Shiban Khaibri
Diplomacy with dexterity and political foresight cannot be in every politician’s kit. Nehru tried it hard though undoubtedly he had many abilities, but the results immediate and later, proved otherwise. Handling Kashmir and China proved Nehru wrong even during his life time, not to speak of, after his demise. There are people, including politicians who keep low profile and remain down to earth hence do not surface to the higher levels of due recognition , at least during their life time and awards, medals, prizes etc do not travel their way. To make the point clear, during NDA rule under Vjpayee Ji, we had George Fernandes as Defence Minister who in early 1998 had expressed the strong view that China was “potential threat No.1” and could become an enemy. This he had said in repetition even 10 years later on March 30, 2008. It will sound quite eerie that Sardar Patel, the veteran politician, one gifted with vision as well as strategies had cautioned Nehru about China way back in 1950, nearly a month before his passing away and that also through a detailed letter. 1962 Chinese invasion proved him prophetically right.
That China should “warn “India of mutual relations getting affected if it allowed Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh sounds laced with sinister designs against our country. Strident protests by China against the visit of the octogenarian spiritual man to Arunachal Pradesh is nothing but a direct interference in our internal affairs. The Chinese media threatening and strangely so, that blows will be answered with blows, if “India plays dirty” should know that India has conventionally never played any dirty. India, at the same time, made it known to China assertively that Arunachal Pradesh was an inseparable part of India. Dalai Lama terms it a habit for Beijing to give political colour to his “spiritual visit”. China , it is learnt is proceeding with naming his successor while he has been reviewing for long in respect of the continuance of the institution of the Dalai Lama. He too seems to be scared of Chinese ire against his visiting Tawang which China is laying its claim over for quite some time when he feels that if Chinese representative could afford to “accompany” him , it would learn about his apolitical mission which confined to only religious ones. He appealed to China not to treat him as a separatist in the light of his “adopting a middle path”. Claiming Tibet to have very good relationship with China for thousands of years , he reiterates of having no issues with that country over “one China” policy wherein lay economic benefits of Tibet but only if they were allowed to “preserve our own culture and language”.
Had we antagonized China by giving asylum to Dalai Lama in March 1950 after it swooped on “Tibetian rebels”, killed thousands of them and demolished houses, bungalows etc of Dalai Lama and arrested hundreds of them? Was to that extent, not meddling in Tibetan matters, conforming to accepted international principles which Nehru in the burst of claiming champion of liberty and freedom, jumped over with long term ramifications ? There were many issues in run up to Tibetan “uprising” against Chinese onslaught in Tibet which the Sardar had smelt in advance as many as by 9 years. He wanted to share his feelings about our relations with China with Pandit Nehru in a cabinet meeting in 1950 but could not do as “the same was convened at a short notice of 15 minutes “. China had entered into a long correspondence with our External Affairs Ministry through our envoy in China and assured falsely about their good intentions .He told Nehru that Chinese government tried to delude us about their peaceful intentions. Patel felt and wrote to Nehru without mincing words that at a crucial juncture, the Chinese government tried to instill into the Indian ambassador a false sense of confidence in their so called desire to settle the Tibetan problem by peaceful means. The statesmanship acumen in the Sardar can be gauged by his foreseeing an event which was to unfold nearly a decade after the date of this letter (Nov 7, 1950) addressed to “My dear Jawaharlal”. He cautioned Nehru by saying, “There is no doubt that during the period covered by this correspondence, the Chinese must have been concentrating for an onslaught on Tibet, the final action of the Chinese in my judgment, is little short of perfidy.” Patel further had seen a lack of firmness and unnecessary apology in one of the two representations made by our the then ambassador to the Chinese government on our behalf. So much was the Iron Man of India blessed with the prowess of diplomatic intricacies that he could read between the lines too much which an ordinary politician and even “stalwarts” like Nehru could not. This letter in itself is a political document revealing more and hiding very less about how we were taken in by the mechanizations of a treacherous neighbor who like an enemy recently blocked our way to take benefit of international decision against a top terrorist in the world , a citizen of Pakistan and who has been declared as an international terrorist , at the same time warning this country of dire consequences in case we granted permission to Dalai Lama visit one of our own parts of the country, the Arunachal Pradesh.
The Sardar had cautioned Nehru not to treat China as our friend since China did not treat us one despite” Your direct approaches to them with the communist mentality of whoever is not with them is against them , this is a significant pointer of which we have to take a due note.” In 1950 shortly before his untimely death, the Sardar had predicted the real intentions of China and virtually pooh poohed Nehru’s out of box efforts to champion the cause of China internationally as he laments in his letter, “During the last several months, outside the Russian camp , we have been practically alone in championing the cause of Chinese entry in the UNO and in securing from the Americans assurances on the question of Formosa , we have done everything to assuage the Chinese feelings , to allay its apprehensions and to defend its legitimate claims in our discussions with America and Britain and in the UNO. In spite of this China continues to regard us with suspicion and the whole psychology is one , at least outwardly of scepticism, mixed with hostility.”
Patel underlines the fact as to how the North East had been neglected by the Nehru government and he is candid in bringing home to him , “Throughout History , we have been seldom worried about our North East frontier against any threat from the North , In 1914 we entered into a convention with Tibet , which was not endorsed by the Chinese ….recent and bitter history also tell us that communism is no shield against imperialism and that the communists are as good or as bad imperialists as any other.” He laid it bare perhaps for future historians and political analysts to find where we not only erred but committed blunders and he further told Nehru perhaps in the hope to have our relations with that country well defined and reviewed, “For the first time after centuries , India’s defence has to concentrate on two fronts simultaneously, our defence measures so far have been based on calculations of superiority over Pakistan but we shall have NOW to reckon with Communist China in the North and the North East , a communist China which has defence ambitions and aims and which does not in any way seem to be friendly with us.”
The letter is a valuable political treatise dealing on the one hand with our relations with China and second, our priorities and preparedness to confront two belligerent neighbours diplomatically and militarily. He had seen the internal threat to the country as well which he called “serious internal problems” . He writes to Nehru , ” Hitherto Communist Party of India has found difficulty in contacting the Communists abroad or in getting supplies of arms , literature and other help from them , they shall now have a comparatively easy means of access to Chinese Communists and through them to other foreign communists , infiltration of spies , fifth columnists and communists would now be easier.”
China attacked India in 1962 amidst sarcastic slogans “Hind Chinese Bhai Bhai” raised until only a few days before. Nehru and the entire defence preparedness were proved total incompatible and this political and diplomatic hari-kari upset Nehru beyond comprehension but each and every word of that born politician and statesman Sardar Patel proved prophetically correct. Yes, he had seen from China a tsunami in 1950 , say 12 years ago . Had he been alive , Nehru would have bowed before his political sagacity and felt remorseful for his political one-upmanship .
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