Don't create alarm over Chinese raid

NEW DELHI: After the Army admitted to Chinese incursions, external affairs minister S M Krishna cautioned against creating “excessive alarm” and maintained that India was closely monitoring the border with China.

“We have been monitoring the Chinese build-up along Arunachal Pradesh and elsewhere. Our defence preparedness is a continuing process,” Mr Krishna told a TV channel.

The external affairs minister has continued to downplay the incursions by Chinese troops into India after the Army admitted that incursions from the Chinese side had taken place. The matter is now set to be taken up with the Chinese in the next flag meeting between the two countries. “I would like to emphasise that there is an established mechanism to deal with such situations. Both sides have agreed that pending the resolution of the border issue, peace and tranquillity must be maintained on the LAC,” the external affairs minister said at the Editors Guild meeting.

He further assured that India’s border with China remained secure. “India is monitoring the situation constantly and there can and will be no lowering of our defences in this regard. Our borders are secure and it serves no purpose to create excessive alarm,” he said.

Sources said that it was important to look at the incursions in a “practical manner” considering the length of the border India shares with China. The government has continued to highlight the fact that India’s border with China is one of the most peaceful boundaries compared to the boundary lines with other countries.

Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapoor had last month admitted that Chinese helicopters had violated Indian airspace along the Line of Actual Control in Leh.