| by B.Raman
(November 14, 2012, Chennai, Sri Lanka
Guardian) Based on my intervention during a Panel discussion on November
9,2012, on the book titled “ India’s Foreign Policy--- Coping With the Changing
World” written by Shri Muchkund Dubey, our former Foreign Secretary. The book
has been published by PEARSON. Other Panellists were Shri Dubey and Shri
C.V.Ranganathan, former Indian Ambassador to China and France. The discussion
was jointly organised by the Chennai Centre For China Studies and the Rajaji
Centre For Public Affairs, Chennai )
Just as one used to talk of
comprehensive national strength and comprehensive national security, one now
talks of comprehensive diplomacy. From a uni-dimensional concept, diplomacy has
become a multi-dimensional concept dealing with various dimensions such as
political, economic, commercial, military, technological etc. Shri Dubey is one
of the distinguished practitioners of
comprehensive diplomacy that we have . He has handled creditably
bilateral as well multilateral diplomacy and the various aspects of
comprehensive diplomacy. He was associated for many years with economic and
commercial diplomacy and had overseen the transition from the era of the GATT
to that of the World Trade Organisation ( WTO). His observations in the book
should be of tremendous benefit to political leaders, professionals and the
sections of the general public interested in the evolution of our foreign
policy and in the exercise of our diplomacy.
2. Normally, when retired public
servants and policy-makers write, they tend to bat for their service and department.
A refreshing aspect of Shri Dubey’s book is that he refrains from batting for
the Indian Foreign Service and the Ministry of External Affairs. He bats for
the nation and its interests and does not hesitate to admit deficiencies in the
exercise of our diplomacy, analyse the reasons for them and suggest
correctives.
3. I was struck by his admitting how our
defeat by Japan in 1995-96 in the election to the non-permanent seat in the UN
Security Council (UNSC) was a wake-up call and showed that India had no stature
in the international community. He rightly attributes this lack of stature to
India’s poor economic strength and its inconsequential role in global economy.
4. Economic strength is the basic
component of the comprehensive national strength of any country. Without
economic strength no country can make its presence felt and make itself
respected in the international community. We have since paid more attention to
building our economic strength. We are more consequential than we were till
1995-96, but still not as consequential as China is.
5. This became cruelly obvious during
the recent Presidential campaign in the US. Whereas there were frequent
references to China in the context of the global economy and the USA’s economic
problems, there were few specific references to India, which still does not
count. If India wants to be taken more seriously in the world of diplomacy and
as an emerging power, it has to pay more attention to building its economic
strength.
6. The book is not a comprehensive
analysis of the evolution of our foreign policy. It is an updated collection of
essays written by Shri Dubey on India’s relations with the US, Russia, China
and Bangladesh and certain other aspects of which he has first hand knowledge.
There is no detailed discussion of India’s relations with Pakistan and the Arab
world. Pakistan does figure in his discussion of India’s relations with the US
and China.
7. I would draw attention to three
chapters devoted by Shri Dubey to a discussion of India’s relations with China
and underline my views on this subject even at the risk of my views not being
in consonance with those of Shri Dubey.
8. In my writings and speeches, I have
been repeatedly drawing attention to our obsession with Pakistan and to our
relative neglect of the importance of building up our knowledge and expertise
on China despite our humiliation at the hands of China in 1962. We still do not
understand the complexities of our relations with China adequately and what
impact these complexities will have on our future stature as an emerging Asian
power.
9. These complexities have three
dimensions----our pending border dispute with China, the Tibetan question which
will have an impact on the border dispute and the Damocles Sword of the China-Pakistan nuclear and missile axis
hanging over our head.
10. I am confident that given time and
patience, our diplomats are capable of finding a mutually satisfactory solution
to the border dispute and the Tibetan question. But, I am worried that not
adequate attention has been paid to analysing the implications of the
China-Pakistan nuclear and missile axis. Is there a way of weaning China away
from Pakistan and what are the options and incentives and disincentives that we
have or that we ought to have in this regard?
This is a matter that requires constant study by our governmental and
non-governmental analysts and policy-makers.
11. We talk of the Pakistani mind-set
and the mind-set of the Pakistani army relating to India. We cannot understand
Pakistan and deal with Pakistan effectively unless we have a clear
comprehension of those mind-sets.
12. Is there a Chinese mind-set towards
India and what impact it has on its policies towards India? In my view, there
is a Chinese mind-set which is predominant not in its Army, but in its Party
leadership and cadres which strongly influences its determination to keep
adding to Pakistan’s nuclear and missile strength.
13. Why does the Chinese Party
leadership want to maintain the nuclear and missile axis with Pakistan? To confront
India with the spectre of a two-front nuclear threat? To undermine India’s
efforts to emerge as an Asian power on par with China? How to deal with this
axis strategically and tactically?
14. We still do not have satisfactory
answers to these questions. I do hope that Shri Dubey himself and other experts
will pay greater attention to these questions in future and contribute to a
comprehensive understanding of China and to the evolution of a comprehensive
strategy for addressing the complexities
of our relations with China.
15. Dealing with China satisfactorily is
the most difficult aspect of our comprehensive diplomacy. This question has not
received the attention it deserves. ( 12-11-2012)
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For
China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com
Twitter @SORBONNE75)
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