Adjustments possible on Kashmir: Indian FM

NEW DELHI—Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said “some adjustments will take place here and there’’ on Arunachal Pradesh and occupied Jammu and Kashmir at the conclusion of the ongoing talks with China and Pakistan respectively.
The fact that the Lok Sabha had passed resolutions declaring the two states as integral parts of India did not make them non-negotiable, Mukherjee said in the House during zero hour. The Minister was responding to Leader of Opposition L K Advani’s objection to Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi’s claims that the whole of Arunachal Pradesh belonged to China and this was the subject of negotiations between the special representatives of the two countries. “It is true that when you discuss the boundary issue, boundary is not in the sky, boundary is on the land, and it belongs to some part of the countries concerned. But whether it is acceptable or not acceptable, that is the issue being discussed by the two special representatives,’’ Mukherjee said.
The special representatives were having regular discussions and in the course of the discussions various proposals and counter- proposals cropped up. But unless these things were being finally agreed upon, nobody disclosed it. “I do not know what prompted the Chinese Ambassador to disclose this.
This is not the normal practice. Surely, this matter has been taken up not only here, but at our mission level also,’’ the Minister said. Explaining further, Mukherjee said, ‘’If that becomes the conditions that which has been declared as the integral part of the country is non-negotiable, Speaker Sir, I am afraid, then there is no point of having any discussion on occupied Jammu and Kashmir, because this House passed a resolution declaring Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
“But at the same time, knowing fully well, in 2003 when the special representatives were appointed to discuss the border issue (between India and China) - and I am repeating, border is on the land and not in the sky - when you finally arrive at, some adjustments will take place here and there. It is applicable to occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which is the eighth point in the composite dialogue, which was again chosen by the earlier government.’’—Agencies