Opinion Chinese walls
With the external affairs ministry claiming that borders with China are the most peaceful ones,one is at a loss to understand the sporadic skirmishes....
•With the external affairs ministry claiming that borders with China are the most peaceful ones,one is at a loss to understand the sporadic skirmishes. With all speculation laid to rest of a possible armed conflict,diplomatic moderation to ensure cordial relations was seen as the most sensible option. However,contrary to expectations,bilateral tensions between India and China have never eased and China,when it comes to Arunachal Pradesh,has been stubborn. The lack of clarity about where the lines of control actually lie has resulted in Chinas claims of Arunachal as disputed territory.
However,Chinas audacious protest,publicly questioning the prime ministers visit to the state,should baffle the worst of cynics. How the routine visits of our prime minister to a state which is an integral and inalienable part of India could invite harsh censure from a foreign state is difficult to digest. Against this backdrop,Indias stern advise to China about projects inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and the home ministry clarifying that India will only issue employment visas to highly skilled Chinese workers means a hardening of its stance.
Pachu Menon
Goa
Welcome shift
•According to Karna Basu,this years Economics Nobel,unlike in the recent past,is an implicit approval of non-mathematical methods in economics (The social science prize,IE,October 15). If that is so,it is a welcome change. Econometricians and those who swear by mathematical economics have over the years introduced in economics very high doses of mathematics to the detriment of economic logic. One cannot be oblivious to the fact that in economics,which is essentially a study of mankind in quest of his daily bread and butter,two and two do not always make four.
Bidyut Kumar Basu
Money for statue
•The article Sanctioned by statue (IE,October 10) was worrying. Taxes paid by people are being used to construct statues and parks for the beautification of the Uttar Pradesh capital,ignoring the fact that,in the same state,there are people without access to potable water or children still devoid of basic education.
Navreet Kaur
New Delhi
Solving Kashmir
•While agreeing with Home Minister P. Chidambarams statement that Jammu and Kashmir needs a unique political solution,I would like to emphasise that the solution that would be natural,and acceptable to India,is the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India (Quiet dialogue for unique J&K solution: Chidambaram,IE,October 15). The land occupied by Pakistan has to be vacated. Article 370 must go to begin with,and separatism must be handled with a strong hand.
Jai Prakash Gupta
Ambala
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