BJP taking jingoistic stand on ties with China, Pak: CPI(M)

CPI(M) today accused BJP of taking "regressive and jingoistic" stand on several foreign policy issues and for rousing "chauvinist" feelings to create confrontation with Pakistan and China.
"The thrust of the BJP's stand is to create a confrontation with Pakistan and China and to rouse national chauvinist feelings against these two countries," party General Secretary Prakash Karat said.
Charging the main opposition party with "taking a series of regressive and jingoistic positions on foreign policy issues and on relations with our neighbouring countries", he said "we cannot find any criticism of the Manmohan Singh government's pro-US foreign policy positions."
BJP "still stands for what the late (National Security Advisor) Brajesh Mishra termed as the US-Israel-India axis. It is this reactionary world view that informs the BJP's foreign policy outlook which goes against India's anti-imperialist traditions and that is contrary to an independent and non- aligned foreign policy," Karat said in an article in the latest issue of CPI(M) organ 'People's Democracy'.

On Pakistan, he said BJP's views "stem from a narrow world view in which confrontation and conflicts with neighbours is sought to be fanned. They also emanate from a Hindutva ideological outlook which needs to see Pakistan as an enemy state and to paint China as a perpetual aggressor."
Noting that BJP was aware of the steps taken by New Delhi and Beijing over two decades to settle border dispute and maintain peace, he said during NDA rule, the Joint Working Group on border dispute was set up in 1988 and in 2003, the Vajpayee government appointed Special Representatives with the political mandate to steer the negotiations.

"But instead of pressing for (this process) to go ahead, the BJP prefers to rouse jingoistic passions. It echoes its mentor, the RSS, whose paper, the Organiser, is filled with anti-China venom and calls for a halt to trade with China and ban on all goods to be imported from China," Karat said.
On Bangladesh, he said BJP's posture only helped "anti- India elements" there, whose positions were then utilised "to further whip up anti-Bangladesh feelings.