India's National Congress Party (NCP) chief and former defense minister Sharad Pawar has said that India's recent conflict with China could be resolved through dialogue, diplomatic meetings and with the help of other countries and the United Nations. He added that India's main opponent is China, not Pakistan. But India should not go to war directly with China.
He added that the Modi government had tried to take a different stance on India's relations with other countries, but to no avail. "Our foreign policy has never changed in terms of building relations with other countries," he said. From the time of Jaharlal Nehru to the time of Indira Gandhi and even the rule of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, foreign policy has not changed. But our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a different stance and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi wanted to set an example of good relations with his neighbors, but to no avail.
Power said China had easily taken Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka against India. The first country Modi spoke to after taking office was Nepal. But that Nepal is now in favor of China! It is quite clear who Pakistan is loyal to. India has played a big role in the liberation war of Bangladesh. But recently the country has signed an agreement with China. The same situation is in Sri Lanka. This means that all the countries around India have started speaking out against it. And these differences in relations with neighbors are a 'new achievement' for the Modi government.
The NCP chief thinks that India's problem with China cannot be solved through war. "We have one-tenth of China's total military force," he said. And one should never think of a frontal war with one's neighbor from behind. It is true that we are ready to fight in need and we are ready to pay any price for it.
But instead we should move forward to solve the problem through diplomatic activities and negotiations. We lost some of our territory to China about 50 years ago. We have a right to it. And China should be pressured with the help of other countries and the United Nations to take over the region. About three decades ago, China's main enemies were the United States and Japan.
But that has changed now. India has become their main rival. "When I visited China in 1993 as defense minister and met with the president, he gave me an idea," he said. He said China does not want to clash with any of its neighbors at present. Their goal was the United States. "After 25 years, China will think about its neighbors," he said. He also criticized the Modi government's stance on India's economic development. According to the former Indian defense minister, the Modi government needs to think differently in the context of the Kovid-19 epidemic to boost the country's economy.