Although the conflict between China and India broke out in October 1962, the plot had been planned long earlier. Violence broke out between the forces of the two in Ladakh in 1959 as well. India had rejected China’s proposal, which called for the military units of both nations to retreat 20 kilometres on either side of the McMahon Line. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was prime minister at the time, left a legacy that Digvijay Singh continues to uphold with his latest comments.
An influential leader of the Congress party, Digvijaya Singh served as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for ten years in a row. There was a dispute regarding Kachchatheevu Island a few days ago. RTI exposed how Sri Lanka was granted the island by the Congress administration under Indira Gandhi. The matter was brought up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Digvijay Singh, nobody resides there. This reflects the same insensitivity of the Congress, followed by its leaders from Nehru to Digvijay.
This demonstrates how unconcerned the Congress Party is for the territorial integrity of India. The Modi administration has consistently worked to secure the borders of India, as evidenced by the developments in the Northeastern states under its leadership, the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the establishment of Ladakh as a separate union territory or the allocation of greater authority to the Border Security Force (BSF) in states like West Bengal and Rajasthan. On the other hand, India’s territories were occasionally taken over by China, Pakistan and even Sri Lanka during the Congress era.
Bharatiya Janata Party is putting all its might in Tamil Nadu
BJP is working hard in Tamil Nadu this time. Following an emotional gathering in Salem, where he paid respect to BJP leader Auditor Ramesh who was killed by Muslims at his house, Prime Minister Narendra Modi staged a massive roadshow in Chennai, the state’s capital. The day after the tour, meetings were held at Ramtek, Mettupalayam and Vellore. Installing the “Sengol,” the sceptre of the Chola dynasty, in the new parliament is another way that PM Modi has brought attention to Tamil Nadu’s culture on a global scale.
There is nothing new as in October 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to India and joined PM Modi at Malappuram for cultural events. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also came up with the concept for the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam in Uttar Pradesh and the Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam in Gujarat to link Tamil culture with various regions of India. BJP has united with nine regional parties in Tamil Nadu, which are not members of the DMK or AIADMK, with all of its strength, this time.
The party does not want to leave any stone unturned there which is why Tamilisai Soundararajan has to resign as governor and is contesting from Central Chennai in the Lok Sabha poll. Indeed, the Annamalai factor is also there in the state this time. The ex-IPS officer is running for office from Coimbatore and is working hard for the BJP there. It was he who filed an RTI due to which it was discovered that Katchatheevu Island was granted to Sri Lanka during the Congress administration for this reason.
Katchatheevu Island and the problem of Indian fishermen
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the matter, revealing that Indian fishermen are being apprehended whenever they approach that island. As per the agreement between the governments of Indira Gandhi and Sri Lanka, the island was given to the latter in 1974. The resolution of the maritime boundary issue between Sri Lanka and India served as the backdrop for all of this action. Moreover, Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar disclosed that during the previous 20 years, 1175 boats had been seized in addition to 6184 Indian fishermen who had been arrested.
There is a fishing method used in India where a net is submerged in the water, the fish enter it and the water is filtered. Nonetheless, in 2017 Sri Lanka outlawed the same. It was claimed that Indian fishermen were depleting marine resources and were allegedly destroying marine life. Katchatheevu Island is likewise not being used by Sri Lanka either. According to the Sri Lankan think tank “PathFinder” this topic has been stirred up for electoral gains in India.
The statistics on fisherman’s arrests, however, indicate our fishermen would have profited if the island had stayed in India. Indira Gandhi stated that it was improper to raise the topic of this island and advocated better relations between the two nations. Do you know what they believed? Indira Gandhi considered the island to be just a stone, with no strategic importance. However, at that time Indian fishermen were allowed to stay on the island and dry their nets in the sun as well as rest there.
However, in 1976, a new deal was struck, guaranteeing that Indian fishermen would also lose this privilege going forward. A new issue has emerged for the fishermen because there is just a 12-kilometre distance between Talaimannar, Sri Lanka and India’s Rameswaram. Their livelihood rested on it for centuries. The navy assaulted boats indiscriminately during the Sri Lankan Civil War and targeted Indian fishermen. The Indian fishermen were also attacked by Sri Lankan fishermen and the insurgent group LTTE in the meantime.
Digvijaya Singh’s statement is further extending Nehru’s legacy
Digvijaya Singh is a candidate running for the Lok Sabha from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh. They are taking out “Vada Nibhao Yatra” (Fulfill the promises movement) in their area. Digvijaya Singh won this seat in 1984 and 1991. He has been an MLA from Raghogarh four times which also falls in this constituency. His son Jaivardhan Singh has been the MLA from here for the last 3 terms. He has also been an MLA once from Chachaura. He is now serving his second consecutive term as a Rajya Sabha MP. Laxman Singh, his brother, has won five straight terms from the Rajgarh seat and is also an MLA from Chachaura. He was also elected as an MLA from Raghogarh twice.
Digvijaya Singh has also been one of the closest advisers of the Gandhi family. In response to a query regarding the Katchatheevu Island, he alleged, “Listen to me. Does anyone live there? I want to ask you.” He began claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was speaking in vain when the issue of fishermen was mentioned. Shehzad Poonawala, the BJP spokesperson, described the statement as a representation of Nehru mentality because the late prime minister alleged that “not even a blade of grass grows there” about Aksai Chin.
#WATCH | BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, "Today, the remarks of Digvijaya Singh show the mindset of Congress, that they always put family first, not nation first. That they always think that the country's territory is the private property of one family. Therefore, with this… https://t.co/yGpgzw0Yvq pic.twitter.com/6WSf0cmU6U
— ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2024
Congress leaders, according to the BJP, prioritize their families before the nation. Shahjad Poonawala charged that Rahul Gandhi and A Raja argue that India is not a nation but rather a group of independent states and that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge believes that Jammu and Kashmir should not discussed in Rajasthan. The BJP further accused the current I.N.D.I. Alliance partner DMK to be complicit in the Congress’ actions then. Chief Minister Karunanidhi led Tamil Nadu’s government in 1974.
Jawaharlal Nehru had shown a similar mentality regarding Aksai Chin
Jawaharlal Nehru justified China’s takeover of Aksai Chin. He was an admirer of China. After visiting China and raising the banner “Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai” along with giving up India’s place on the United Nations Security Council, he only encountered hostility and war in exchange. Nehru was also frequently abused by China, which labelled him as a British-American servant. China continued to warn India over Tibet and Bhutan, but the Congress government disregarded all of it.
On 8th December 1959, Jawaharlal Nehru declared in Parliament that he was unsure of India’s frontiers. It is not as if the Indian army was doing nothing. When Kumaon Regiment Lieutenant Colonel RS Basera and Havildar Diwan Singh joined a group of yak herders early in 1957, they learned that China was constructing roads in Aksai Chin. Jawaharlal Nehru remained undaunted in the face of this classified report’s emergence.
Furthermore, India permitted China to take an extremely aggressive stance towards Tibet. Tibet believed that Nehru, a “chogyal” (king) would provide solutions to its difficulties. The Indian Air Force was regarded as more powerful than the Chinese Air Force at the time. The Chinese army could easily cross into India by constructing new highways. History illustrates how Congress harmed our borders and demonstrated little concern for the integrity of the nation from Jawaharlal Nehru Nehru to Diggi Raja.
Borders secured in Modi government, developmental work from North-East to Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently maintained that India’s border villages need to be referred to as the “first village” rather than the “last village.” Modern highways are being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh, India using indigenous technology. Works on the Sela Tunnel and the LGG-Damteng-Yangtse route are still in progress. Recently, 6000 crores were set aside to build a 1748-kilometre two-lane highway along the border between China, Myanmar, Tibet and India.
In August 2023, it was discovered that India had built 343 km of roads in Uttarakhand, 553 km in Ladakh and 507 km in Arunachal Pradesh. Such tunnels are being developed in large numbers with all-weather accessibility. In states with international borders, the BSF’s arrest, seizure and search authorities have been extended to 50 kilometres. Congress was against it as well.
