Breaking News :
Kashmiri Shawl Seller Assaulted, Robbed in Punjab—Third Attack in 45 Days    Jamia Students Rally Against Crackdown on Campus Activism    AI Summit Divided: India Pushes for Inclusive Rules as US, UK Reject Paris Communique    Bangladesh Witnesses Wave of Violent Attacks Against Monuments of Liberation War    CPI Raises Alarm Over Chhattisgarh Encounters, Demands Inquiry    Govt’s 15-Point Plan Focuses on Education, Employment & Social Welfare for Minorities: Rijiju    Unchecked and Unregulated: How Illegal Constructions Soar in Kolkata Under TMC’s Watch    India’s Got Latent Row: Assam Police Book Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina and Others    SC Reserves Verdict on WBSSC Job Scam Case, Questions Data Authenticity    Why Has Manipur Governor Not Convened Assembly Session? Congress Questions Delay    Far-Right Leaders Gather in Madrid to 'Make Europe Great Again'    Bipartisanism Wins in Ecuador: Noboa And González Head to Presidential Run-Off    Rajasthan: BJP Pulls Up Minister Kirodi Lal Meena Over Phone-Tapping Remark    Modi’s France Visit: Meets ‘Friend’ Macron & US VP JD Vance    Parrhesia as Political Resistance: The Bishop That Spoke Truth to Power    FIR Filed Over ‘Beef Biryani’ Notice at AMU, University Cites Typing Error    Modi Govt’s ‘U-Turn’ on CLND Act a Bid to Appease Foreign Nuclear Firms: Congress    Indian Rupee Plunges to All-Time Low of 87.95 Per Dollar in Early Trade    Delhi Elections: The End of a Myth And the Magnification of a Tragedy    Medical Aid to Jagjit Singh Dallewal Halted as Doctors Fail to Find Veins: Farmer Groups   
Diplomacy

Congress Questions Modi Govt’s Push to Normalise Ties with China Amid Unresolved Border Dispute

India and China announced several measures to restore ties on Monday, including the resumption of direct flights, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and a liberalised visa regime.

Congress Questions Modi Govt’s Push to Normalise Ties with China Amid Unresolved Border Dispute

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh (Bill Graphics)

The Congress party on Tuesday (January 28) raised concerns over the Narendra Modi government’s decision to normalise relations with China, citing unresolved issues in the disengagement agreement reached in October last year.

India and China announced several measures to restore ties on Monday, including the resumption of direct flights, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and a liberalised visa regime.

These developments followed a vice minister-level meeting in Beijing.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the timing of the move, highlighting the situation in eastern Ladakh. He alleged that China still occupies 2,000 square kilometers of land that was accessible to Indian patrols before May 2020.

"The Modi govt has not yet satisfactorily explained to the country why this is the right time to normalise relations with China," Ramesh said in a statement.

Referring to Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’s remarks in October 2024 that restoring the April 2020 status quo was the first step toward disengagement, Ramesh criticized the Ministry of External Affairs for failing to clarify whether that objective had been achieved.

He also highlighted External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s December 2024 statement in Parliament, where Jaishankar referred to "temporary and limited measures" at friction points to prevent further conflict.

Ramesh argued that this indicated the creation of buffer zones, suggesting a shift away from India’s previous policy of insisting on a complete restoration of territorial control, as was done in the 1986 Sumdorong Chu and 2013 Depsang confrontations.

Calling the government’s approach "a continuation of pusillanimity," Ramesh recalled Prime Minister Modi’s 2020 statement that “Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai (Neither has anyone entered our borders, nor has anyone intruded),”—a claim he said misrepresented the situation.
 
He further argued that key areas remain inaccessible to Indian troops despite the so-called normalisation, and accused the government of prioritising the interests of corporate allies over national security.

“Even as critical areas appear off-limits to our troops, this so-called normalisation will only amplify the trends whose only beneficiaries appear to be the Prime Minister’s cronies and financiers,” Ramesh added.

Additionally, he raised concerns over India’s growing economic dependence on China, noting that Chinese imports surged from $70 billion in 2018-19 to $102 billion in 2023-24, with further increases expected.

“Even as Indian exports stagnate, China has emerged as the top supplier to critical industrial sectors like electronics, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and textiles," he wrote.

In his statement, Ramesh posed six critical questions to the government, demanding clarity on whether Indian patrols could access previously controlled areas in Depsang, Demchok, Pangong Tso, and other disputed points.

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment

   Can't Read ? Click    Refresh