In the house

Calling for a forward-looking approach towards China,Foreign Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said the two countries...

Conflict with China not a solution: Krishna

NEW DELHI: Calling for a forward-looking approach towards China,Foreign Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said the two countries should create an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. He was responding to a discussion on India-China relations initiated by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi in the Lok Sabha. The minister sought to downplay the recent border incidents and said situation was being constantly monitored. He said conflict is not the solution,dialogue is.

He reiterated that border problems were a result of different perceptions emanating from an un-demarcated border. Yes,there have been incursions, he acknowledged,but added that there was a mechanism in place and the issue got sorted out there itself.

Krishna sought to assure members present in the House that India was fully secure. He said there was a big difference between 1962 and 2009. India has undergone a sea change. India is strong in every respect of the term. We cannot be browbeaten by anybody. We are in a position to tackler the enemy,however powerful it may be.

Referring to members repeated references to Chinas protests vis-à-vis Dalai Lamas visit to Tawang,the Foreign Minister declared that Arunachal Pradesh was a part and parcel of India. He said so what if China had raised these objections. Did the Prime Minister not go to Arunachal? Did Dalai Lama not go to Arunachal?

On the issue of Chinas decision to issue paper visas to Kashmiris,he said India could not compromise on its visa policy and China must understand and respect it.

Regarding the controversy over the Demchok road project in Ladakh,Krishna said the Centre had no role to play in starting or halting it. ENS

Ranganath report to be tabled this session

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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the report of the Ranganath Mishra Commission on reservation for minorities will be tabled during the current session of Parliament. Singhs assurance came after SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and others raised uproar in the House demanding that the report be tabled immediately.

We have taken notice of their sentiments and we will present the report on the table of the House in this session, Singh said during the Question Hour that led SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to thank the PM.

Earlier,just as the Question Hour started,Mulayam and other members of his party were on their feet waving a newspaper and demanding that the report be tabled without any delay. The government is withholding the report for the past two years. Why it has not been placed before the House. It should tabled immediately and a discussion be held over it, Mulayam said. He remained unrelenting and demanded an assurance from the PM disregarding the pleas made

by Speaker Meira Kumar to raise the issue during Zero Hour.

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Left leaders Basudeb Acharia and Gurudas Dasgupta were also seen supporting the demand.

Opposition members had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday,demanding that the report be made public and underlining that it was freely available under the RTI. The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities,headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra,is understood to have recommended reservation for minorities in employment,higher education and economic and developmental schemes funded by the government. ENS