BJP TODAY

September 16--30, 2004 - Vol. 13, No. 18

Atalji Greets Deng Xiaoping on his centenary

(The People's Daily of China sought Shri Atalji's views on Deng Xiaoping, since, as India's External Affairs Minister, he was the first Indian leader to have had an official interaction with the Chinese leader in 1979. We reproduce here his tribute published in the Chinese daily.)

I pay tribute to Deng Xiaoping on his birth centenary on August 22, which is celebrated by the Chinese people in grateful remembrance of their beloved leader. He was the Architect of Modern China. But he was also one of the important personalities who reshaped the content and contours of international relations in the closing decades of the 20th century.

I have pleasant memories of my meeting with Deng Xiaoping in Beijing during my visit to China in 1979 as India's External Affairs Minister. It was the first high?level political contact between our two countries after many years. The unfortunate military conflict between India and China in 1962, caused by the border dispute, had left a scar on the centuries old affinity between the two great nations of Asia and the world.

I called on him in the Great Hall of People on February 19. 1 must say that the genuine warmth with which Deng Xiaoping received me ? and I believe that I too reciprocated that warmth in equal measure ? helped in overcoming the psychological barrier and looking forward with optimism to a positive new chapter in our bilateral relations.

My first impression of Deng Xiaoping was how strongly built he was. The greatness of his vision was apparent in the words he spoke: "We do have some issues on which we are far apart. We should put those on the side for the moment and do some actual work to improve the climate to go about the problem. Our two countries are the two most populous countries in the world, and we are both Asian countries. How can we not be friends?"

Later in December 1982, when a delegation from the Indian Council for Social Sciences Research called on him in Beijing, Deng Xiaoping referred to our meeting and put forth his pragmatic view on how the longstanding border problem between our two countries could be settled, "When I met your former foreign minister in 1979, 1 put forward a ' ' package solution" to the problem. If both countries make some concessions, it will be settled .... The problem between China and India is not a serious one. Neither country poses a threat to the other. The problem we have is simply about the border. Both countries should make an effort to restore the friendship that existed between them in the 1950s. As long as we go about it in a reasonable way, I think it will be easy for us to settle our border question. Because this question has a long history, you have to take into account the feelings of your people, and we also have to take into account the feelings of our people. But if the two sides agree to the "package solution', they should be able to convince their people."

The hope that both Deng Xiaoping and I shared has since been vindicated by the slow but steady progress in India?China relations. An important landmark in this journey was Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's path?breaking visit to China in December 1988 and his cordial and fruitful meeting with Deng Xiaoping.

Our two countries have since then traveled a fair distance along the road of improved bilateral relations,, including making progress in the talks on the border issue. This was evident in the fruitful outcome of my visit to China in June 2003. The institutionalized mechanism for putting our bilateral dialogue on the border issue on a fast?track, which our two countries agreed in Beijing, has already begun to work. Our bilateral trade and economic cooperation also has witnessed an impressive growth, confirming our shared belief that, as two great and resourceful neighbours, India and China have much to gain by harnessing the synergies in our economies.

Two things impressed me during my visit to China last year, and both had an imprint of Deng Xiaoping. Firstly, I could see the pragmatic and forward?looking approach of the new leadership of China, represented by President Mr. Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Mr. Wen Jiabao. Secondly, the astounding progress China has made on the economic front since my first visit in 1979. 1 believe that China's progress in various fields, and especially her success in lifting a large section of population from the clutches of underdevelopment within a short time, represent the progress of mankind. History will remember Deng Xiaoping for guiding this achievement.