'Tawang integral part of India'

In a snub to China, India today said Tawang and other areas of Arunachal Pradesh were its integral parts and would always remain so. “Tawang and all of Arunachal Pradesh are part of India and will always remain a part of India. I think we have stated this more than once, reiterating it is not necessary...,” Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who was likely to visit the Buddhist town tomorrow, told reporters here.

China claims that the Buddhist town of Tawang and some other areas of Arunachal Pradesh are part of it. But India has always rejected these claims. Chidambaram was supposed to visit Tawang yesterday but could not do so because of inclement weather.

“I will make another attempt to visit Tawang tomorrow,” Chidambaram, who arrived here this morning from Guwahati, said. Asked if his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which also shares borders with Myanmar, had anything to do with the much-speculated operations by the Myanmarese army against militants of the north-east in base camps there, he said “everything cannot be discussed in public.”

According to him, violence and militancy in the north-east have come down. “We simply have to get more groups to talk to us. The year 2009 was a big success in containing militancy and talks through interlocutors are going on with some major groups including NSCN-IM.

On talks with terrorist outfit Ulfa, he said: “We are ready to talk to Ulfa and others also if they abjure violence and express willingness. However, there are splinter groups which are carrying out extortion and other unlawful activities. We will take firm action against them.”

Chidambaram, accompanied by officials of his ministry, reviewed the law and order situation in the state, particularly Tirap and Changlang districts declared disturbed under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, with army, ITBP and security agencies.