By Nirendra Dev / New Delhi
In the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, besides the Ram Temple hype the BJP and the Modi government have also stoked a debate on the Nehruvian foreign policy and the perceived blunders vis-a-vis foreign policy especially on China and Kashmir.
In contrast, according to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, the Modi government has been dealing with the communist country with “realism”.
He also said that there was a difference of opinion between Nehru and his deputy Sardar Vallabhbai Patel on how to tackle Mao Zedong’s China.
“… The Modi government is more in conformity with the strain of realism which originated from Sardar Patel in dealing with China…I argue for dealing with China on the basis of realism that extends all the way from Sardar Patel to Narendra Modi,” he said in an interview.
On the other hand, he mentions: “If you look at the last 75 years of our foreign policy, we have had a strain of realism about China and we have had a strain of romanticism, non-realism about China. It begins from day one where there is a sharp difference of opinion on how to respond to China between Nehru and Sardar Patel”.
This is food for thought for the Congress party and the ‘foreign policy’ experts. Dr Jaishankar made the remarks in the context of his new book, ‘Why Bharat Matters’.
The book has become a talking point of the month among diplomats and others too. Eminent foreign policy expert C Raja Mohan, says in his article in ‘Indian Express’.
: – “His (Dr Jaishankar’s) evaluation of the “roads not taken” in India’s foreign policy during the early years after independence will trigger much political controversy, but it sets the stage for the long overdue historicisation of Indian foreign policy”.
It is worth mentioning that Jaishankar’s critique of Jawaharlal Nehru’s “naivete” on Pakistan and China and “ideological predilections” against the West is not made from the easy benefits of clear hindsight.
The Minister draws on the perspective of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jan Sangh hero Syama Prasad Mookerjee, scholar-politician and Dalit leader B R Ambedkar, and intellectual Minoo Masani, who in the 1940s and 1950s were questioning Nehru’s choices and decisions.
Dr Jaishankar also said — that he has tried to analyse the views of other leaders in 1940s and 1950s. For example – Sardar Patel on China, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on Pakistan (Kashmir), Dr Ambedkar – on China and America.
“Not many people know how strongly he (Ambedkar) was disturbed by the manner in which our relationship with the US did not fare well in that period…Minoo Masani I refer to in terms of where sometimes the practice of Non-alignment can end up doing…I have tried to be very objective,” Dr Jaishankar insists.
“My purpose of writing that chapter is to remind people – look at what you take as a given … this was the only course which India could have followed may not be true. That time, many years ago there was a very intense debate…After all these are three key relationships (of India) – China, Pakistan and America…”.
In more ways than one, the External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar is practically in Late Arun Jaitley’s shoes for Narendra Modi and his Moditva phenomenon. The Minister has come out with his new book, ‘Why Bharat Matters’. The Modi government does not have many credible English oratorsand after Jaitley, that honour safely can go to Dr Jaishankar, who has a credibility of his own.
Well, the new book could have been called ‘Why India matters’ too … But a serving Minister handpicked by Modi himself in 2019 understands pretty well the political importance of ‘Bharat’ … as a name.
Dr Jaishankar has served in key hubs including Beijing, Russia and Washington and is India’s second ‘diplomat-turned-neta’ and foreign minister after Natwar Singh — the former Congressman. Natwar Dingh served as foreign minister under Dr Manmohan Singh but was booted out within 15-16 months once the Volcker report embarrassed Sonia Gandhi and the party.
To put in perspective, one can say Dr Jaishankar was made the foreign minister in 2019 ‘replacing’ Sushma Swaraj.
In fact, the breaking news came out in the limelight on May 30, 2019 — the day of the second time swearing in of Modi.
Of course owing to her ill health and doctor advising her to ‘avoid dust’ Sushma did not contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She expected a Rajya Sabha berth and probably wanted to continue as the foreign minister. However, on the swearing in day, Sushma walked into the Rashtrapati Bhawan but ‘sat separately’ and the media could ‘break’ the story.
Dr Jaishankar says: “This (the debate around Bharat) is not something which is a narrow political debate or a historical cultural debate, it is a mindset. And, if we are actually preparing seriously for the ‘Amrit Kaal’ in the next 25 years and if we are talking of a Viksit Bharat or developed Bharat, that can only happen if you are an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat'”.