HVK Archives: China-Advani face-off splits Left parties
China-Advani face-off splits Left parties - The Economic Times
Kamil Zaheer
()
May 26, 1998
Title: China-Advani face-off splits Left parties
Author: Kamil Zaheer
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: May 26, 1998
Left parties have taken different stands on China's criticism of
Union home minister L K Advani taking control of the department
of Jammu and Kashmir affairs from the PMO.
The CPI(M) said that the Chinese description of Mr Advani taking
over the J&K affairs department as a "new shadow" over the
problem was a 'tit-for-tat' reply for the BJP-led government's
rovocative" statements over China and Tibet.
It cited the " conduct" of Union defence minister George
Fernandes as well as the "Infamous" letter of Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee to US President Bill Clinton citing a "threat"
>from China as one main reason for the nuclear tests.
However, on quick research, Mr Fernandes, who is known to be
sympathetic to anti-Chinese Tibetan exiles, has not made any
specific anti-China statement with regards to Tibet except
security threat perception-related statements that "China has
targeted its Tibet-based missiles against us."
"The BJP-led government's sympathetic ears to anti-China Tibetans
hi India has resulted in the Chinese making comments about Mr
Advani taking over the Jammu and Kashmir department. It's not a
happy situation as it is the BJP-led government which has taken
the initiative in spoiling ties with China which were improving
since 1988," claimed CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat.
The CPI, however, takes a different view on China's criticism of
the Mr Advani taking over as J&K affairs directly.
The CPI general secretary, A B Bardhan, said that it was an
"internal affair of the government and of India."
Mr Bardhan said that anyway "Mr Advani was boss over Kashmir
affairs even before taking the department from the PMO to the
Union home ministry".
He also expressed concerned that "war-like" statements of Mr
Advani, Farooq Abdullah and Union minister Madan Lal Khurana will
worsen the situation in the state.
However, interestingly, when asked about the 1962 war about which
China has recently blamed India for "starting by usurping its
territory", both the CPI(M) and CPI leaders refused to comment
saying that the present deterioration in relations between the
two Asian giants were the issue and there was no need to "rake up
history".
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