TALE OF TWO NATIONS . Summary of an ARTICLE in "The Telegraph " by SUNANDA K DATTA RAY Part 2 First India
being a full fedged democracy ,there are checks and counter checks by
political parties of their major functions which act as a check at the
same time , resulting in delay or derail some developmental projects.Secondly,being
surrounded by nations in turmoil,like Pakistan, Sri Lanka,etc is
obliged to keep fully engaged and alert on the border regions. and
cannot imagine for any act of aggressionIn anlsysing the
Geopolitical equation, Pakstan in turmoil is a perennial worry for
India , with possible increased danger from Terrorists. Besides the
nuclear and missile strengths will be more nuisance value to Indias,
which as we know Pakistan has been obtained by the benevolence of
Unted States and China.Thirdly, while India will not be a
threat to Western Global challenge at least until its social
infrastructure comes to
World One standards, whereas China is
determined to catch up with US, Europe and Japan in the next 20 to 30
years,.This will result a Super power status for China ,whether it is
democratic or dictatorship , much more technologically advanced and
economically sophisticated which the world powers have to reckon with.Fourthly,
a large majority of Indian elite, read ,write and publish in English,
which helps the Anglo American community more comfortable in
communication. China''s rephrasing their ''
peaceful rise '' with ''
peaceful development '' has not made much
change in the notion of
Westerners about China and Lee feels more open ness and transparency
in society will improve their image.Even the few Chinese who speak and
write in English are not able to express their thoughts freely.China''s
huge success makes it doubly unpopular with the West as they already
are obsessed with the Yellow Peril, remniscent of Tiamen Square and
the memories of cultural revolution and Govt censorship. Lee further
feels , that even a China , with a multiparty Government and , weaker
economically than India still,will not be able to change the Western
hostlity to CHINA,. In his reckoning ,however, he leaves out the
cultural difference between ''intense ''Chinese and ''soft or
spiritual India'' contributing to this hostile attitude.In
fact isolation of China had ended with the Kissinger''s Mission in
1971. Apart from the technological and financial help already mentioned
America''s Cold war patronage
helped them to attain
diplomatic respectability for China which they did not enjoy when India was the
only non communist champion in the international stage.Sino US
rapproachment suddenly made South East Asian countries like
Malaysia,Thailand and Phillipines to change track and extablish
diplomatic
ties with CHINA. Indonesia was the last one to follow
suit.Chinese dominated Singapore with massive economic relations waited
till the last to establish ties.America might have
felt , having helped China to reach such dizzy heights their protege
has become too big for their boots. However, India is not concerned
with their view but rather interested in how China feel about itself
and their place in Asia and world .But that does not mean that China
is bent upon putting India down. But any equation which Lee suggests
must take into account India''s dignity and growing stature with
reference to CHINA''s "Middle Kingdom Complex " as suggested by
late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.KONTHAI
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