After Nehruji, the biggest role any Indian played in propping up China and Chinese Communist Party(CCP) was Sonia. As we all know, India and China have now become eternal enemies. But it is also an irony China and CCP got support from an expected quarter i.e. India under leadership of Sonia. How?

Vajpayeeji got voted out and Congress got voted to power in 2004. Though Dr. Singh was the PM, the real power lay in hands of Sonia Gandhi. What happens now during 2004-14 is interesting:

  1. Trade deficit with China: “Trade Deficit” = “Value(in $) of items imported from China – Value(in $)of items exported to China”. From 1950-2004 the trade deficit with China was very marginal and has almost seen 0% growth, at times it was negative. India exported nearly the same amount of goods that it imported from China. But come 2004, the trade deficit starts skyrocketing. Chinese goods start swarming Indian markets. Many Indian industries (one such example the micro industries making lamps) vanish. Chinese forex reserves stand today at ~2 trillion USD. By my estimates, one third of this amount has gone from India. And not to mention, the money made by Chinese Industries, No. of billionaires in China skyrocketed due to the money from India. I don’t think the Chinese goods flooding the Indian market from 2005 is not a “mere” coincidence. At such large level nothing happens “coincidently”. And, to add, the slope of trade deficit becomes negative first in 2019.
  2. Chinese Blue water Naval expansion in Indian Ocean Region(IOR): For any country to be influential, it needs a Navy and hence it is no coincidence that the Cholas, Ottomans, British and now the Americans always kept a potent navy. And right from Chola days, the world understood the importance of IOR as a critical trading rate. And that’s why whoever ruled the sub continent kept control on IOR (Cholas, Mughals and British alike). India will be dead fish without control in IOR. And coming back, Chinese put the “String of Pearls” strategy to establish critical/strategic naval bases in IOR. And all these happened in this period(2004-14). For e.g. SriLanka started construction of Hambantota port at its southern tip taking loans from China. Srilanka was unable to pay loans and hence, the port was leased to China for 99 years. China can possibly put naval ships hardly 400-500 kms from Tamil Nadu. Second, in the same time a staunch pro-chinese govt. gets elected in Maldives (a very important position in IOR). China here also gives loans to build infrastructure, Maldives is unable to pay it back. Also, China to is now entrenched in Dijobti (Africa), Chittangong (Bangladesh). All these happened in this period. India did little, In other words it let china encircle India in IOR. After 2014, India has been able to move the countries(like Maldives) in IOR away from China’s orbit to some extent but the damage is done and will take very long time to heal. Indian cannot underestimate the threat posed by the submarines and Navy ships of a hostile country like China in Sri Lanka just few hundred miles away.
  3. Chinese Influence on Nepal: India has a roti-beti and deep cultural relationship with Nepal. Mother Sita was a Nepali. The musk for Lord Jagannath in Puri is sent by Nepal King and Nepal King is the only king apart from king of Puri who is allowed to enter the Jagannath temple under his own royal umbrella. Hence, there is no doubt how deep the Indo-Nepal ties go. Around 2008-09, the pro-India monarchy is abolished, Nepal ceases to be a Hindu country, and eventually pro-Chinese communist party grabs to power in Nepal. Not to mention, every one understands the how Nepal is strategically important for India.
  4. The MoU signed between Gandhis and CCP: The Gandhis and CCP signed a secret MoU during 2009. The terms are not known, but I am sure the MoU would not have been in India’s interest.
  5. Corruption: This breaks a country and makes it weak. We all know of the great scams that occured during the period. Even the houses built for soldiers’ widows and coffins were not spared. It is seen else where that China typically props up the corrupt forces (for e.g. Pak Army, Myanmar Army, Laos) with whom the China/CCP can make its murky deals. It is fortunate for India that Modiji got voted to power in 2014 and he mercilessly attacked all the corrupt ecosystems that the Gandhis had built over decades.

It is important that we understand the true face of the Gandhis.

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