“I want to convey that it was mentioned in my (previous) statement (in Parliament) that the understanding envisaged that Indian security forces would be going to all patrolling points in Depsang, and would be going to the eastward limit which are historically been our patrolling limit in that part,” he said during Question Hour.
The minister said in the same statement, he has made it clear that India had disengagement agreements with China in the past too.
“Those disengagement agreements also had certain provisions where both sides on a temporary basis had agreed to put certain restraint on themselves. So I think the position is very clear in that statement. I would urge the honourable member to read that statement again,” he said replying to a supplementary question on India-China boundary agreement.
Replying to a question on a picture of Nepal currency that allegedly showed a part of Indian territory as its own, Jaishankar said India’s position regarding the border is very clear.
He said if any of India’s neighbours thinks that by doing something they want to change India’s position, they should be very clear that it is not going to happen. “I think the entire House is clear on that with me,” he said. On Myanmar, the minister said because of the very disturbed conditions in Myanmar, India had to review the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allows people residing close to the India-Myanmar border to venture 16 km into each other’s territory without any documents.
He, however, said the government is sensitive to the requirements of the border communities and is working something on that.
Jaishankar said part of the challenge along Myanmar border is that there is very little government authority on the other side of the border and whatever is required to do, India itself has to do on its own.
“But today definitely there is much greater presence there to secure our border, to monitor people across the border,” he said.
On a question on India’s neighbourhood first policy, Jaishankar said before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Nepal, there was no visit by any Prime Minister to Nepal for 17 years but that did not mean that nobody in India cared for Nepal.
Similarly in case of Sri Lanka, before Modi visited the country, for 30 years, there was no bilateral visit, he said.
“Visits are important. I accept that. Visits are also subject of timing & convenience and of agenda. The honourable MP asked we give them priority, do they give us priority. The answer is yes,” he said.
The minister said with regards to Maldives under the current government, the Addu Link Road and Reclamation Project, which was funded by India, was inaugurated and he himself was present.
“By the way, the President of Maldives was present at the oath taking ceremony of this new government,” he said.
Jaishankar said if an opposition member desires to somehow show the foreign policy of this government in bad light for political purposes, that is the member’s privilege.
“That is not my nature to make foreign policy partisan. But I would like to remind the member through you that the very Maldives which he was talking about was, Indian companies were driven out from there from an important project in 2012.
“In same Sri Lanka, Hambanthota was built by China in 2008. The same Bangladesh was giving support to terrorists till 2014. The same Myanmar was hosting Indian insurgent groups,” he said.
The minister said for carrying out development projects, both India and the country concerned need to cooperate.
“If we look today at the number of projects, the volumes of trade, the exchanges which are taking place, I think the answer is very clear. Now, our neighbours also have their politics. They have ups and down in their countries. There are some implications on us. Relations are important. We are mature. We don’t get into point score,” he said.
