China should accept 'reality': Arunchal CM

A
runachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on Tuesday took strong exception to China's objection to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the state, saying that country should "accept the reality" and refrain from laying claim to the state.

In a statement, Khandu hoped that China would accept the reality and refrain from laying claim on the hilly tribal state which graduated to electoral democracy in 1975.

"Between the two visits of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year and this year, several central ministers including then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony had reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India and that no power on the earth can snatch it away from India," he said.

Khandu pointed out that President Pratibha Patil also visited the state to endorse the stand of the Union government.

The Centre had also reacted strongly to Chinese objection to Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the comments were disappointing as the state is an inalienable part of the country and such remarks do "not help" the process of talks on boundary issue.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu had said that China is "strongly dissatisfied with the visit to the disputed region by the Indian leader disregarding China's serious concerns".

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Centre to offer political package to Nagas by year end

T
he Centre is contemplating a broad-based "political package" for Nagas for an "acceptable and honourable settlement" to the decades-old political conflict, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said on Tuesday.

Before finalising the "counter proposals" to the charter of demands submitted by NSCN-IM, the Centre wanted to know the views and opinions of the cross section of Naga society, Pillai told newsmen in Kohima.

Suggestions would be incorporated in the package to be submitted to the Union Cabinet for approval.

Pillai, who is in Kohima on a two-day visit to the state, held a series of discussions with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, government officials and Naga civil society groups.

The home secretary, who has been dealing with northeast affairs for a long time in various capacities, clarified that the counter proposals or the political package is "not conditional" and the Centre is open to holding negotiations on it with the underground groups and Naga civil societies to arrive at a consensus.

The state government, political parties and various Naga NGOs have time and again told the Centre that the permanent settlement to the vexed problem did not lie with a single underground group, he said adding "the solution must be acceptable to all sections of the Naga society."

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