Be more like India
How should India respond to China’s building of road, rail and communications infrastructure in areas adjoining the unresolved Himalayan border? Excerpt from an article in the July 2007 issue of Pragati:
Clearly then, there is an urgent need for India to review the way in which it engages China.
Meanwhile, the Indian government is caught in a reactive mode—building infrastructure in remote border regions in response to China. If done with due care to the environment this is a positive outcome of the rivalry between the two countries. Yet roads and railways do not always buy affection and China in any case can build them much faster than India can.
A far more effective way for India to bring its most distant citizens into the national mainstream would be to empower them through tangible political equality. Reconstituting the Rajya Sabha along the lines of the American Senate—and giving states like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland the same number of seats as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and the rest—will not only be far more effective than big, leaky development programmes but is also more democratic. It is also be a move that China cannot match. [Pragati]
Related Post: The Catapult excoriates the Indian government for playing down reports of recent Chinese incursions into Indian territory
This makes a lot of sense, but with Indian politicians being the “true representatives” of our democracy, I highly doubt there would be any attempt in the near future to initiate the forgotten states into the national mainstream. Having said that, I believe for something like that to be successful, we need to abolish archaic laws like article 370 first, and we desperately need to implement the uniform civil code for something like this to be successful. But we can safely agree its nothing but wishful thinking on my side.
Among other decisions taken during Manmohan Singh’s visit, the foreign minister of India will travel to China in the first half of this year while his Chinese counterpart will journey to New Delhi in the latter half to maintain the momentum of their diplomatic engagement.
” You-visit-my-country-I-visit-yours ” trend started by Sonia reminds one of Zhou-EnLai and the subsequent visits of his countrymen!
Meanwhile, when the world has some problems over China’s handling of the 2008 games, does it need the PM to hand them a certificate in ethics “.. I hope that the Olympic spirit and warmth of the great city of Beijing …… ?
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Immediate border solution ‘unrealistic’: Chinese media
It is unrealistic to expect a solution from a single meeting,” China Daily, the communist nation’s leading English language newspaper, commented.
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News brought out in National Interest by their local edition in India.
Fair idea to reconstitute the Rajya Sabha but I just dont see it happening. It needs political support cutting across party lines and then a President who pushes the agenda. The politics and Presidency in India is diabolical and in a freefall. I guess time and taxpayer Rs. are better spentis building an airport in the President’s hometown…tch..tch.
certainly a great idea. India’s ace over china is democracy. China will never be able to have an antidote to our successful, working democracy.
I fear China will try to flare up tensions sooner rather than later because the gap between us and them will only decrease from now on. Especially within the next year or so as they must sense the spinelessness of the current government. They also do not overlook the fact that communists are part of the government as a column in support of the Chinese designs.
Talk is cheap.
China can get away with murder in broad daylight, thanks to the CPI(M) which as some wiseguy aptly decoded actually stands for Chinese Puppets in India (Morons).
Besides, The CPIM has also applied Mahatma Mao’s timeless wisdom in its handling of Nondigram.
Yes, UPA sarkar is weak. And weakness in the Dewath Valley of geopolitics attracts vultures and hyenas. Mercifully, Papistan is caught up internal turmoil, else I shudder to think what a kargil could actually yield ’em now…
There are many approaches to be pro-active than being reactive:
1. Increase sustainable livelihood to the people through better DELIVERY and focussed actions groups
2. Increase communication infrastructure in all the bordering districts and beyond.
3. Increase active Military involvement in civil upliftment by forming concerted groups for education, health and native intelligence.
4. Form a Dedicated Central and State government based monitoring and action committee of Intelligence, Bureaucracy, Police and district collectors for effective tie-back.
5. Form extremely efficient small business network to increase the per-capita to increase Human well-being index.
We have over time in India have realized that intelligent and caring government machinery SANS POLITICAL interference is better always…NOW to find the said bureaucracy may be difficult to get as all want a cushy job in state and central capital(s).