Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing
The sky is murky, the dusk was on the verge of its plummet; at the same historical Tiananmen Square of Beijing City, a young man was selling Mao caps. Because of the wide range in the long shot, the memorable palace of the Ming Dynasty (built in the year 1420) is visible. We three Indian journalists looking at some of the army men standing like a stone sculpture in military clothing, similar to the red-clothed spearman sentry at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was in 2014 when Narendra Modi had just become the Prime Minister and was here as a member of the Indian News media representative team with then Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Even today, the China administration calls the palace and the area “national”. But the Chinese officers not seemed much interested in bringing us to the gate of the Imperial City. However, after many requests and solicitation, he finally agreed.
Liason officer Mrs. Chung Wao had accompanied us and had said she would take us all to the Forbidden City the following day.
The Chinese Army was gearing up to perform a brief military parade, to pay tributes to Mao and this would be worth a watch.
None of the soldiers responded to me when I tried to speak with them. It was then, when Mrs. Chung Wao, in a slight exasperated pitch said, “They’re now on duty and are hence getting annoyed."
Later on, an Indian journalist inhabiting in Beijing said, “Out there, there are many Chinese spies”.
Tranquility prevailed all around, the highway is at a distance. This region is like a lofty valley. The arrays of cars were visible from here and the Chinese soldiers were patrolling right behind the wall. A tall stone pillar, similar to the statue of a dragon stood there. The Phoenix was right behind it. Outside the first entrance, there were two lion statues. According to the age-old belief of the Chinese, the lions protect people from evil power.
This is the same premises where the Chinese students had protested in 1989. Even today, the incident is being remembered as the 'movement of democracy of 1989'. The exact count of casualties in the incident is still unknown.
I could see a red flag fluttering high atop the palace with a hazy picture of Mao in his well-known attire.
At that moment, I felt China is interested in being friends with India. Days later, Chinese President Xi Jinping had come to India and had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Now, however, it is pretty obvious that China did not change its maneuver. From 1962 to till present, China could not alter its aggressive mindset towards India.
Once, China’s war specialist Sun Lu had stated that in order to defeat the enemy, it is essential to know them properly. Hence, whatever China proposes, it doesn’t perform the same - much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde conflict.
The relation between India and China is ancient.
Writer Shankar in his book wrote, “Amader Chin Charcha” (Our China Discussion)."
In the beginning, he stated - "so near, yet so far away. This is what our relationship with China is. Still from the past two to two-and-a-half years, whatever exchange occurred between the two countries has astonished the world."
Quite a number of times I’ve been to China, sometimes with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, sometimes with Manmohan Singh.
Despite paying so many visits, I’ve never been able to understand China’s psychology. Probably in the entire world, China since ages wants to become the chief central character and because of this reason, even in this modern world, China wants to move forward with new expansionism.
Nearly a hundred years ago from today, a son of Bengal Kedarnath Bandopadhay had gone to Beijing for government work, at the beginning of the 20th century.
Today after loot at China’s aggression and their attempt to change the actual line of control in Aksai Chin, I am thinking if I even understand China’s psychology?
China may have been under attack many times in the past and hence, has turned so aggressive today. Soviet’s Red Army intruded China and took occupancy. Japan made China miserable. Whereas China in the year 1962, except for attacking India and once in Vietnam did not get into wars. Nobody attacked China post-1947.
I’ve once been to Shanghai. The share market there is also extremely popular today.
For China, Shanghai is a subject of extreme matter of praise. Shanghai’s Business newspaper, electronic channels offices are worth a watch.
But, as a journalist, it is tough to roam around freely in China. In Socialistic China, the hotel I stayed at was named “Park Shanghai”.
At the time of the revolution, this hotel was said to be by the side of the revolutionaries. Although during that time, this hotel was much smaller. Today it is a huge five-star hotel.
This is the economy of the socialistic market. Even the nongovernmental businessmen are under the control of the party.
Just opposite to Tiananmen Square was the Mao’s memorial.
Even today, foreigners stand in the queue to look at Mao’s dead body. This memorial was built in the year 1976, after Mao’s demise.
Surprisingly, till the date of his death, he remained the chairman of the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission.
Today China will not be able to spare itself if the world economy crashes, and that is all due to the adverse effects of coronavirus.
Most of the countries may also be wishing to isolate China because of coronavirus.
