Do not differentiate between terrorists: India to China

India's concern presented in a clear manner, says Parrikar

 Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said that India has coveyed to the Chinese leadership that there cannot be any differentiation among the terrorists as all terrorists are the same.

“I have expressed very clearly to them (Chinese leaders) that there cannot be differentiation in terrorists. All terrorists are the same and they should be dealt with the same principle, including the issue they had obstructed at the UN. They should also deal with it in the same manner,” he said referring to Beijing’s blockade of India’s bid to have Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the United Nations.

The defence minister returned on Tuesday after his five-day maiden visit to China where he called on the Premiere Li Keqiang, vice-chairman of Central Military Commission Gen Fan Changlong, Defence Minister Gen Chang Wanquan and Gen Zhao Zongqi, the chief of the Western Theatre Command in Chengdu.

Parrikar said India did not shy away from expressing its concerns to China in a clear and firm manner. “Issue was also raised and India’s concerns were presented in a clear manner. May be for the first time, it was raised clearly and firmly. Of course, they have their own justification, but we did not shy away from raising our issues,” he said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, too, had raised the same issue with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Russia.

The takeaways from the China trip, Parrikar said, include a decision on increased interaction and adopting better border management strategies to reduce chances of any “unwanted and undesirable” incident.

While a new version of the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding is being exchanged between the two sides before finalisation, a hotline between the two director generals of military operations and establishing more border personnel meeting huts would be a reality soon.

Asked about reports of Chinese army personnel crossing the border, Parrikar said, “Because of different perceptions, technical transgression happens. We feel it is traversing, but they (Chinese troops) are just patrolling. They come and go.”