1962 Indo-China war reminder silly, says Tharoor

Refusing to join issue with China over Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India on Tuesday expressed hope that Chinese 'rhetoric' will stop after the Tibetan leader's trip comes to an end.

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor also rejected as 'silly' -- the reminder about 1962 war by an anonymous Chinese scholar in a newspaper article there -- and underlined that India has come a long way since then.

"I am sure our Ministry (of External Affairs) will respond more officially. I don't wish therefore to personally increase the temperature on this one," Tharoor told reporters in New Delhi.

He was asked to comment on the Chinese statement that it was 'strongly dissatisfied' over India allowing the Dalai Lama to visit "the disputed eastern section of the China-India border regardless of China's grave concerns" over it.

"As far was we are concerned, we have made our view very clear. Arunachal is a sovereign territory of India. India's territorial integrity is not negotiable. We are anxious to move on from this and hope that as the visit is coming to a close, so will the conversation and the rhetoric on the subject," Tharoor added.

With regard to comments of an 'anonymous' Chinese scholar, that India was forgetting the 1962 Indo-China war, Tharoor said the remarks were 'silly'. He termed the escalation of the situation, by the Chinese media, as 'irresponsible'.

He said, "India has come a long way since 1962. History does not repeat itself that easily."