External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reignited the debate surrounding Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his China policy on Wednesday, saying that a more Bharat-centric approach would have painted a less rosy picture of the relationship.Launching his book Why Bharat Matters, Jaishankar pointed to historical records, including exchanges between Nehru and Sardar Patel, that showcased starkly differing views on China. The External Affairs Minister said, “ Regarding the three countries Pakistan, China and the US which were actually three debated relationships in our early years. If we had been more Bharat, we would have had a less rosy view of our relationship with China. This is not my fantasy. There is a kind of record in form of an exchange of letters between Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru on China and they had a starkly differing views about it.”#WhyBharatMattersA conversation with @samirsaran https://t.co/9ZwiAXmf0k— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 3, 2024There is a letter written by Nehru to Chief Ministers, even when the conflict was going on, saying First let China take its plays in the security council, Jaishankar remarked. He further asserted that this stance wasnt a retrospective viewpoint, but reflected in contemporary records.Jaishankar criticises Nehrus policyThe minister also highlighted Nehrus wartime standings with then-US President John F. Kennedy, revealing Nehrus hesitation in seeking American assistance due to a certain... left-wing ideology strong in that period. Jaishankar emphasised the inherent ideological clash between Nehrus leanings and the perceived hostility towards the US in China.Even Rama was tested, says EAM Jaishankar as he explains Indias moment of string the bow & how each country goes thru is testing facing pic.twitter.com/5iU9fh8NHE— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) January 3, 2024This isnt the first instance Jaishankar has criticised Nehrus China policy. On Tuesday, he characterised it as romanticism that later evolved into the now-criticised Chindia concept. He contrasted this with Patels more pragmatic approach, suggesting it would have yielded a different India-China dynamic. Jaishankars remarks reignite a long-standing debate on Nehrus China policy, with supporters highlighting his attempts at peaceful co-existence and critics pointing to strategic miscalculations.
