NEW DELHI, Oct 24 � Notwithstanding Beijing�s opposition, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today announced sanction of Rs 175 crore for development of infrastructure on the Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Union Home Minister, who was addressing the 53rd Raising Day Parade of Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) at Greater Noida, today said the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the country�s policy for its neighbours and that the country wants peaceful relations with them.
The Home Minister stated that India wants peace with China, but it cannot be at the cost of national honour and any compromise on the territorial integrity of the country. The infrastructural development on the Indian side of the border with China is necessary for facilitating our forces. There should be no concern for any infrastructural development on our side of the border from our neighbours, he added.
The Home Minister further hinted that the Centre was toying with a proposal to deploy drones in the international border for effective surveillance. The Centre is considering deploying unmanned aerial vehicles for keeping more effective surveillance of the borders, he said.
The Home Minister said that any issue along the border can be resolved through negotiations in a peaceful and cordial manner. While our eastern border is managed in a peaceful manner, our western neighbour should also maintain calm and peace at the border, he said.
Last week, Beijing warned India over its plans to develop infrastructure along the Arunachal Pradesh border.
�We still need to verify the specifics. The boundary issue between China and India is the legacy of the colonial past. We need to deal with this issue properly,� Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lie said in Beijing.
He was reacting to comments by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju stating that plans are afoot to construct a road network along the international boundary from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh to match China�s infrastructure development.
�There is a dispute about the eastern part of the China-India border. Before a final settlement is reached we hope that India will not take any action that may further complicate the situation,� Hong had said.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as a part of Southern Tibet and disputes the McMohan Line. The Chinese position is that the border dispute is confined to 2,000 km, mostly on Arunachal Pradesh, whereas India asserts that the dispute covered the western side of the border spanning about 4,000 km.
