India’s Rightly Places Restrictions on Confucius Institutes
Since 2017 the Chinese have been very angry with India for not joining their Belt & Road initiative. Non participation by India led to many others also rejecting the proposal. Then came the Doklam Stand off, where again China had to back down. So in order to pressurize India, the Chinese decided to raise tension on the LAC once again. The game plan was to carry out further expansion across the LAC in Ladhak. The Game Plan was that once their multiple intrusions across the LAC was detected then there would be a natural uproar from the India side. However after a bit of “ pushing and shoving “ some of their intrusion would get accepted thus adding to their prestige along with territory. Soon things would get back to normal and there would be business as usual.
However 16 BIHAR upset the Chinese game plan and now there cannot be business as usual. In fact India has decided not to have any business with China and has commenced the decoupling process. So after the Galwan Valley clash on June 15, the slide in China-India relations has not been eased despite rounds of talks and consultations through diplomatic and military channels. Instead, China-India economic relations are deteriorating at a rapid rate.
During the Galwan Valley clash, China had blatantly violated the bilateral agreement on the Line of Actual Control. This planned attack by China has affected the stability and development of bilateral relations. Realizing their blunder after suffering over 90 casualties, China has kept a relatively low profile and Chinese media has not reported much on the clash. This is mainly because China wants to save somehow and also continue doing the highly profitable business with India.
But as the perpetrator, China remains unrepentant and continues to create problems and escalate tensions in bilateral relations by supporting Pakistan over Kashmir issues, staking claim over parts of Ladhak and whole of Arunachal and by suppressing the freedom of the Tibetan people. India has now decided to delink economically and has taken measures to ban Chinese apps. We cannot have bilateral disputes at the border where our men get killed and at the same time continue economic and trade relationship.
Next on the delink process the Confucius Institutes operating in India in one form or the other. India’s education ministry has decided to review the Confucius Institutes and “Confucius classrooms” in association with seven local colleges and universities. Chinese should know that they cannot get away after attacking our Army at the LAC and then expect people-to-people exchanges. By attacking and killing our men they have made every Indian equally angry and thus they have destroyed the foundation of China-India relations.
For decades, India has made huge efforts to maintain the stability and development of bilateral relations. Scholars and officials on both sides proposed and worked hard promoting economic cooperation and cultural exchanges while negotiating the boundary dispute, hoping to seek a consensus and create common interests through the incremental development in various areas. The leaders of the two countries have had in-depth exchanges on the great changes in the world and how to realize the rejuvenation of the two ancient Asian civilizations.
However by their blood thirsty attack on Indian troops at Galwan, the Chinese have dropped their mask and revealed true face. India’s recent policies toward China has now changed completely. We will not work in silos anymore and thus aid the Chinese game plan. India has decided to decouple from China both economically and Socially. Chinese apps, Chinese companies and Chinese investments in India along with the idea of economic cooperation have been shown the door. Also their will be no people to people exchanges any more.
Unlike 1962, India is now fully prepared to not only halt Chinese advances across the entire length of the LAC but now has the capability to take the battle deep into Tibet. A free Tibetan enclave inside Tibet will be ideal place for the Tibetan Govt in Exile to operate from. Though war for either countries will be very harmful not only for them but the entire world.
India’s restrictions on cultural exchanges are not narrow mentality but a message to China that henceforth there will be no business as usual. We too have realized that any thing which is part of China cannot be taken at face value. The Confucius Institute may be just a Chinese language education institution or a propaganda tool who knows? In any case there is going to be no people to people relationship. In India all religions co-exist and they have all the freedom provided within the Indian Constitution. Indian society is totally open and not closed and restrictive like Communist China.
For bilateral relationship to restart once again, China has to sit down with India and negotiate the Indo Tibetan Border right along the Himalayas. The boundary thereafter needs to be marked on maps, authenticated and maps exchanged. Next the boundary has to be marked physically on the ground and protocol established so that it is not violated. Only then we can think of restarting our bilateral relationship in economic, Scientific, Social and Cultural fields.
