New Delhi, January 12
Allaying apprehensions about Chinese incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said there were some Chinese incursions but there was no need to press a panic button, as the issue was being addressed through adequate “mechanisms”.
“There is nothing to be worried about at this point of time as the mechanisms we have are doing well. We immediately take it up through adequate mechanisms in place,” Mukherjee told Karan Thapar on the “The Devil’s advocate” programme of CNN-IBN.
His observations assumes importance as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves here tonight on a three-day visit to China.
Maintaining that there was no question of India letting down its vigilance and alertness, the minister said not being worried about the Chinese incursion was a conscious effort on India’s part not to mar the atmospherics during the Prime Minister’s visit, especially at a time when the two Asian giants were trying to deepen their strategic and economic ties.
Asked about the concerns of senior Indian Army generals on the development of infrastructure on the Chinese side of the Sino-Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh, Mukherjee acknowledged it was a known fact that road, electricity and availability of other facilities were much superior to that on the Indian side.
He was quick to add that India was also building roads and other infrastructural facilities.
The minister quickly explained that there was no need to press the panic button because of the prevailing situation on the border along the LAC. “Peace and tranquillity are being retained there”.
Asked about the developments in Pakistan, Mukherjee hoped the neighbour would overcome the crisis. Only future would show what course of action would be taken by the establishment in Pakistan.
He noted that there was an element of unpredictability with
regard to President Pervez Musharraf being removed by the army in Pakistan. He parried a question if he saw Musharraf as a part of the solution or the problem in the neighbouring country.
The minister stressed that “we need to deal with whoever is in office in Pakistan. Therefore we do not make value judgement of any individual.”
Asked if Pakistan was in danger of breaking up, he insisted “I am not coming to any such conclusion”.
About instability in Pakistan, the minister said instability in the neighbourhood had its impact on other neighbouring countries.
At the same time he made it clear that he was not coming to any definitive conclusion. “Let us watch the situation and hope that Pakistan would be able to address the problems and stability would be brought back.”
Asked if instability in Pakistan could lead to increase in infiltration and jehadi activity in India, Mukherjee said this could only be judged after the snow melts and the passes were cleared.
To another pointed question, Mukherjee said he did not visit Pakistan to attend Benazir Bhutto’s funeral on the basis of the advice from Islamabad.
“We did not want to embarrass the Pakistani authorities and listened to their advice,” the minister added.
