Omar asks centre to talk tough on China intrusion

Jammu, April 24 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday asked the federal government "to give a clear cut message to China on the intrusion issue", adding that such situations hamper development in the frontier areas.

"We would like the central government to take up this issue with both China and Pakistan strongly and on the same terms so that no such incident takes place in future," he said at a public meeting.

He spoke to people in the remote areas of Bani, Lohai-Malhar and Dugain in Kathua district, some 300 km from Jammu.

The chief minister said people of Jammu, Kashmir, Leh, Kargil and all other areas of the state have given sacrifices to protect and preserve the solidarity, harmony and brotherhood.

"They want to be free from such intrusions and live in an atmosphere of calm and peace and carry on the day-to-day life activities smoothly and without any interference," he said.

Abdullah said the state witnessed militancy for over 20 years and suffered a lot both in respect of losing human lives and by way of huge damage to infrastructure and economy.

He said the gun had given us deep wounds and had added difficulties in every sphere of life. "Now we are in the process of restoring peace and a beam of light is in sight at the end of the dark tunnel," he said.

Chinese troops have set up a post inside Indian territory, about 10 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de-facto border between India and China. The Chinese set up the post April 15.

India has asked Beijing to maintain the status quo that existed before the April 15 intrusion.

The cold desert region of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir has about 650 km of Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, which is not demarcated at most places.

Indian and Chinese local military commanders Tuesday held a flag meeting for the second time to resolve the stand-off over incursion by Chinese troops into the Indian side of the LAC in Ladakh.