The Memories of my Father's visit to China
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Presented by Rukkmini Srinivasan
(From the Dairies of Natversingh former foreign minister of India)
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This is regarding my father Ananthasayanam Ayyanger who was a speaker of the Lokasabha between 1956 to1962. He led Indian parliamentary delegation which visited China in the year 1956. I am going to give the extract from the diaries of Natversingh, Former Foreign Minister of India which was published in the 'Hindu' news paper in the month of November 2006.
The Chairman Mao received the Indian parliamentary delegation at midnight. Mao had a soft skin,bad teeth,chain smoker, was half-bald, heavy and tall for Chinese. They all sat on two sides of a long rectangular table. The speaker a head of the delegation sat opposite the chairman and for 90 minutes these two did almost all the talking. The speaker talked much more and did more than justice to himself and the delegation.
Chairman Mao Tse Tung is said to be the least sophisticated of chines leaders but that no way diminishes his persona.He is a great intellectual, original thinker,ruthless, practical, a very good listener, and leg puller. but I think the speaker put up very good show and this was evident from the length of the interview, and from the obvious interest Mao took in what the speaker had to say.
Points Mao made
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1) I see changes on the globe and visualise that the west is withering away.
2)At moment we are far behind the USA technically and it will take us about 20 years to catch up with them.
3) Unlike you we made the mistake of having a vast army of nearly 3 millions and that has hampered progress in other fields. Mao said that china had been spending 33%of her budget on defence. This was too much. In next few years we hoped to bring it to 20% and then 12%. We want peace and must develop our country.
4) Mao never once said that china was on top in anything. This studied Modesty is typical of all chines leaders and in sharp contrast to our leaders. The chines tone is we have done very little, we wish to learn from you.
5)Mao said that they had been misinformed about the national movement in India and it was only now they realised that the struggle led by Gandhi and Nehru was a mass movement. He said that today they understood better the work of Gandhi. Mao said non-violence and non- cooperation was also struggle.
6) Mao said they had to win the battle of ideas.
7) Mao listen with interest to the story of integration of Indian states. wherein princes were done away within a few months without civil war.
8)He wanted that the Kashmir issue should be solved mutually. He felt that partition of India was unnatural and India should reunite.
During the discussion Mao smoked non- stop and so did Liu Shao Chi one of the top chines leader then. He got up to light the ambassador's cigarette,a deliberate gesture. Enough to indicate "See how much we like you." Not done patronisingly, but with great finesse.
(The presenter is a learned daughter of illustrious father)
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