India Today

The China dossier

Nothing is impossible in politics. What is impossible is a settlement on terms the Chinese have announced in public

This is a monumental work in every sense of the word. Physically, it consists of five large volumes, 2,523 documents, 5,318 pages! Besides, in terms of sheer mastery over material, this is remarkable work and is a worthy follow-on to A.S. Bhasin's earlier works, making the archives on India's relations with her neighbours accessible to scholars and the public. And it is monumental in the detailed introduction that Bhasin, the former director of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Historical Division, has written for these volumes. He has so far produced documentary studies of India's relations with Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan (in 10 volumes), and now with China. For this dedication and productivity, he deserves

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