Page 203 - DHIS204_DHIS205_INDIAN_FREEDOM_STRUGGLE_HINDI

Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.)

Notes • China on 1st January 1950. Nehru had great hopes that the two countries with their common
experience of suffering at the hands of colonial powers and common problems of poverty
and underdevelopment would join hands to give Asia its due place in the world. Nehru
pressed for representation for Communist China in the UN Security Council, did not support
the US position in the Korean war, and tried his best to bring about a settlement in Korea. In
1950, when China, occupied Tibet, India was unhappy that it had not been taken into
confidence, but did not question China’s rights over Tibet since at many times in Chinese
history Tibet had been subjugated by China. In 1954, India and China signed a treaty in
which India recognized China’s rights over Tibet and the two countries agreed to be governed
in their mutual relations by the principles of Panch Sheel. Differences over border delineation
were discussed at this time but China maintained that it had not yet studied the old
Kuomintang maps and these could be sorted out later.
• India took a long time to recover from the blow to its self-respect, and perhaps it was only the
victory over Pakistan in the Bangladesh war, in which China and the US were also supporting
Pakistan, that restored the sense of self-worth. Nehru never really recovered from the blow,
and his death in May 1964 was most likely hastened by it. Worse, at the pinnacle of his
outstanding career, he had to face attacks from political opponents who would never have
dared otherwise.
• Thus, the causes of the 1962 attack were related more to China’s own compulsions, that to
anything that Nehru or India did or could have done. Not being able to get the recognition
of the US, a UN seat, leadership of Afro-Asia, Soviet support on the nuclear issue or the
border dispute with India, a leftward turn took place in Chinese politics. By humiliating
India, it wanted to show that India’s policy of peace and non-alignment was not feasible.
Nor was the Soviet policy of peaceful coexistence. India would leave the policy of non-
alignment under pressure and other countries of Asia and Africa would follow the Chinese
lead. Thus, the cause of the Indian military humiliation could not be reduced to Indian
foreign policy failure. It could ‘only be characterized as one of those unforseeable random
events of history.

12.4 Key-Words
1. Formosa : Later Taiwan
2. Dabacle of India : A voilent disruption, a great disaster, a complete failure.

12.5 Review Questions

1. Discuss the Border Conflict with China.
2. Write the effect of the 1962 Chinese attack.
Answers: Self-Assessment
1. India 2. 1950 3. 1959 4. Kongka Pass 5. Thirteen

12.6 Further Readings

1. V.D. Mahajan, History of Modern India, S. Chand and Co. Ltd. New Delhi.
2. Chandra, Bipin, India’s Struggle for Freedom (1857–1947) Penguin, Delhi, 1996.

198 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY