‘China Gurus, Chindia': Jaishankar slams Rahul, Jairam in Rajya Sabha – spent 41 years in foreign services

Mint

21 hours ago

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday slammed at the Opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha, taking a dig at 'China Guru' Jairam Ramesh, and other Congress leaders who often raise issues about the relationship between India and its neighbours.
Jaishankar was speaking in the Rajya Sabha, commencing the debate on Operation Sindoor.
"I have spent 41 years in the Foreign Service, only been the longest-serving Ambassador, but there are 'China Gurus'. One of them is the member sitting in front of me (Jairam Ramesh), whose affection for China is so great, 'unhone ek sandhi bana li thi India aur China ki, Chindia' (they have conjoined India and China, Chindia)," Jaishankar said during his address in Parliament.
Continuing his jibe, Jaishankar said that while he may lack knowledge about China, he did not learn about the country through Olympics, unlike others who took "private tuitions" at the home of the Chinese Ambassador.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh used the word 'Chindia' in his 2007 book Making Sense of Chindia: Reflections on China and India.
The EAM's remarks during the discussion on Operation Sindoor were met bylaughter from the treasury benches sitting behind him, followed by loud protests from the Opposition benches.
"I may lack knowledge about China because I did not learn about China through the Olympics, no one called me, I was not a special person. Some people gained their knowledge of China during their visit to the Olympics. Let's not discuss who they met or what they signed. They also took private tuitions at their homes from the Chinese Ambassador," Jaishankar continued.
Jaishankar detailed the history of collaboration between the two nations. He mentioned the 1966 plan for the India-Pakistan Karokoram highway and nuclear collaboration in 1976, among other things, all of which happened during Congress-led governments.
"'China Gurus' say that Pakistan and China have close ties, that is true. But how did they come close? What is the reason? It was because in the middle we had left PoK. This issue has been happening since 1962 and 1963 (since India-China war) Karokoram highway's planning started in 1966 and finished in 1986. You know who's government was there.whrn Nuclear collaboration happened in 1976?" he stated.
"In 1980, when India's PM was going to Pakistan and saying a deal would happen, the talks between China and Pakistan were going on. However, saying that these ties developed overnight means they were sleeping during the history class," he added.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has repeatedly criticised the Centre over the handling of its relationship with China. The Congress leader had in March also demanded a debate on the issue.
More recently, on July 4, the Congress leader also told ANI that there was "China's influence over Pakistan's Air Force," while India and Pakistan had become increasingly hostile in May after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
"Today, it is proven that we were not fighting Pakistani Air Force, this was with China. China has totally captured the Pakistani Air Force. That is why Congress is repeatedly demanding a discussion on it. For five years, we have been asking; when the situation was bad and the PM also gave a clean chit to China that no one has come in and is sitting on our land," Jairam Ramesh said.
EAM Jaishankar also mentioned during his speech that Indian diplomacy had succeeded in getting the UNSC Monitoring Team to accept that the Resistance Front (TRF) is a terrorist entity.
He highlighted the UNSC report and said that in the last decade, Indian diplomacy with regard to terrorism has seen a huge leap.