In this episode of NL Recess, Zorawar Daulet Singh, historian and author, joins Mehraj D Lone to discuss his latest book Powershift: India-China Relations in a Multipolar World, which argues for a “new equilibrium” between the two Asian giants.

Zorawar says his motivation for writing the book was to explain the complexity of the Indo-China ties to a broader audience beyond the elite space. He talks about how the border conflict in eastern Ladakh is different from the Doklam standoff in 2017, points out the absence of domestic discourses about conflict resolution and increasing national egoism in both countries.

“It is important for Indians to be conscious of what this particular discourse is because only when you start unravelling it you will try and find areas where you can at least try and manage competition and complication,” he says.

He recommends that instead of foregrounding political agendas, the Indian state should focus on domestic policy, governance efficiency and technological adaptation, and then propose a fair settlement to China which is backed by public consensus.

Watch.

Text by Urvi Dugar.