JOIN USIndia sees no China threat
National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao asserted that there was “hardly any increase” in the number of incursions, and that both countries were keen to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border. Narayanan cautioned in a television interview in New Delhi that media “hype” could lead to “unwarranted incident or accident” that could create problems with the neighbour, which should be avoided.
In Chennai, Army Chief Deepak Kapoor remarked: “There is no cause for worry or concern.”
Narayanan said: “The Prime Minister made a statement on Friday that there has not been any more incursions or transgressions as compared to last year. They are almost at the same level.” The situation along the Line of Actual Control had been “peaceful and tranquil,” he added. Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi, Nirupama Rao said: “There is no meeting that has been planned between Singh and the Chinese premier on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh.”
Narayanan stoutly maintained there would never be a “repeat” of the 1962 war with China. “The first thing, I would like to sort of wipe out the question of repeat of 1962. India of 2009 isn’t… India of 1962. I want to make this point very clearly.
“We are careful. I think we are careful partly because of what happened in 1962 that we should not provoke a situation, which we don’t wish to have. I don’t think anybody in India wishes to have a conflict with China,” said Narayanan, who is also India’s special representative for border talks with that country.
“I think that also goes for China. There are issues between the two countries. I don’t think we have all the answers for these issues. But the whole purpose of dialogue is to see where are the congruencies and the differences.
“In terms of the number of incursions, there has been hardly any increase. Occasionally, inroads are a little deeper than what might have been in the past. I don’t think there is anything alarming about it,” Narayanan said.