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Fernandes urges strengthening of Indo-China border

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Any decision on increasing or reducing troops on the Sino-Indian border will be taken by the army and cannot be a political decision, Pramod Mahajan, the prime minister's political advisor, declared on Friday.

Commenting on Defence Minister George Fernandes's recent statement that there will be no troop reduction on the border with Bangladesh, China and Pakistan, Mahajan, defence minister for 13 days in the 1996 Vajpayee government, said, ''it is for the army to decide.''

He, however, dismissed reports of differences of opinion between the prime minister and his defence minister on the China issue. ''Where is the difference?'' he asked.

Meanwhile, even as Beijing welcomed the Indian political leadership's assertion that New Delhi is keen to further improve bilateral relations, Fernandes called for increased vigilance on the Indo-Chinese border.

Fernandes's statement was made in Calcutta on Thursday, indicating that while he had given in to pressure by the prime minister to carefully weigh his statements on China, his threat perception concerning Beijing had not changed.

Officials at South Block heaved a sigh of relief after the foreign ministry spokesmen in Beijing acknowledged and reciprocated New Delhi's assertion to improve ties with China.

Significantly, a determined defence minister finally gave way to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's plea that he should not only tone down his statements concerning China, but also underscore India's keenness to improve Sino-Indian relations.

Additional reportage: UNI

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