China's mild reaction results in strong opposition from Arunachal

As Beijing upped its ante against India when President Pranab Mukharjee was on a two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which the latter claims as its territory, the response from Itanagar was strong.

"All presidents and prime ministers have visited this Arunachal Pradesh, an indivisible part India and who China is to react," asked Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.

Talking to media persons immediately after the departure of President Mukherjee after delivering the convocation address at the Rajiv Gandhi University near here, Tuki wondered "when the President or Prime Minister visits their own country, how could China react? I don't believe this reaction is official. If it is so they (China) should never react in future."

Asked about what New Delhi has been doing, Tuki said: "The central government has been doing its best. However, during bilateral talks, China accepts Arunachal Pradesh as integral part of India. But their negative reactions came as a routine."

On why the Arunachal Pradesh Government was not made a party during the India-China talks on the border dispute, Tuki said that it is a central subject.

However, he clarified that during his trips to New Delhi,he always takes up the matter with the Prime Minister, the defence and external affairs ministers. He cited the example of the stapled visa issue to back his stance.

Tuki said President Mukherjee had underscored the importance of North East, particularly Arunachal Pradesh as a core stakeholder in India's Look East foreign policy, which is enough a message from all angles.

Beijing statement issued on Friday, however, did not directly express opposition to the visit, only saying it hoped India "could meet China halfway" and "refrain from taking actions that complicate the boundary question."

A joint status report of the 15 rounds of special representatives' talks to resolve the vexed India-China boundary dispute in December 2012 had concluded that both sides are far from their goal despite some stated accomplishments.

"Mera yahan union minister ho kar upastith jita jagta sabut hai ki yeh rajya Bharat ka abhinna ang hai (My presence here as union minister is a living testimony that this state is an indivisible part of India," quipped Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering, who represents the Arunachal Pradesh Eastern parliamentary constituency.

"When the president is the constitutional head and supreme commander of the defence forces of India, there is no reason for any country to react about his visit to the state, which is very much part of India," said Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy.

"There is no question of dispute when Arunachal Pradesh has made rapid soci0-economic development and every Arunachalee are staunch nationalist. The children in mother's wombs are also Indians," he said without mincing any words.

Interestingly, when China doesn't remember that Prime Minister Singh visited Itanagar on January 31, 2008, not in October 2009 as mentioned in the reaction, is the reaction for the sake of it, wondered a conscious citizen.

Beijing should know that Arunachal Pradesh graduated to parliamentary form of democracy in 1975 with an elected government ruling the state since then besides three MPs - two in Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha- representing the state in the Parliament, he added. (ANI)

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