New Delhi
28 May 2007
A section of the strategic establishment is not surprised Beijing
denied visa to an IAS official from Arunachal Pradesh and it feels New Delhi has itself to
blame for giving rise to an avoidable situation.
Political parties have chosen to remain silent. The CPI(M) refused to comment saying the
facts of the matter have not been communicated to it. "This is between governments, [so]
it is for the government to take a call," a party functionary said.
For his part, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu reacted "emotionally and
somewhat angrily" by saying that "one would be naive to ignore the inherent and latent
message" in China's refusal to accept Arunachal grant visa to the official.
Denial of visa is the first straw in the wind and New Delhi will have to watch "lateral
developments" before concluding whether it indicated a switch in Beijing's policy, an
analyst told this newspaper.
"Symbolism counts a lot (for China)," the analyst said, and Beijing therefore will need to
be watched further. The analyst said that the development could not be seen in isolation
from New Delhi's proclivity to forge strategic congruence with other countries.
"Foreign policy has been deliberately put under wraps ... it can't be unless we have a lot
to hide. A lot of slippages are taking place and soon an impression goes around that we
do not have an independent policy," the analyst remarked.
"I am surprised the opposition is not speaking up," the analyst wondered aloud. "Nehru
shared his views by writing letters to the chief ministers, so why does the government
say diplomacy cannot be conducted publicly?"
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu says in his press statement, "This
refusal to grant visa to an Arunachalee is not the sole instance. In past also many
Arunachalee officers were refused visa by China."
"We urge [the government] to take up the issue with China at appropriate level in right
earnest to get the issue clarified in order to remove the prevailing doubts about the real
intention of China by not issuing visa to Arunachalees."
He went on to add, "We, the tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh, are proud of the legacy
of Parusuram, Rukmini, Shiva and Buddha since time immemorial and we are integral
part of Akhand Bharat."
China's Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi reiterated Beijing's position when he told this
newspaper earlier this month that the boundary question will take time to resolve
because the disputed area is too large.
"It is an issue left over from history, our disputed area is too large, so it takes a little bit
time to solve it," he said. He indicated that further talks would be held in "late summer or
early autumn" before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits China.
Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee has told the Lok Sabha that China is in
illegal occupation of about 38,000 square kilometres in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition,
under the so-called Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded
5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to China. China also
illegally claims approximately 90,000 sq km of Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh, and
about 2,000 sq km in the Middle Sector. "Government have conveyed to the Chinese
side that Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are integral parts of India," he told
the House.
Last week, the government called off a visit by over 100 IAS officials to Beijing for a two-
week training programme after the Embassy of China Delhi refused visa to an official
belonging to Arunachal Pradesh who was part of the visiting team.
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