The Solution Lies in Diplomatic, Political Talks, Not in Militaristic Ambitions, Expansionist Dreams or Chauvinism !

#TheBorderIssue: The Solution Lies in Diplomatic, Political Talks, Not in Militaristic Ambitions, Expansionist Dreams or Chauvinism !
_ Statement, Porattam

India’s border issues are remnants from colonialism. China too had border issues with its neighboring countries. Maoist China was able to resolve all of them, except those with India and Russia, on the basis of the Panchsheel principles. The jingoistic positions and expansionist dreams of the Indian ruling classes and rulers as well as imperialist manipulations prevented a resolution of the border dispute with India. The then Chinese prime minister had visited India thrice to resolve the issue peacefully. Manipulations of the American imperialist lobby and its political designs not only defeated all attempts to settle the issue it also lead to the disastrous Sino-Indian war of 1962 that ended in a shameful defeat.

The MacMohun line was an imaginary border conceived by the British colonial power in keeping with its imperialist interests. It was never accepted by the People’s Republic of China. And that is why the genuine communists, socialists and democrats of this country had demanded that the border issue between India and China should be peacefully resolved through discussions based on equality and relying on themselves. This is also why they insist on this today too.

The real factors leading to the 1962 Sino-Indian war were later openly admitted by then serving military officials of India through books and articles. In an article, former Army chief Sundarji acknowledged that Indian military posts had been positioned North of the latitude considered as the border by India. World famous philosophers like Bertrand Russel had exposed and criticized the role of the Nehru government in fomenting the war. Reiterating that they were not desiring any territory other than that under dispute, socialist China had declared a unilateral ceasefire and withdrawn from areas it had seized in Asom and Arunachal Pradesh in the war. Since then, other than an occasional friction, the border has been peaceful for decades together. Talks to settle the border issue have been going on continuously.

This started changing by the beginning of the new century. Capitalism was restored in China and it emerged as an imperialist power. It started contending with US imperialism. Meanwhile, the Indian ruling classes began to move closer to the American lobby, quite openly itself. This began under the Congress-led UPA rule. It has gained more traction under Modi. This prepared the grounds for the contention between Chinese imperialism trying to establish its hegemony in South Asia by displacing Indian expansionism and the Indian ruling classes striving to retain their position. Political and military moves unsettling the peace of the border were made by both. China started to build roads through Tibet to the border and set up airports. It started to openly meddle in Nepali politics in order to end Indian domination. On their part, the Indian rulers started to raise new mountain corps, build border roads and tighten their grip in South Asian countries. The intensification of US imperialist moves under Trump, aimed at using the Indian comprador state to tie down China, has worsened the situation even more.

The current unfortunate clashes at the border and loss of lives must be evaluated in this context. Many, including former military officials and diplomats, have opined that strong measures are called for to prevent any escalation and that the issue must be resolved through diplomatic, political talks. It is noteworthy that many have expressed concerns over the suspicious fact that the Central government hasn’t issued even a single statement till now on developments at the border.

Without doubt, cunning moves made to divert public anger against the miserable failure of the Modi government in handling the Covid-19 pandemic and the socio-economic crisis it has further intensified with an eye on the challenges posed by the upcoming Bihar and W. Bengal elections have also played their role in activating the border issue as seen today.

Imperialist China too is facing serious internal issues. The severe inequalities inflicted by capitalist economic and political policies on Chinese society which had known the benefits of socialism, widespread unemployment, the great dissatisfaction and anger all this has generated among the Chinese people – this has since long made factories and villages in China centres of struggle. Chinese society has given birth to a new Maoist Communist party. All of these are challenges upsetting the present imperialist Chinese state. Therefore the border issue is a useful card for imperialist China also.

The hegemonic designs of imperialist China is a threat for all the peoples of South Asia. They must face it relying on their own strength, in solidarity with each other and without becoming tools in the hands of some other imperialist power.

The border dispute with Nepal is being posed as something tied up with the Indo-Sino dispute. This does not accord with facts. This dispute too is a creation of British colonialism. Patriotic forces in Nepal have raised it from those days itself. The People’s War initiated in 1996 gave impetus to that demand. Ruling class political parties who were subservient to Indian expansionism were forced to take a position. Characterizing as a Chinese machination the unanimous rallying of all shades of political opinion and the whole Nepali people behind the decision to publish a new map of Nepal including the Kalapani area is sheer nonsense. The Nepali people hate Indian expansionism. That is just. Indian rulers have always treated Nepal as a vassal. The arrival of an RSS government in the form of the Modi regime has seen an intensification of this arrogant interference. A blockade that caused havoc in the lives of the Nepalese was imposed when the diktat of Delhi to amend the Constitution was not heeded. This only helped strengthen hatred against Indian expansionism. Chinese imperialism utilities this. Expansionist arrogance bolstered by ‘akhand bharat’ ambitions is one of the hallmarks of the Modi government’s foreign policy. This too is utilized by Chinese imperialism.

In short, though the Sangh Parivar spews out a lot about the ‘sacred land of Bharat’ and of protecting it, its government has carried out internal and external policies that actually weaken it. The people who are the foundation of a country’s defence are divided. Neighboring countries are alienated. Threatening situations are simultaneously provoked on various borders. India is tied up in the global moves of American imperialism. That is, the RSS and the Hinduvadi forces continue to carry out the traitorous role they have played since their very beginnings itself.

We must guard against Modi-Shah-Bhagavat chauvinistic moves that hope to repeat, now under American imperialism’s aegis, what the Nehru regime did in 1962 while dragging the Indian people with a pack of lies into war. Instead of settling border disputes peacefully, whoever tries to drag them on as festering wounds and uses them for narrow political gains is doing a traitorous act. It is anti-people, despicable and condemnable.

We demand that all border issues, including those with Nepal, should be resolved through talks, peacefully, politically, with a sense of realism and on the basis of equality. Chauvinism and expansionist ambitions have only caused disasters for the human race.

Idolisation of border is not patriotism.
Let us unite to Protect Lives and livelyhoods.
Issued by, Porattam General Council
Chairman: M.N. Ravunni
General Convenor: Shanto Lal