In Diwali Speech to Troops, PM Modi Calls Chinese Expansionism Example of ‘Distorted Mindset’

The prime minister, in his address to armymen at the Longewala post, said India will give a fierce reply ‘if provoked’.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed troops at Longewala Post in Rajasthan, and in what is being interpreted as a swipe at China, said that India will give “prachand jawab” or fierce reply “if provoked.”

Modi repeated his labelling of China as an ‘expanionist’ force without naming the country with which India has been locked in a border standoff in Ladakh for a better part of the year.

In June, this standoff led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers in Ladakh.

Modi said the entire world feels troubled by “expansionist” forces and expansionism shows a “distorted mindset” which belongs to the 18th century. Indian Express quoted this portion of the prime minister’s Hindi speech as, “Today the whole world is troubled by expansionist forces. Expansionism is, in a way, a mental disorder and reflects 18th-century thinking. India is also becoming a strong voice against this thinking.”


“India believes in policy of understanding others and making them understand but if an attempt to test it is made, then the country will give a fierce reply,” he said.

In July, after Modi took a dig at India’s northern neighbour in a speech to the troops at Nimu in Ladakh by saying that the “age of expansionism is over”, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi had stated that this was an exaggeration and it was “groundless” to describe China as “expansionist”.

“No force in the world can prevent our soldiers from protecting our borders,” Modi said, adding that India has shown that it has strength and the political will to give a befitting reply to those challenging it.

“The world now knows that India will not compromise with its interests even one bit,” he said, giving out calls to the troops to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki jai‘.

After a meeting with state chief ministers in late June, Modi had said in a speech broadcast live, “No one has intruded and nor is anyone intruding, nor has any post been captured by someone.” The remarks had led to waves of confusion and had bolstered China’s claim that it was not intruding into India. The Line of Actual Control is a disputed one and the two countries do not agree with each other’s representations of it.

Referring to his custom of celebrating Diwali with soldiers since he assumed office in 2014, Modi said his resolve to serve and protect the country becomes stronger by spending more time with them.

He also urged troops to innovate, practise yoga and learn an Indian language they don’t know from colleagues.

On the occasion, he recalled the fierce fight the post had witnessed in the 1971 war against Pakistan and paid tributes to Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, a hero of the battle.

India had defeated Pakistan in the war, leading to the independence of Bangladesh.

(With PTI inputs)