The NDA govt led by ABV had taken over the office in Mar 1998. A month later, exactly 22 years ago, Chinese patrols intruded into Arunachal Pradesh.

The PLA Chief Gen Fu Quanyou was visiting India in May '98. Just a few days before his visit, Pak had test fired its IRBM Ghauri.

India's Raksha Mantri was the redoubtable Late George Fernandes. After Pak's test firing of Ghauri, he had famously declared that China was the mother of Ghauri and he raised the threat of a Chinese encirclement of India .

The agenda of Gen Fu's visit at this time, was probably to discuss the security issues and hinged on an assumption of that both India and China were seriously searching a path to resolve those differences.

But like lightning which accompanies thunder, history has shown that the Chinese indulged in sneaky tactics to gain leverage, or anchor dominance before such visits and talks.

This time George Fernandes turned the tables by deriding the Pak's missile firing and bringing in China

Not just that, in a superb Parthian shot from George Fernandes barely a few days after General Fu left India, George declared China to be India ’s potential "threat number one".

He said was being encircled by the Chinese military and naval activity and said that India has to be "prepared for any eventuality".

The NDA govt walked the talk, and on the May 11th and 13th, barely a week after Gen Fu's visit, we conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran.

So many media 'analysts' used to the old patronage system and those who never rocked the boat were shocked at George's statements. They choked over their evening scotch at the Lutyens' clubs.

Today's decision on not allowing the automatic route for FDI from China is a historic one, comes almost 22 years after George Fernandes' prescient statement.

Let us raise a toast to the great, the one and only one George Fernandes and dedicate today's decision to him.