I must say that this country has accepted the challenge in a more realistic manner. I was very glad indeed that in all the three debates I have participated, nobody complained about sanctioning money for defence expenditure. That means the country as a whole, the nation as a whole, has accepted this challenge.
Why do I say ‘ challenge’ ? Really speaking, why did China attack India ? According to my analysis of the problem, apart from the military objectives,— certainly they had military objectives, there was a major political and economic objective in their mind. By posing a military threat, after attacking and withdrawing, and putting some sort of pressure on our economic resources they know that certain difficulties would arise in our economy. Really speaking, the military techniques of the Chinese are frightening and dangerous.
But I am more afraid of their political techniques, because these internal economic conditions help them in their techniques of political subversion. Despite this, this country has accepted this challenge and decided to spend more and more on defence preparedness, I cannot say that everything is all right. It will be absolutely dishonest to say that. I do not want to make that mistake. It would be the last thing I would like to say. But, certainly, I would like to tell this hon. House, and also through this hon. House. I would like to assure the people that the preparetions that were have made quietly in the last two years have certainly created confidence in the defence services and the country at large that they are in a position today to strongly defend the country if any adventurist tries to commit aggression.
When our country has accepted the challenge, the other political fact Of life .that we have to accept today and take into account rather more carefully is this growing association between China and Pakistan. China is sitting there. On many occasions I gave information in reply to questions on the floor of the House that the Chinese are sitting there in a sort of threatening posture. At the same time, we find that basic hostility towards India is driving Pakistan into the folds of China. Now, we will have to watch carefully who uses whom. Possibly, Pakistan may he thinking that with their clever foreign policy, they can make use of the Chinese for their ultimate political ends, but I am afraid that the Chinese are cleverer and are bound to make use of Pakistan.
I would like to make it clear that we want friendly relations with Pakistan. We do not want any tensions with Pakistan. The defence preparedness in this country has nothing to do with our relations with Pakistan. It is something in reply to the danger that we have to face as far as China is concerned. At the same time, we cannot afford to forget this growing association between the two. I think we will have to be rather watchful, and I can tell you we are watchful about it.