Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India is rightly saying ‘No’ to CPEC' that was published in Newsband

India is rightly saying ‘No’ to CPEC

A senior Pakistani General suggested that India should shun its “enmity” with Pakistan and join the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, the Chinese foreign ministry has called the offer a “goodwill gesture”, exhorting India to take it up. India has opposed the project, since it runs through disputed territory. The offer to India was made along with offers to other “neighbouring countries”.

There is absolutely no need of India joining CPEC. Pak is not going to get any technology from China. It will act as a porter that will completely benefit China. Also China is a party of Paris Climate and wants to clear off its coal to new Pak coal based power plants that is part of CPEC. International monitoring says that Pak will soon reach 400 m population with 65% illiterates. Pak is more concerned about that and to make them engaged with job of providing labor to this project will help them. But India on the other hand is emerging and seen as technology power with more R&D moving to India, big start-ups and has enormous confidence with top GDP. Pak in contrast is still sliding with Saudi, US and now China. So let us not draw a line but protest the project which goes through POK.

India does not need CPEC. All we need is develop our infrastructure at very fast pace. This is an attempt by China to undermine Indo-US relations. As far as we are concerned we consider Pakistan as an evil empire. We know what China is and what Chinese people are, and what their role in the world is. At the moment we are seriously concerned about Sino-Pakistan relations as they want to achieve superiority in the region.

India should not join CPEC due to following reasons: a) CPEC passes through illegally disputed regions of Gilgit and Baltistan, b) CPEC has been planned to provide connectivity to Kashghar region of China, c) In order to develop India's trade & Investment in Afghanistan & adjoining countries of Central Asia, India is already working with Iran on Chabahar port. As such CPEC not at all in India's interest.

The CPEC is the greatest threat to India's existence - hence India's violent objection. Its success alone would most certainly secure victory for Pakistan without a single bullet being fired. It is therefore natural for every single Indian to throw their kitchen sink or toilet bowl at CPEC to hopefully detract it. Perfectly normal reaction.

Instead of joining CPEC India should forcefully demand cancellation of CPEC and warn that the road will not be safe if it passes through POK or G&B. India should reserve the right to use the force to stop the work if desired by the people of India. This offer is being made to test the Indian resolve over the ownership of POK and G&B.

Pakistan's invitation to join CPEC is with an ulterior motive of creating bottleknecks with India China relation further. Both countries are not in good terms with India, and Pakistan is always despatching terror to India and is ferocious on Kashmir issue. Likewise China prevents India from joining the NSG and creating incessant border problems. At this juncture the invitation from Pakistan seems to be with inner agenda. They want India to join them to consolidate anti US movements. India should not join CPEC and even if it joins both countries will never hesitate to create problems to India in the intermittent stage which will be loss of Indian investment in enemy country. Shut the door to CPEC.

China's effort is to make Indo-Pak relations fester. China is using Pak only for its Economic and Diplomatic interests. It will no longer support Pak if its goods were to be sold only in Pak. Strategically speaking China is weaving a net to enter southern west Eurasia.