The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Bengaluru):In an exclusive interview on the Virat Hindustan Sangam YouTube channel’s program “Gyan Ganga, Words of Wisdom,” Dr. Swamy alleged that China has exploited the lack of a strong response from the Indian political leadership to make incursions and occupy Indian territory in recent years, particularly in the sensitive regions of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
“China has moved and they moved into vast areas of India’s undisputed territory. It’s roughly estimated that about 4,067 square kilometers of land has been gobbled up by China,” Dr. Swamy claimed in the interview. He questioned the silence of the Indian government on this matter.
Dr. Swamy speculated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reticence to speak frankly about the border situation may stem from a fear of retaliatory action by China.
Quelling concerns about India’s military preparedness, the former Harvard professor asserted that the Indian army is fully capable and eager to take on their Chinese counterparts to defend India’s territorial integrity. “Our army, if they are given a free hand, will teach the Chinese a lesson,” he stated confidently on the program.
Dr. Swamy cited past instances when the Indian army successfully repelled Chinese aggression when allowed to act, such as in Nathu La in 1967 and Sumdorong Chu valley in 1987. “Twice when the Indian army was given free hand to deal with the Chinese in high mountain areas, they fought and pushed the Chinese back into China,” he recounted during the interview.
On the potential of Pakistan coming to China’s aid in the event of an India-China conflict, Dr. Swamy downplayed the threat. “Pakistan is in no position to do anything. The only thing Pakistan has to preserve is that it doesn’t break into four,” he quipped, adding, “This Pakistan bogey is uncalled for.”
He emphasized the logistical advantage that India enjoys in the border regions and expressed confidence in garnering Western support if India were to militarily engage China. “The entire logistics is in favor of us… If India fights, the weaponry that we need will come very fast from the Western world,” he predicted on Gyan Ganga.
Turning to the ongoing protests in Ladakh against Chinese incursions, Dr. Swamy expressed his wholehearted support for the peaceful agitation led by activist Sonam Wangchuk. He criticized the government clampdown on the movement, calling the imposition of Section 144 and internet restrictions “totally unwarranted.”
“Their satyagraha should continue. They should not be afraid… If there’s any misbehavior, we will take it up in the court of law to get them full protection,” Dr. Swamy assured the protesters during the discussion. He plans to visit Ladakh himself in support of the movement once the weather improves, he revealed on the program.
On the economic front, Dr. Swamy, a noted economist, argued that India has the potential to overtake China if the right policies are adopted. “India can overtake China within a matter of four years if we change our policy,” he stated on Virat Hindustan Sangam’s platform, citing how economic liberalization in the 1990s had accelerated India’s growth rate from the anemic “Hindu rate of growth” of the prior decades.
He sees the current economic flux as an opportune moment for India to take on China. “The Chinese economy is in a much worse position than India is… This is an ideal time for India to retaliate against China,” he said during the interview. He also highlighted India’s competitive labor costs and skilled workforce as key advantages that could attract multinational companies to shift operations from China to India, provided the government streamlines regulations.
Dr. Swamy’s prescription for India to come out ahead in the faceoff with China is multipronged, as outlined in his Gyan Ganga interaction. He calls for the political leadership to be forthright with the public about the ground realities at the border. “Why is it that in the RTI the government of India refused to tell us how much land the Chinese have occupied? If you are being blackmailed by the Chinese, please tell us why,” he demanded on the show.
He advocates providing the armed forces necessary operational freedom to counter Chinese aggression, while also extending full support to citizen-led protest movements against Chinese incursions. On the economic policy front, he emphasizes the need to create a conducive environment to attract businesses looking to relocate from China.
Summing up, Dr. Swamy exhorted during the interview, “We must get the Chinese out and push them back. This should be our attitude… It may take 10 years, 20 years, don’t care… If we don’t win this year, we’ll win next year. If we don’t win next year, we’ll win 10 years from now. But we will not give up.”
As India navigates this critical juncture in its relations with China, Dr. Swamy’s analysis, as presented on Virat Hindustan Sangam’s Gyan Ganga program, offers a strategic framework for the country to proactively engage with the challenge posed by its powerful neighbor. His call for a calibrated assertion of India’s national interests is likely to resonate with a domestic constituency concerned about Chinese expansionism, even as policymakers weigh the diplomatic and economic costs of a more confrontational stance.
