New Delhi, October 16
After the recent war of words between India and China raised tensions in the neighbourhood, the political leadership of the two countries will be meeting in the coming days where an attempt will be made to put their relations back on course.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Thailand later this month on the fringes of the Association of South East Asian Nations Summit. This will be followed by a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi when the two travel to Bangalore in the last week of October for the trilateral meeting betwen India, China and Russia.

Since both these meetings are being held in the backdrop of angry exchanges between New Delhi and Beijing over the border dispute in Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister Singh and Krishna are expected to use this opportunity to reaffirm India’s position on this vexed issue but will not allow their differences from moving ahead with their relations.

These proposed meetings have also had a sobering affect on officialdom. After several days of sabre rattling, External Affairs Ministry officials today tended to take a more balanced view of relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

Official sources emphasised that the relationship is not focused solely on the boundary dispute though it remains crucial for the normalisation of their ties. In this context, it was disclosed that the proposed hotline between the two Prime Ministers will be operational soon.

Keen to emphasise that the “complex” relationship between India and China cannot be held hostage by a single issue, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told the All India Radio today that the two can cooperate on a number of important global issues, like reform of the international financial system, climate change and Doha round of trade talks, as “we have common ground where there is a meeting of minds”.

Speaking in the same vein, official sources maintained that China had not violated any agreement with India by building a dam on its side of the Brahamaputra as it only a “run of the river dam” and there is no diversion of water. Describing the boundary issue between India and China as “one of the most complicated” border disputes in the world, Rao emphasised that both countries were determined to resolve it through dialogue.

Rangapahar (Dimapur), October 16
Notwithstanding the much better infrastructure and road connectivity on the Chinese side of the frontier in Arunachal Pradesh, the Army exudes confidence to tackle any eventuality even as a new Army division is being raised in Nagaland.

“In security parlance, infrastructure has a different connotation and road connectivity is only one aspect of preparedness. We are very confident today. We have come a long way since 1962 (when China invaded India), and in 1967 (Nathu La operation) the Army responded very well. Our preparedness is very much at place,” said GoC 3 Corps, Lieutenant General NK Singh.

The 3 Corps, besides looking after Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and North Cachar Hills of Assam, also takes care of east Arunachal Pradesh after the Upper Assam-based 2 Mountain Division was put under its command in May this year. When asked about reports on the much better infrastructure on Chinese side across the McMohan Line in Arunachal Pradesh, the Army commander said the terrain was not as difficult on the other side of the frontier as on the Indian side in Arunachal Pradesh. “The terrain has both advantages and disadvantages. Our confidence is certainly in place,” he added.

He informed a new division of the Army was being raised in Nagaland at Jakhama near Kohima, an overnight journey away from Arunachal Pradesh. The new division will also add teeth to the counter insurgency operation both in Nagaland and North Cachar Hill district in Assam.

The 3 Corps already has two Army divisions — 57 Mountain Division based at Limakhong in Manipur, and 2 Mountain Division at Upper Assam - while a large number of Assam Rifles battalions are under its operational command.

The new division is being raised in Nagaland even as the Centre is preparing to offer a ‘broad-based political package’ next month for resolution of the decades-old Naga political conflict taking rebel groups NSCN-IM, NSCN-K, the public and Church on board.