External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India should deal with China on the basis of realism and not on romanticism of the Nehruvian era adding “the Modi government has been has been very much more and in conformity with a strain of realism, which originated from Sardar Patel.”

India should engage with China with mutual respect, sensitivity, and interest and the approach should be grounded on realism, he said  touching upon the difference in opinion between India’s first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the issue.

“I argue for dealing with China from a basis of realism — that strain of realism, which I feel — strains all the way from Sardar Patel to Narendra Modi,” said Jaishankar. “I would say that the Modi Government has been very much more and in conformity with a strain of realism, which originated from Sardar Patel,” Jaishankar told ANI in an interview.

“Even when it came, for example to the UN Security Council seat, it’s not my case that we should have necessarily taken the seat, it’s a different debate, but to say that we should first let China — China’s interest should come first, it’s a very peculiar statement to make,” he said.

“It takes two hands to clap. I pose the issue in this manner if you look at the last 75+ years of our foreign policy, they have a strain of realism about China and have a strain of idealism, romanticism, non-realism. It begins right from day one, there is a sharp difference of opinion — how to respond to China between Nehru and Sardar Patel,” the external affairs minister said.

He said India is focusing on how to expand its relationships with nations across the world, and responded to the criticism over his recent Russian visit in Western media by asserting that every nation has its values and interests. He was speaking to the ANI in connection with the launch of his new book ‘Why Bharat Matters’, which he presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

In his interview, Jaishankar also touched upon issues like relationship Pakistan, Canada and Russia and the country’s role in the global space.

Describing India’s relationship with Russia as “important and steady,”  Jaishankar asserted that the ties with Moscow have proven beneficial for New Delhi. He emphasized the need for India to approach thoughtfully while dealing with other nations.

Replying to the Western media’s criticism over his visit to Russia and the camaraderie between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Putin, Jaishankar said, “If people can’t read me, that means my mind games are working. But the answer is honestly I see no reason that people should take any, you know what was happening other than at face value because we have always maintained that the Russia relationship is a very important one, very steady one.”

Notably, India has maintained a neutral stance on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, advocating for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the issues. During a meeting with President Putin in Samarkand in 2021, Prime Minister Modi emphasized, “This is not an era of war.”

Earlier in December, Jaishankar travelled to Russia for a five-day visit and met President Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Deputy Prime Minister M Denis Manturov.

Speaking about India-Russia ties, Jaishankar said “I think I must have been reacting to how I was asked that particular question and I know that is not your intent. For us, Russia is a very valued partner. It’s a very time-tested partner. It’s a relationship from which both India and Russia have benefited enormously and my presence here today and the fact you know all the developments that I have pointed out including our growing trade, investments, our military-technical cooperation, our connectivity projects. I think all of this will give you a good sense of the importance and the value that we attach to the relationship.”