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Kya hua, kab hua, kyon hua, kidhar hua, kaise hua. Bas itna hi.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Incompetent and idiotic MEA officials in the GoI
The recent hype and brouhaha over the visit of the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao has really been an eye opener for me. None of the Indian players involved in this visit have covered themselves with glory. The media, print as well as electronic, as usual, has been completely clueless. Journalism in the Indian context has been, in my perception, the second last resort of people wanting to make a living. This means that totally incompetent people get to be journalists in India. All the media worthies seem to be in awe of the Chinese and tend to tom-tom every little concession thrown to us by the Chinese as something great.
I'm going to try and deconstruct the actual sum and substance of the visit. The best place to start, in my opinion, is from the joint statement released by the Indian MEA.
Point number three states this - "Such a partnership is based on the principles of Panchsheel, mutual respect and sensitivity for each other’s concerns and aspirations, and equality; provides a sound framework for an all-round and comprehensive development of bilateral relations based on mutual and equal security, development and prosperity of the two peoples; and contributes to jointly addressing global challenges and threats."
I was afraid that with the UPA government back in power, we would get back to the old days of Panchsheel and that's what is happening. Panchsheel is not worth the paper its printed on! The Chinese have no respect for India or Indian sensitivities. Witness outright transfers of Chinese missiles and nuclear technology to Pakistan. Or the Chinese listening post on Myanmarese Cocos Island in the Bay of Bengal. Or the proposal to share nuclear technology with Bangladesh, the playing in the muddled waters of Nepal politics, the arming of terrorist groups in India's north east! So much for Indian sensitivities. The Chinese refuse to acknowledge the Indian Ocean as India's backyard yet scream blue murder if the Indian navy decides to exercise in the South China Sea. They actively try to prevent our entry to the UN Security Council as a permanent member - so much for equality.
Point number twelve states this - "The Indian side reiterated that it recognized the Tibet Autonomous Region as part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China and that it did not allow Tibetans to engage in anti-China political activities in India. The Indian side recalled that India was among the first countries to recognize that there is one China and its one China policy remains unaltered. The Indian side stated it would continue to abide by its one China policy."
What the fuck!!! We have given up all our cards! Recognizing Tibet as an integral part of China and confirming India's one China policy while China still claims the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region is plain stupidy and foolishness and the MEA incompetents are entirely to blame.
Just take a look at the supposed Chinese acceptance of Sikkim as a part of India - "Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the implementation of the memorandum on the border trade through the Nathula Pass between the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Sikkim State of the Republic of India." point number thirteen. So the Chinese just throw some crumbs to us and grudgingly acknowledge Sikkim as a part of India in a totally tangential reference and the bastard MEA babus and the idiotic Indian media lap this up and tom-tom it as a great achievement! While diplomatic statements are not worth the paper they are printed on, the language matters. We should have had a clear declaration, as a separate point, that China recognizes Sikkim as an integral part of India.
The worst is yet to come: "i. Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question"
Apparently the above mentioned agreement gives up India's stand that the disputed border be discussed sector-wise. India's decades long stand has been that each of the disputed border sectors: Western (Aksai Chin), Central (UP and Sikkim) and Eastern (Arunachal Pradesh) be discussed separately. At one stroke we have agreed to discuss the entire border at one go. This allows China to retain Indian territory that it occupies (Aksai Chin) while magnanimously agreeing to consider "giving" the Indians Arunachal Pradesh!!!
Could anything be so ludicrous?
Since the Central sector is not really disputed, "maps have been exchanged" for this sector. If the grapevine is to be believed, the Indians have agreed to consider giving up Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh if the Chinese agree to recognize Arunachal Pradesh as an Indian state. Imagine giving away Indian territory in return for acknowledgement of an Indian state being Indian!
Ever since that idiot, Nutwar Singh started heading the MEA, things have been going from bad to worse. The stabilising and sobering influence of J. N. Dixit is sorely missed today!
All this hype of a new era in Indo-Chinese relations when:
History is going to judge how foolishly naive (or not) we are with respect to China, I have already made my mind - Indian MEA has been incompetent in defending Indian interest with respect to China. And its not getting any better!
I'm going to try and deconstruct the actual sum and substance of the visit. The best place to start, in my opinion, is from the joint statement released by the Indian MEA.
Point number three states this - "Such a partnership is based on the principles of Panchsheel, mutual respect and sensitivity for each other’s concerns and aspirations, and equality; provides a sound framework for an all-round and comprehensive development of bilateral relations based on mutual and equal security, development and prosperity of the two peoples; and contributes to jointly addressing global challenges and threats."
I was afraid that with the UPA government back in power, we would get back to the old days of Panchsheel and that's what is happening. Panchsheel is not worth the paper its printed on! The Chinese have no respect for India or Indian sensitivities. Witness outright transfers of Chinese missiles and nuclear technology to Pakistan. Or the Chinese listening post on Myanmarese Cocos Island in the Bay of Bengal. Or the proposal to share nuclear technology with Bangladesh, the playing in the muddled waters of Nepal politics, the arming of terrorist groups in India's north east! So much for Indian sensitivities. The Chinese refuse to acknowledge the Indian Ocean as India's backyard yet scream blue murder if the Indian navy decides to exercise in the South China Sea. They actively try to prevent our entry to the UN Security Council as a permanent member - so much for equality.
Point number twelve states this - "The Indian side reiterated that it recognized the Tibet Autonomous Region as part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China and that it did not allow Tibetans to engage in anti-China political activities in India. The Indian side recalled that India was among the first countries to recognize that there is one China and its one China policy remains unaltered. The Indian side stated it would continue to abide by its one China policy."
What the fuck!!! We have given up all our cards! Recognizing Tibet as an integral part of China and confirming India's one China policy while China still claims the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region is plain stupidy and foolishness and the MEA incompetents are entirely to blame.
Just take a look at the supposed Chinese acceptance of Sikkim as a part of India - "Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the implementation of the memorandum on the border trade through the Nathula Pass between the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Sikkim State of the Republic of India." point number thirteen. So the Chinese just throw some crumbs to us and grudgingly acknowledge Sikkim as a part of India in a totally tangential reference and the bastard MEA babus and the idiotic Indian media lap this up and tom-tom it as a great achievement! While diplomatic statements are not worth the paper they are printed on, the language matters. We should have had a clear declaration, as a separate point, that China recognizes Sikkim as an integral part of India.
The worst is yet to come: "i. Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question"
Apparently the above mentioned agreement gives up India's stand that the disputed border be discussed sector-wise. India's decades long stand has been that each of the disputed border sectors: Western (Aksai Chin), Central (UP and Sikkim) and Eastern (Arunachal Pradesh) be discussed separately. At one stroke we have agreed to discuss the entire border at one go. This allows China to retain Indian territory that it occupies (Aksai Chin) while magnanimously agreeing to consider "giving" the Indians Arunachal Pradesh!!!
Could anything be so ludicrous?
Since the Central sector is not really disputed, "maps have been exchanged" for this sector. If the grapevine is to be believed, the Indians have agreed to consider giving up Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh if the Chinese agree to recognize Arunachal Pradesh as an Indian state. Imagine giving away Indian territory in return for acknowledgement of an Indian state being Indian!
Ever since that idiot, Nutwar Singh started heading the MEA, things have been going from bad to worse. The stabilising and sobering influence of J. N. Dixit is sorely missed today!
All this hype of a new era in Indo-Chinese relations when:
- China continues to arm Pakistan and agrees to enhance nuclear cooperation with it. All aimed at India ofcourse.
- China continues to try and encircle India with states hostile to us. Building Pakistan's Gwadar port, fishing in Nepal's troubled politics, building deep water ports in Myanmar, trying to cultivate influence in Sri Lanka are not benign acts. And the Indian response has always been one of indifference at best and turning the other cheek at worst.
- China continues to block the expansion of the security council of the UN, trying to deny us entry.
History is going to judge how foolishly naive (or not) we are with respect to China, I have already made my mind - Indian MEA has been incompetent in defending Indian interest with respect to China. And its not getting any better!
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