Veer Savarkar and China- Part 2

Savarkar has given example of Jewish nation ‘Israel’ which came into existence in May 1948 after a period of almost two thousand years. Savarkar said: “[Israel] is besieged by their staunch enemies Arab nations. But this tiny nation has given military education to its men and women, procured weapons from Britain-US, established arm factories in their own nation, played treaties-pacts conspiracy games with foreign nations and raised its own strategic power to that extend that their enemy nations ie. Arab nations couldn’t dare to invade them.” (Kesari, January 26, 1954)

 

Savarkar was saying that a nation which came into existence just nine months after India’s independence and which is very small compared to India, has increase their strategic and military power but India completely disregard and neglect these security things. Further Savarkar said, it's not too late yet, so we need to increase our strategic and military strength as soon as possible to improve and correct our mistakes. (Kesari, January 26, 1954) India should be always vigilant about our neighboring countries.

 

 

Nehru welcomed Chou En-lai, Prime Minister of China, at Delhi on June 26, 1954 and given slogan ‘Hindi-Chini bhai bhai’ (Indians and Chinese were brethren). Kesari newspaper of Pune asked Savarkar to give his opinion on this pact which was published on 4 July 1954.

 

Savarkar said: ”In politics the enemy of our enemy is our best friend. Enlightened self-interest is the only touchstone on which friendship in political dealings could be tested, since there is no such thing as real and selfless friendship in the political arena. If the meeting between Chou En-lai and Nehru, he said, angered the U.S.A., Indians should not mind it as the U.S.A. did not care to pause and think that India would -be dissatisfied or would feel insulted if America entered into a military pact with Pakistan. All the policies of India must be dependent on what was good or bad for India herself. If it was advantageous to India she should not in the least worry or care whether anyone felt enraged, insulted or irritated.”

 

Here Savarkar clearly welcomed Nehru and Chou En-lai meeting and told that India should not care if any nation like USA get inflamed due this meeting. India should look after her own interest only and this is naked truth in International politics. When ask about the outcome of the visit of Chou En-lai, Savarkar said: “The general principles that are being propagated as fundamental in this visit are very good and sound, so far as their language is concerned. Nothing is lost in proclaiming wishes for world peace, prosperity and brotherhood. But so long as India does not have any effective practical remedy or measures to check the transgressions, such visits have no more than a formal status.”

 

Savarkar states that,”while crying from the house-top about these principles it was worth noting that China, by swallowing Tibet, had ruthlessly trampled those very principles of world peace, brotherhood and peaceful co-existence. That was the most funniest part of the whole deal, and it at once raised doubts in Indian mind about the bona fides of China and Chou En-lai. There was at that time a political party in Tibet aiming at independence. It was curious and in a way most astonishing that after preying on and swallowing the mouse of Tibet the Chinese cat was talking of going on pilgrimage. That was exactly the role that the Chinese Premier Chou En-lai and President Mao Tse-tung were playing.” (Keer, Dhananjay. Veer Savarkar, Popular Publication, 2nd edition, 1966, page 489-490)

 

Savarkar was rare combination of a poet’s heart and a rational intellectual in a single man. While welcoming Nehru and Chou En-lai meeting, he is pointing towards China’s tactics of swallowing Tibet which possessed threat to India. As Savarkar is always saying that in international politics and diplomacy, borders can’t be demarcated by principles but by sword itself only. So principles has significance only if they are backed by military strength or power. India should not blindly rely on anybody and shouldn’t incautious. No country will help you without their own interest so always be watchful, vigilant and well prepared and this should be our principles in foreign policy.

 

Part 1-