Nitish not in favour of China model

Patna, June 19: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today appreciated the hard work and dedication of the Chinese but refused to replicate the Communist country’s development model in Bihar.

“Be it the industries, railway or agriculture, China is supremely developed in these sectors. But we are a democratic nation developing in our own ways. It is not possible for us to adopt the process and technology China has used,” Nitish told reporters here on his return from China.

The chief minister said he visited several villages in China. “The agriculture is also far more developed there with the Chinese dispensation using new technology to augment production. The Chinese have been producing 22 varieties of vegetables. But it is not feasible to follow what China has been doing in its villages and farms.”

The chief minister, who was on a seven-day trip to China, was diplomatic during his interaction with the reporters on his return. But a close look into what he wished to say between the lines made it obvious that he was thoroughly opposed to the idea of “democratic” India or Bihar following the footsteps of the “Communist” China.

“I met several top leaders of China and had long discussions with them on various issues. I sensed very well that they were successful in implementing in whatever they decided. But India cannot do the things the way they were doing,” he said.

Apparently, he wanted to say that a democratic Indian system could not force its “wishes and dictum” on the people the way China could do with force.

If at all there could be a policy of “give and take” between China and India, Nitish believes it should be Buddhism.

“I found a majority of Chinese having immense faith in Buddhism, which was more a way of life for them than religion as such. Buddhism is an area that sets up a common bond between the Chinese people and their counterparts in Bihar and other parts of India. The people on both sides should strengthen this bond,” he said.

Nitish, however, was quite appreciative of the dedication and hard work of the Chinese people. “Their (Chinese) efficiency and pace of delivering the goods are amazing. But we cannot afford to do like them,” he said.

He pointed out that India too was developing. “We will see what we can do to speed up the pace of development in our state and the country in our own way. Of course, we should study how the Chinese system has carried out phenomenal improvement in its farm, industrial and electric power sectors,” he said.

“I will send a team of farmers and legislators to China to study in detail the development in almost all sectors there. Their roads are amazingly good with green woods capping them all over,” he said, adding, “I got an opportunity to learn a lot in China.”

Nitish said: “I visited several of their electric power plants and found that they were in a position to generate 100 per cent of their generating capacity. The feat is appreciable,” he said.

On what should be learnt from the Chinese, Nitish said: “I visited many places like the Great Wall of China and several other places of historical and technological importance. The Chinese people’s dedication and love for the work were etched everywhere.”

“The ideals of Gautam Buddha will help India and China strengthen their relationship in the days to follow the way it did in the past,” the chief minister said while signing off.

During his stay in China, Nitish visited the thermal power plant of China Huadian Corporation. He also took part in a dinner hosted by the people of Indian origin in Shanghai.

Water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and tourism minister Sunil Kumar Pintu accompanied the chief minister to China. Besides, three senior bureaucrats, including development commissioner K. Saha and secretaries in the chief minister’s office — S. Siddharth and Aatish Chandra — went with Nitish to the far-east country.

Pintu looked a worried man on his arrival. He lost his suitcase having all the papers he collected during his week-long China visit.

He got it back in the evening. It was misplaced in Delhi.