ID :
10368
Thu, 06/19/2008 - 18:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/10368
The shortlink copeid
India to raise Finger Area incursions with China: Minister
New Delhi, June 19 (PTI) - India Thursday said it will take up with China at the "appropriate highest level" the issue of recent incursions by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into its territory along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"The issue of incursions will be raised at the next flag meeting (between Indian Army and PLA) and also discussed at appropriate highest level. As two responsible neighbours, we will sort it out," Union Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju said here.
Raju's comments come in the wake of frequent incursions into Indian territory along the LAC by the PLA. There have been 65 transgressions into Finger Area in Sikkim in the last six months and on June 16, PLA men entered the region in light vehicles and later returned to their territory.
"It is unfortunate that these (incursions in Finger Area) have happened and it (the issue of Sikkim) is being raised again...Sikkim is a closed chapter as far as we are concerned," Raju said here on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Indian ways of war fighting' organised by Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
On whether India would lodge a formal protest over the PLA's recent incursions, Raju said the issue "will be taken up at an appropriate level".
On if the issue of LAC transgressions could develop into a major row between the two neighbours, the minister expressed the hope that it would not come to that point.
"There is a way of dealing with a situation and we are dealing with it appropriately," he said.
Regarding the need for increasing force levels along LAC, Raju said: "Augmenting forces is not the answer. Answer is in understanding what is the point they are making.
"I think it is China's way of putting pressure to resolve the border disputes with India. We are going about with talks to arrive at a concensus. It is their style and we have our style (of deal with border disputes)."
Pointing out that both the nations were emerging world economies and that both India and China had too much at stake, the minister said "these things (incursions) should not derail the relations that both countries were developing with each other".
PLA incursions have gone up after India started conducting a survey in the Finger Area.
"The issue of incursions will be raised at the next flag meeting (between Indian Army and PLA) and also discussed at appropriate highest level. As two responsible neighbours, we will sort it out," Union Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju said here.
Raju's comments come in the wake of frequent incursions into Indian territory along the LAC by the PLA. There have been 65 transgressions into Finger Area in Sikkim in the last six months and on June 16, PLA men entered the region in light vehicles and later returned to their territory.
"It is unfortunate that these (incursions in Finger Area) have happened and it (the issue of Sikkim) is being raised again...Sikkim is a closed chapter as far as we are concerned," Raju said here on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Indian ways of war fighting' organised by Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
On whether India would lodge a formal protest over the PLA's recent incursions, Raju said the issue "will be taken up at an appropriate level".
On if the issue of LAC transgressions could develop into a major row between the two neighbours, the minister expressed the hope that it would not come to that point.
"There is a way of dealing with a situation and we are dealing with it appropriately," he said.
Regarding the need for increasing force levels along LAC, Raju said: "Augmenting forces is not the answer. Answer is in understanding what is the point they are making.
"I think it is China's way of putting pressure to resolve the border disputes with India. We are going about with talks to arrive at a concensus. It is their style and we have our style (of deal with border disputes)."
Pointing out that both the nations were emerging world economies and that both India and China had too much at stake, the minister said "these things (incursions) should not derail the relations that both countries were developing with each other".
PLA incursions have gone up after India started conducting a survey in the Finger Area.
