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Nehru blundered by trusting China: Venkateswaran
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru never realized until it was too late that China can never be “a real friend to anybody except themselves”, according to late foreign secretary A.P. Venkateswaran.
Venkateswaran, whose tenure as foreign secretary ended abruptly in 1987 when Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, was the deputy secretary looking after China in the external affairs ministry here from early 1962 till late 1964.
In a lengthy interview given to the ministry’s Oral History project now published for the first time in a book, Venkateswaran says that India should have woken up when the Chinese invaded Tibet.
According to him, Sumal Sinha, an Indian diplomat then in Lhasa and a talented Chinese scholar, messaged New Delhi: “The Chinese have entered Tibet. The Himalayas have ceased to exist.”
“Yet such a powerful telegram did not shake the Indian establishment as it should have,” he is quoted as saying in the book “Venkat Forever” (Konark Publishers).
“I think it largely reflects negatively on our idol who happened to be Jawaharlal Nehru and who continued to harbour very fond images of China and India leading Asia and the world forward.
“Nehru at no time fully comprehended that China was not a real friend to anybody except themselves.
“My own stay in China many years later in the 1980s convinced me further still that the Chinese cannot be friends of anybody.
“They are too full of themselves to be able to share anything including an idea with anybody else. That is why the Chinese call themselves the Middle Kingdom.”
Venkateswaran goes on to say that on the issue of China, which in 1962 fought a bitter border war with India, “Nehru was his own victim because Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel” wrote two warning notes to him on the subject.
“The Chinese have taken Tibet, he (Patel) said, and they are now our immediate neighbour and we have to take precautions against them. Nehru did not heed his advice.”
Venkateswaran felt that one of the men who contributed negatively to the situation leading to the war with China was V.K. Krishna Menon, then the defence minister.
“While V.K. Krishna Menon had many talents, I think he was primarily a hypocrite,” he said, recalling his own family’s long association with Menon.
Venkateswaran, who spent decades in the foreign service (he died in September 2014), says the Russians, during the Cold War, were more than nice to India but “I am afraid even today India has not shown enough appreciation”.
He recalled that once when India wanted to buy a second hand submarine from Moscow, the Russians said: “Why a second hand submarine? We will supply you a new one.”
He said: “They used to take out stuff from their own stocks to give to India, which no country ever does. I know of cases where the Russians went out of the way and took out stocks from their own supplies and sent those to us.
“We don’t show enough appreciation for that. Even today, the Russians have stood by India on the nuclear reprocessing which no other country has done.”
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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