THREAD: Referenced in the Indian defence minister's interview today, here's spring 1998 iview w/ India DefMin George Fernandes, where he was v blunt (& prescient) abt China.
Q: China is potential danger no. 1?
A: Potential threat no. 1, shall we say.
1/
Q: China is potential danger no. 1?
A: Potential threat no. 1, shall we say.
1/
1998. Def Min Fernandes: there's reluctance to face the reality that China’s intentions need to be questioned..
Q: What is this reluctance due to?
A: ..primarily rooted in having to face the challenges which accepting this situation or this reality will kind of confront u with 2/
Q: What is this reluctance due to?
A: ..primarily rooted in having to face the challenges which accepting this situation or this reality will kind of confront u with 2/
In the 1998, Fernandes agreed that "Chinese military activities are beginning to encircle India." Mentioned:
- nukes, Sukhois, elongated airfields in Tibet,
- nuclear, missile know-how to Pak
- training Burmese military
- Coco Isl facilities
- Harbor construction in Burma 3/
- nukes, Sukhois, elongated airfields in Tibet,
- nuclear, missile know-how to Pak
- training Burmese military
- Coco Isl facilities
- Harbor construction in Burma 3/
Indian defence minister George Fernandes in 1998: "& there is no doubt in my mind, and I don’t think anybody in the world has any doubt that #China’s fast expanding navy, which will be biggest #navy in this part of the world, will be getting into the #IndianOcean fairly soon" 4/
Fernandes, 1998 re dialogue w/ China: "all discussions can be conducted even while you are prepared to face any eventuality. And what I am pleading, and what I’ve been pleading over these many years is, that we should be prepared for any eventuality." 5/
Indian Defence Min George Fernandes's 1998 interview gave rise to the idea he said China was India's enemy no. 1. He was actually careful abt that & said it was "potential threat no. 1"
[my fav bit of this is David Dhawan/Govinda influence: Hero No. 1 = '97 Bollywood film] 7/
[my fav bit of this is David Dhawan/Govinda influence: Hero No. 1 = '97 Bollywood film] 7/
This 🚨 exchange in the May 3, 1998 interview w/ the Indian defence min. perhaps got lost cuz of his China comments.
Thapar: Wld this tough decision…this national sacrifice possibly include actually making a set of nuclear bombs?
Fernandes: Well, if it comes to that, yes. 8/
Thapar: Wld this tough decision…this national sacrifice possibly include actually making a set of nuclear bombs?
Fernandes: Well, if it comes to that, yes. 8/
AP cited TOI that PM Vajpayee "perturbed over his defence minister's comments as India and China are in the process of strengthening their ties"
And for all their anti-Chinaness & urging GoI to be blunt now, the Indian newspapers chided Fernandes for his China comments too 9/
And for all their anti-Chinaness & urging GoI to be blunt now, the Indian newspapers chided Fernandes for his China comments too 9/
Manoj Joshi, now at ORF, wrote in May '98 in @IndiaToday re context for & blowback to DefMin George Fernandes's blunt China stmts
+ had this: "many...charge Washington with fanning anti-Chinese sentiments & using India as a cat's paw to check Beijing" 10/
indiatoday.in/magazine/cover…
+ had this: "many...charge Washington with fanning anti-Chinese sentiments & using India as a cat's paw to check Beijing" 10/
indiatoday.in/magazine/cover…
Joshi '98 re reax: "views of the experts notwithstanding, there is a body of opinion that believes Fernandes may be articulating the 'silent majority's' views on nat'l sec. As one official put it, 'many of our commentators are busy finding a rationale for China's policies'" 11/
