The Sino-Indian Boundary Issue continues....

Since neither India nor China has a brass-bound case, it is possible to negotiate afresh, with due regard for each other’s genuine military security needs. Withdrawing all pertinent Government of India maps issued up to 1934, and making them ‘secret’ documents unavailable to the public, as also making all British Indian official correspondence on the subject from about 1934 to post-Indian independence in 1947, and official Indian government correspondence up to post-1962 period, as secret documents unavailable to researchers gives everyone the impression that the Government of India has something to hide. These maps and documents of the British period are, however, available at the India Office in London, a U.K. Government department which is now archival, but which was once the British government department that controlled the Government of India that functioned in India.

These boundary negotiations have been taking place, with an Expert Group and a Joint Working Group handling the subject and taking part on the Indian side. In June 2003, during Prime Minister Vajpayee’s visit to China, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, India’s National Security Advisor, was also appointed the Political Representative above these two groups to facilitate the process. Since not much detail is normally provided to the Indian media regarding these talks, it would be useful to understand the actual issues involved. The technicalities of the issue, despite the appointment of an ‘Expert Group’ and a ‘Joint Working Group’, are not too difficult to understand. An understanding also helps in evaluating the pros and cons of various ‘package deal proposals' on the boundary issues that have emerged over the years.

To be continued ...