BHarwana
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Everything in India seems to revolve around the TV today. News channels in particular seem to believe that they are running the country. On TV, isolated incidents of violence are made to seem like precursors to World War III. Images are manipulated to create new truths and lies are peddled to give a sense of being powerful.
For some time now, China too has been subjected to these forces when it comes to representation in the mainstream media. In midst of the discourse of virulent nationalism, China can’t help but be the big bad dragon that is out to destroy India. It haunts the popular imagination in the form of an omnipresent threat.
Whenever a skirmish erupts between India and China, TV news channels begin flashing terrifying visuals frenziedly, enough to convince anyone watching that a war is imminent and India is sure to seek revenge from China for the humiliating defeat of 1962.
But there are truths beyond the TV screen. China is neither a terrifying dragon, nor a sworn enemy like Pakistan.
Communist leader Mao is reported to have told his commanders during the 1962 war that India and China are not made for “eternal war” and neither can the two maintain long-term enmity.
When India suffered a defeat at the hands of China in 1962, Mao had indicated that peaceful discussion between the two nations could finally begin, now that their military action had forced India to arrive at the negotiating table.
The war broke out at a time when the “Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai” sentiment was at its peak. Pandit Nehru and Mao were good friends as well. Trouble erupted when India agreed to provide refuge to the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s religious leader.
Today, once again, the Dalai Lama has become a bone of contention between the two. In the light of his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, China has after many years threatened India with military retribution. Chinese media is rife with venomous tirades against India; the situation seems explosive. Is India ready for this? Can we truly withstand a war with China?
In our dealings with China, we should remember two things. One, it is not Pakistan. It is one of the biggest superpowers in the world today, second only to USA. Its annual growth rate might be slow, but there is no comparing the military and financial capabilities of India and China. We shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that China’s slow GDP growth indicates weakness.
In my opinion, the growth spurt that China experienced after 1978 is now being slowed down. Xi Jinping is dedicating all his energies towards economic reforms and long-term growth to ensure China’s status as a global power. Those who say that democracy is not a part of China’s tradition and that such forces will ultimately destabilise its economy, are perhaps not familiar with Chinese history.
https://www.thequint.com/opinion/20...horns-with-china-will-cost-india-economically
For some time now, China too has been subjected to these forces when it comes to representation in the mainstream media. In midst of the discourse of virulent nationalism, China can’t help but be the big bad dragon that is out to destroy India. It haunts the popular imagination in the form of an omnipresent threat.
Whenever a skirmish erupts between India and China, TV news channels begin flashing terrifying visuals frenziedly, enough to convince anyone watching that a war is imminent and India is sure to seek revenge from China for the humiliating defeat of 1962.
But there are truths beyond the TV screen. China is neither a terrifying dragon, nor a sworn enemy like Pakistan.
Communist leader Mao is reported to have told his commanders during the 1962 war that India and China are not made for “eternal war” and neither can the two maintain long-term enmity.
When India suffered a defeat at the hands of China in 1962, Mao had indicated that peaceful discussion between the two nations could finally begin, now that their military action had forced India to arrive at the negotiating table.
The war broke out at a time when the “Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai” sentiment was at its peak. Pandit Nehru and Mao were good friends as well. Trouble erupted when India agreed to provide refuge to the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s religious leader.
Today, once again, the Dalai Lama has become a bone of contention between the two. In the light of his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, China has after many years threatened India with military retribution. Chinese media is rife with venomous tirades against India; the situation seems explosive. Is India ready for this? Can we truly withstand a war with China?
In our dealings with China, we should remember two things. One, it is not Pakistan. It is one of the biggest superpowers in the world today, second only to USA. Its annual growth rate might be slow, but there is no comparing the military and financial capabilities of India and China. We shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that China’s slow GDP growth indicates weakness.
In my opinion, the growth spurt that China experienced after 1978 is now being slowed down. Xi Jinping is dedicating all his energies towards economic reforms and long-term growth to ensure China’s status as a global power. Those who say that democracy is not a part of China’s tradition and that such forces will ultimately destabilise its economy, are perhaps not familiar with Chinese history.
https://www.thequint.com/opinion/20...horns-with-china-will-cost-india-economically
