Page 141 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

All the above three proposals were rejected for different
reasons. However, the main reason for rejection was that it
was interpreted that accepting these offers would amount to
colonialism. An enterprising leadership would have thought
otherwise. India is presently bearing the harsh consequences of
these decisions.
Alliance with Pakistan

In late 1950s, Field Marshall Ayub Khan, President of
Pakistan proposed an alliance with India for countering China.
India rejected the offer because in its view a socialist China could
never be a threat to India. In early 1960s, China attacked India,
and Pakistan became an ally of China. By rejecting the offer
for alliance, India lost a great opportunity for countering China,
and reconciliation with Pakistan. Perhaps, this reconciliation
could have influenced Hindu-Muslim relations in India for
the better. An enterprising leadership would have seized this
opportunity. India is presently bearing the costly consequences
of this negative decision.

India-China Trade Agreement
According to the Trade agreement, India is to export to China
mainly iron ore, organic chemicals, refined copper and cotton
yarn, and similar other raw materials; while China is to export to
India consumer goods, phones, computer material, ingredients
for pharmaceutical and chemical products, and similar other
technological products. That means India is to mostly export
raw materials to China, and import from it, finished products.
This arrangement is not very much different from the colonial
days’ arrangement between India and Britain, which was
described by Justice Ranade as exploitation of Indian resources
for the benefit of British labour and industries. No wonder that
India is having a huge trade deficit with China for many years.
India must change this arrangement by converting in India,
Indian raw material into finished goods and exporting these to
China. This will raise many industries in India and give jobs to
Indians in India, instead of to Chinese in China, which will stop
exploitation of Indian resources for creating wealth in China,
and instead boost India’s national wealth. This will make the

139 Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata