Itanagar: While advocating patience in connection with the relationship between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh, former Indian envoy to China C V Ranganathan said China’s claim on the region was nothing new.
Delivering his key note address to a two-day national seminar on ‘Voices from the border: India’s response to the Chinese claim on Arunachal Pradesh’, organised by the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR), North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong and Pol Science department of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) that concluded here on Friday, Mr Ranganathan urged the gathering to rise above firm opposing trend and confronting tendencies for an agreement backed by domestic consensus in both the neighbouring nations.
He said though Indian boundary is well settled as per customs, traditions, history and geographical data, there could be minor adjustments on the boundary row that strained India and China relations post-1962 arm conflict, which was intended to teach the then Indian ally USSR a lesson.
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 1988 visit to Beijing was a ‘big leap’ in bilateral ties that resulted in series of high level official talks and interactions and evolved a mechanism considering the views of both sides in larger perspective and has entered its second phase, he said reasoning that the internal compulsions of China cannot be overlooked.
While allaying fear of any arm conflict in the future, he said India has a well-acknowledged global position among the USA, the Japan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), (BRICS) and European Unions.
A Chinese diplomat (Ambassador, 1987-91) with a book – ‘Panchsheel and the future: Perspectives on India-China relations’ – besides numerous articles and participation in national and international seminars to his credit, said that despite the paradox of American presence in Pacific Asia confronting progressive China, President Wen Jiabao knows well that India and China are proceeding on a strong footing that has entered a landmark year in global economy.
He urged Indians, particularly Arunchalees to avoid self-fulfilling prophecy on issues, like water and land. Ranganathan recommended more vigour to PV Narasimha Rao scripted 1991 Look East Policy emphasising the true importance of Arunachal to the applause of the galaxy of academicians, media persons, top ranking army and New Delhi mandarins and Arunachalee students.
Governor JJ Singh said, ‘While there has been no significant change in the water level of the river Brahamaputra, diversion of its water by China is a next to impossible proposition. Can the water be diverted from 12,000 feet level by crossing the Himalayas and other mountain ranges of 17,000 feet spanning over 1,000-km area beyond Lhasa?’
The agreement signed then between both nations under the guidance of Defence Minister Pranab Mukharjee after his (Singh) visit to China including its defence establishments, would see joint military exchange in 2012 again, indicating improved defence exchanges. (UNI)