The Hindu : National : Arunachal will remain an integral part of India: Jairam Ramesh

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Saturday, Nov 24, 2007
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Arunachal will remain an integral part of India: Jairam Ramesh

Sushanta Talukdar

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

AIMING HIGH: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh tries his hand at archery at the inaugural day of the Buddha festival at Tawang on Friday.

Guwahati: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh on Friday said in Tawang that Arunachal Pradesh will continue to remain an integral part of India and the people of Arunachal Pradesh are always Indians first and they would always remain Indian.

Inaugurating the seventh Buddha Mahotsava, he said India was negotiating with China on the border issues and was for more economic and political activities with the neighbouring country. But there was no question of any compromise on the issue of Arunachal Pradesh being an integral part of India.

Earlier, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu said there were still apprehensions in the minds of the people of Arunachal Pradesh about China and its intention.

Mr. Ramesh, however, said that India must have the same approach as China in developing its border areas. “The people of northeast particularly those living along the border have seen the improvement in quality of life and standards across the border.

He said that within the next 10 years 29,000 MW of hydel power would be generated in Arunachal Pradesh that would fetch the State a royalty of Rs. 6,000 crore. At present the total Central expenditure in the State was Rs. 2,500 crore.

The Union Minister was non-committal, when monks of the Tawang monastery gave a representation, demanding creation of an autonomous district council for the Monpa-inhabited areas. Official sources said both the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs were against creation of an autonomous council in this strategically located area.

Mr. Ramesh underlined the need for a development push in Arunachal Pradesh .

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