.
Let’s have a look at the press freedom in our country. Pushp Sharma is a famous journalist known for exposing the malaise of paid news. He is the recipient of the International Press Institute Award (Vienna) for ‘Excellence in Journalism’ in the year 2011. Some time ago, Pushp Sharma filed an RTI application in Ayush Ministry on the issue of the hiring of Muslim teachers.
The RTI report list that was released contained no Muslim names and went on to mention that 711 Muslim candidates applied for the assignment on the occasion of the World Yoga Day, but “as per government policy no Muslim candidate was invited, selected or sent abroad”. It also went on to claim that “3841 Muslim candidates applied to date for the post of Yoga trainer/teacher”.
Pushp Sharma faced arrest, and even after having the documents, he wasn’t granted bail for two months. Such incidents aren’t uncommon. Even recently, an FIR was lodged on June 13 in Varanasi’s Rampur police station on Supriya Sharma. She is the chief editor of Scroll.in. She got in trouble for a report on the effects of the country’s lockdown to combat the coronavirus. The report discussed the prime minister’s constituency, Domari village, which has been adopted by the prime minister under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. Supriya interviewed the residents of the village, showing the distress caused by a lack of food.
These incidents are an attempt to intimidate and silence independent journalism. Reporting on conditions of vulnerable groups is not appreciated by the state.
Are we too following the footsteps of China? We adopted the negativities while ignored the positive elements of China’s attitude. They worked on poverty, subsidies, education, infrastructure – are we ready to embrace a similar strategy?
The packages in our country are never enough for the poor as we know they are only good on paper but are never entirely implemented.
We sincerely condemn the attacks on the border from Chinese troops. However, we expect that the policies of our country should be made in line with unity. We should not ignore different ethnic, linguistic, religious & social groups as this causes divisions. It is crucial that in addition to the government’s policies, we must also become responsible citizens. We need to give equal weightage to our values and moral duties so that our nation can flourish.
Article written by Muneeba Khan extracted from Youtube Video “Chinese Regime, a Threat to World Peace | Friday Sermon”
Link :https://youtu.be/osXF87hOLgk