New Delhi: Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a "violent face-off" with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh in the most serious escalation between the two countries along the border in five decades.
Amid the border tensions between India and China, Congress party's senior leader and former External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid has quoted Modi government as "failed to show a united India to the world".
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Salman Khurshid talked about the Indo-China Border dispute, it's reasons and how the Government needs to deal with the crisis.
Khurshid said, "The bottom line is the tragic loss of lives that have happened and the very fact that we have lost these sentinels of India is sad in itself. Particularly because they were not fighting a war of honour but they were only defending our territory. There is ambiguity, confusion, lack of clarity about it and no clear idea of how will we go forward, all of that makes it extremely sad and unfortunate. There is a need to answer all the families of these martyrs."
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"Intentions have to be properly culled when you are doing diplomacy, you try to understand why the other party is acting in a particular manner. I do believe that putting everything on the table might cause difficulty for the government that its flexibility in responding to an evolving situation, we should not restrict that in any way. Therefore talking about many details is not much advisable," Khurshid said.
"Yet something needs to be said and I believe that there is something problem China and what is that, we must understand. There is something troubling us and what is troubling us, we must make Apparent to China. This is not just a matter of military to the military but there is an issue between political executives particularly with the present Prime Minister. He claims to have a very good relationship with President Xi and therefore they must figure out what exactly the problem is," he said.
"The more we discuss on our side, the more we end up giving China stronger arguments against us. Today the priority has to be to speak with one voice. Let not go into history. There are many ways to explain history. Let's talk about what happened today. Why the Government and it's all functionaries associated being so short-sighted or myopic, showing to the whole world that we are divided. We cannot be divided and we must not be divided, because today all that matters is Indian sovereignty and honour. In that way, this Government will fail if it does not bring all political parties together," he said.
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"Why are we going back? Why are we not looking at what is on the table today? 1993, 1996 subsequently we have taken several steps to find mutually acceptable solutions to our differences. The Peace and tranquillity agreement of 1993 has brought us safely from 1975 to all the way to the present. No casualty has happened. Now severe casualties have occurred recently. So, let's talk about today. The fact that BJP is running behind to talk about the past means they have something to hide today," he said.
"It's very clear, you have to talk. The world today cannot afford two nuclear powers fighting against each other. In any case, fighting is not a glorious thing. It causes enormous hurt, injuries, loss and pain. Therefore, these swashbuckling people, who talk about running into battle to settle matters with China, are not serving this nation at all. We are a sensible country who is hoping to be in permanent reform in the security council. We cannot ruin ourselves in one way or the another by pushing the margins to go into war with our neighbours. We must talk a way out of this. We have to use all that is available to us to persuade China that if you want to live together as neighbours then you've to stop snatching things from each other. We shouldn't assume that talking will fail, particularly when the whole world is watching," Khurshid said.
"I don't think that the Government has clearly analysed what is the purpose of the boycott of Chinese goods. The economists are saying that it'll not make much difference to China but it may make a difference to us. If there is a matter of honour and dignity, you should be willing to sacrifice but you should not subject yourself to hyperbolism or to grandeur gestures which may not be necessary. With care and caution, Govt should provide guidance and consult the opposition where they feel they require support. Govt should not take the entire burden on their shoulders when the opposition is ready to share the burden," Khurshid added.
