NS Venkataraman
CHENNAI, India, 14 November 2020
The recent news is that China has begun work on a strategically significant railway line, the second major rail link to Tibet, that will link Sichuan province with Nyingchi, which lies near the border with India’s Arunachal Pradesh.
This should cause considerable concern to Tibetans who want to free Tibet from occupation by China. This should also cause concern to India, since China claims that the province of Arunachal Pradesh in India belongs to China. This railway link is planned by China with the cynical design of consolidating its hold over Tibet and also pave the way to invade Arunachal Pradesh in India at any time convenient to China.
There is no greater proof needed about China’s expansionist greed and unscrupulous methods that it adopts to satisfy its greed, than its aggressive occupation of Tibet, claims on Arunachal Pradesh in India, suppression of freedom movement in Hong Kong, threat to invade Taiwan, and claims on South China Sea and Senkaku island.
The unfortunate fact is that China’s expansionist greed remains unchallenged in the world today.
There was hope when US President Trump challenged China’s expansionist greed and took steps to checkmate its influence. Now, with Biden shortly becoming the President of the US, one has to keep fingers crossed as to whether Biden would continue the anti-China stance with the same level of intensity that Trump did.
Certainly, in the present conditions in the world, no country is in a position to challenge China except the US, with Russia now giving the impression that it has reconciled itself to the position of junior partner of China.
The world is confronted with two serious issues threatening world peace. One is China’s territorial ambitions and extreme desire to become the superpower in the world by fair or foul means. The second challenge is posed by the Islamic terrorists, who seem to believe in destruction and violence to spread the Islam religion around the world at any cost.
With Western Europe itself becoming a victim of Islamic terrorism, and with no clue as to how to face this challenge and facing the recent Covid crisis, Europe is in no position to play a powerful and positive role in the world arena today.
Having allowed the massive influx of refugees into Europe, with Muslims constituting a large part of the influx, the developing situation is changing the demographic structure of several countries in Europe, with likely disastrous consequences. Europe has to now fight against terrorism on its own soil and at huge cost. This is a problem that West European countries have brought on themselves unwittingly and without exercising caution. They are paying a price now, and it appears that they have to continue to pay the price for a long time to come.
After the recent Presidential poll in the US, the country is increasingly giving the impression that it is divided and polarised and much weakened with its overwhelming internal problems.
The net gainer of this weakened world is China. Certainly, the Chinese government and the merciless people occupying positions in the government of China, China would become more aggressive in exploiting the situation and would try to achieve the greedy ambitions of conquering the world with an alarming level of speed and determination.
With total suppression of liberty and freedom in China, and the brutal force at the command of Chinese government, it is unlikely that China would face any internal problems due to the people of China uprising, demanding liberty and freedom. It appears that China would remain as “united country”, facing no hindrance from within to achieve its goal of global domination.
Today, several countries are really fearing China, and want to keep China in good humour so that they would not incur the wrath of Chinese government.
If the world would remain by ignoring China’s expansionist greed, which it appears will happen, then China will have the last laugh.
The world is yet to realize the horrendous impact of China becoming the super power in the world, with suppression of freedom and aggressive onslaught on others being the central style of Chinese government.
Tibetans who have suffered heavily at the hands of the aggressive Chinese government certainly know the seriousness of allowing China to go scot free. India too is now realizing the adverse possibilities.
But the big question is, who will start the international resistance movement against China’s expansionist greed?
About the author
NS Venkataraman is a chemical engineer as well as social activist in Chennai, India. He is the founder trustee of Nandini Voice for the Deprived, a Chennai-based not-for-profit organisation serving the cause of the deprived and down-trodden, and working for probity in public life.
More articles by NS Venkataraman on Tibet Sun.
according to nehru, indian and china are to be brothers, and both expand as asian giants against western hegemony.
Leftwing intelligensia are influenced by liberal values of the West, particularly the universities and popular thinkers like Noam chomski and Edward Said.
But visibility of the arguments of the left-wing camps don’t translate into ground reality. A whole different set of rules apply in the real world. Real world is made up of people who are concentrated on real things in their life such as their income etc.
India’s solutions to border crisis has always been centered at the point of impact only, whether dealing with Pakistan or China. Whereas, both China and Pakistan have attacked India not only at the point of impacts but also globally, supporting and arming India’s enemies within and terrorist externally. These two nations have rallied their global allies and pressured the world organizations like the UN, WTO and at other forums and blocked India’s progress.
For starters, India needs to widen the battle field with China, she should denounce the “One China” policy and declare Tibet an occupied country. I am most certain, most nations in the free world would support her and she would have no opposition to this move other than China. India’s battle with China has to be fought “out side the box”, at a much deeper level. 1962 is long past, and it’s is time for India to move on and be the great nation she is and not be cowered down by bully boy China.