RSS endorses New Delhi’s snub to Beijing’s trade route project

NEW DELHI : Narendra Modi government’s decision to boycott the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) forum and the terse message to Beijing that “no country can accept a project that ignores its core concern on sovereignty ” has been endorsed by BJP’s mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“Sovereignty and the honour of the nation are equally important; the government asserting this (by boycotting OBOR) is a good move,” a senior functionary of the Sangh told HT.

The RSS has been pushing the BJP to adopt an assertive policy towards China. While it applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to build bridges with the neighbour, it has recently begun advocating a shift in engagement.To begin with, it wants the Centre to stonewall China’s efforts to dictate terms on how India should engage with the Dalai Lama and rebuff any claims it makes on Arunachal Pradesh.

In line with the Sangh’s new posture on relations with China, the Muslim wing of the RSS, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, last week passed a resolution demanding that India should get control of Kailash Mansarovar, a Hindu pilgrimage site in Tibet. According to sources, the Sangh conveyed to the government the need to respond to the Chinese “provocation” by tweaking the current level of economic commitment. It pushed for boycotting Chinese goods. At a meeting of its highest decision making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha in Coimbatore in March, it called for revisiting economic and diplomatic ties, especially in the wake of Beijing not supporting India’s move to impose a UN ban on Pak-based JeM chief Masood Azhar, blocking New Delhi’s bid to join the Nuclear Supplier’s Group and pursuing business interests through CPEC.

The Sangh’s economic wing, the Swadesh Jagran Manch (SJM), has initiated a campaign to boycott Chinese goods and recently submitted a memorandum to Modi to enact a ‘Buy Bharatiya Act’ which would make it mandatory for government departments to purchase only goods produced in India.

“The trade deficit with China had reached $52.7 billion in 2015-16, which was 41% of our total trade deficit ($130 billion ). Even after enjoying enormous advantage from huge Bhartiya (Indian) market, China has been consistently keeping a sense of enmity with India…” the SJM memorandum said.