Should gift both my and Dr Jaishankar's books to Rahul Gandhi: Dr Michael Pillsbury

Should gift both my and Dr Jaishankar's books to Rahul Gandhi: Dr Michael Pillsbury 

China expert Pillsbury said the reaction in China to Dr Jaishankar's book is "very negative". "They don't like the idea that India should play a role of speaking for the global south.....I now see India as the world's chance to be sure that China does not become a dominant, aggressive and dictatorial society," Pillsbury said.

New Delhi 

This could be unusual, but it is a mega embarrassment for former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.At the 'India Today' Conclave, renowned China specialist Michael Pillsbury referred to Rahul Gandhi's recent speech in the UK on "harmony is the key feature of China"and maintained that such remarks were "very scary to see". 

He also suggested albeit in a lighter vein that both his book on China and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar's book 'The India Way' should be "gifted" to the Congress leader. 

At the conclave, Dr Jaishankar maintained that the global situation is quite complex and no longer one could analyse things in a binary context. 

With regard to 'India moment', Dr Jaishankar said the batsman has just taken to the pitch and a full innings ought to be played ...."That innings is called Amrit Kal" suggesting that a roadmap has been laid down for next 25 years. 

There is a necessity in today's world to do a lot of investment and ground work on domestic front vis-a-vismanufacturing."Had our opponents (Indian opposition parties led by Congress) done what they should have done, we wouldbe in a very different position. We don't have the deep industrial strengths, deep technological strengths of Chinabecause that kind of thinking (under Congress) was never there," Dr Jaishankar said.

"The 1970s and 1980s were disasters economically," the External Affairs Minister said, "...even after 1990s, where wasthe focus on building deep strengths. Instead we went for globalisation mantra".

Therefore, Dr Jaishankar lucidly argued, "My take away is that the countries have to build deep strengths if theyhave global aspirations. Today, 'Make in India', 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' - the kind of things we are doing improvinghuman resources, skills ....all these are part of a matrix".

Answering questions, Pillsbury said, "The world is watching the India moment....The Indian political leadership has withinits hands the chance to be sure that the world is not ruled by a dominant China. In many ways it is up toIndia to decide what to do...and it is very scary if I can use that word to see Rahul Gandhi's comments aboutChina...that harmony is the key feature of that country".

Pillsbury pointed instead now even in America there is a realisation about the global challenge from China and "...if youcarefully read Dr Jaishankar's book, 'India Way', you will see in his proposal that India should play a shaping role in the globalorder partly as a voice of the global south, but for other reasons as well".

But he pointed out the reaction in China to Dr Jaishankar's book is "very negative". "They don't like the idea thatIndia should play a role of speaking for the global south".

"I now see India as the world's chance to be sure that China does not become a dominant, aggressive and dictatorial society," Pillsbury said.

At this juncture when the host of the programme said both Dr Jaishankar and Mr Pillsbury admire each other's books, Pillsbury intervened to say, "we need to give both the books to Rahul Gandhi".

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