Gorkhaland resolution at opportune time’
Staff Reporter
SIKKIM EXPRESS
GANGTOK, October 27: Though Darjeeling people are stilling pinning their hopes on the Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s promise to pass a resolution in the Assembly in support of separate Gorkhaland state, the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party today said that the resolution will be passed at an ‘opportune time’.
“The Chief Minister’s statement is on record. We will definitely pass the resolution at the opportune time like during the Nepali language movement”, said SDF party spokesperson and Press Advisor to the Chief Minister, BB Gooroong today.
Has the Chief Minister ever said that he will not pass the resolution?, Mr. Gooroong countered. He reminded that the present Gorkhaland movement is just begun and tripartite talks are being held with the Gorkhaland protagonists just handing documents to the Centre.
The Chief Minister has not showed his cards and he knows when to display his cards. The time has not come and we will act timely, said Mr. Gooroong.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Site to hear Tibetan singing bowls for health
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-PvVS-VUt0vQ/sound_healing_with_tibetan_singing_bowls/
http://130.166.124.2/himalaya_atlas1/index.html
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/758411/zenergy_healing_music_and_profound_art_vibrational_therapy/
http://130.166.124.2/himalaya_atlas1/index.html
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/758411/zenergy_healing_music_and_profound_art_vibrational_therapy/
Himalayan Atlas of Aerial Panoramas Vol I
Himalaya Atlas of Aerial Panoramas - Vol I
Tibet - Uttar Pradesh - Nepal - Sikkim - Bhutan - Arunachal Pradesh
Welcome to the Himalaya Atlas of Aerial Panoramas, one of a series of collections of photorealistic aerial views created by Dr. William A. Bowen, professor emeritus of the Department of Geography at California State University Northridge. The atlas contains over 700 computer generated panoramas that portray every square foot of the vast range between Arunachal Pradesh on the east and Uttar Pradesh on the west, including all of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and portions of Tibet and the lowlands of India. Seeing the Earth from a high place allows us to grasp quickly the essential geography of vast regions that eludes those who are earth bound. Most of these panoramas were created between virtual elevation of 50 to 200 kilometers above sea level with a virtual 35 mm camera equipped with a 22 mm lens. Normally the vistas encompass much more than a thousand square miles (259,000 hectares) of the earth's surface.
Because of our lack of geographic experience and the unusual perspectives offered by this atlas, I recommend that users acquire copies of detailed national and regional maps and atlases. Equipped with such references, Himalaya Atlas users will be able to orient themselves better and identify all manner of detail. An outstanding introduction to the geography and people of these mountains is the Illustrated Atlas of the Himalaya, authored by David Zurick and Julsun Pacheco and published by The University Press of Kentucky in 2006.
The panoramas in this collection are named for urban places or principal natural features occurring within the field of view. The author has tried his best to locate and name each image as accurately as possible. Compass direction abbreviations are normally appended to each name in order that atlas users will at least have some general sense of the direction in which they are looking. Constructive comments and suggestions are always welcomed and should be emailed to Dr. Bowen.
One of the unfortunate realities of Web publications is that every user's computer screen will render the panoramas differently. Serious users may need to download the images and modify image color balance using their own software. The pictures are best viewed on a large monitor, because the panoramas measure 2100 x 900 pixels.
It is hoped that these unique aerial views will provide a new and valuable resource for those who seek to understand better the character of the Earth's mightiest mountain range and the people who occupy this high country. Many other atlases and aerial flights may be found in the Survey's Electronic Map Library.
The California Geographical Survey is a creation of Dr. William A. Bowen, and it is hosted by the Department of Geography and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Northridge. The Survey operates for the benefit of the students and faculty of the California State University System, public and parochial school teachers and students, and the people of the State of California. It is the California Geographical Survey's intention to provide a variety of important geographic resources to the entire Internet community.
The materials of the California Geographical Survey are available without restrictions to the California State University Northridge campus community for non-profit, classroom use. All other persons should be aware that all original materials contained within this geographic archive are copyrighted and the sole property of Dr. William A. Bowen. Use of such copyrighted items without the permission of the owner is strictly forbidden. Individual students and teachers everywhere are specifically granted the right to use all materials for class assignments and lectures. In some cases, the author may extend additional legal rights to specific off-campus individuals and groups whose works he deems to be in the general public interest. Dr. Bowen's efforts are not funded by any government agency or private sponsor. His work is not in the public domain. Every item is copyrighted and is distributed with the clear understanding that its use for commercial and non-commercial purposes outside of public school and university classrooms is forbidden without his expressed approval. Please contact Dr. Bowen for additional information concerning copyright issues and the development of commercial projects.
California Geographical Survey People
Bill Bowen and his wife Marilyn live in Northridge, California, near the university he served for thirty-four years. Bill was educated as a geographer at U.C. Berkeley. He was privileged to have taken courses from Professors Clarence Glacken, John Kesseli, Ted Oberlander, James Parsons, Carl Sauer, Hilgard Sternberg, James Vance, Gunther Barth, Peter Birkeland, J. B. Jackson, and George Stewart. He joined the faculty at California State University, Northridge in 1970 and taught there until his retirement in 2004. Several years before his retirement, he decided to create the California Geographical Survey as a tool for better communicating his ideas and maps to students and other explorers who frequent the Web. He continues his work today at home, in a closet that contains two high-speed Macintosh computers.
Bill and Marilyn with Mozart in Vienna.
Although educated as a cultural geographer and physical geographer in the Sauerian tradition, he has always been fascinated with maps. This evolving collection of photorealistic, panoramic maps of the earth's landscapes can be traced to an undergraduate map reading course taught by Professor John E. Kesseli in 1962 and a cartography course taught by Professor Ted Oberlander in the Spring of 1963. He is forever in the debt of these fine scholars and the many other teachers who touched his life.
Robert Provin has provided essential technical support to the California Geographical Survey since its beginnings. He is a true scholar and valued colleague whose patient good thoughts and intelligence have kept the web service alive during challenging times. Until his retirement in June 2005, Robert was the senior scientific technician of the Department of Geography. He remains a highly regarded instructor, and an internationally renown expert in astronomical photography.
He has made many contributions to that science and coauthored the influential Manual of Advanced Celestial Photography. This book has been called "the most comprehensive book on astrophotography ever published." He and his coauthor Brad Willis are currently completing another volume entitled From Silver to Silicon . His photography may be seen on the Web at http://voltaire.csun.edu/Default.html. Robert is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where he earned both his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees.
Robert preparing for very remote sensing.
David Deis began providing technical support for the Survey's computer server in 2005. He is the chief cartographer for the Department of Geography, and in that capacity is an expert in digital mapping, image processing, and graphic design. He teaches courses in cartography and geographic information systems. David is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where he earned both his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees. He lives with his wife Tina in the San Fernando Valley.
Tibet - Uttar Pradesh - Nepal - Sikkim - Bhutan - Arunachal Pradesh
Welcome to the Himalaya Atlas of Aerial Panoramas, one of a series of collections of photorealistic aerial views created by Dr. William A. Bowen, professor emeritus of the Department of Geography at California State University Northridge. The atlas contains over 700 computer generated panoramas that portray every square foot of the vast range between Arunachal Pradesh on the east and Uttar Pradesh on the west, including all of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and portions of Tibet and the lowlands of India. Seeing the Earth from a high place allows us to grasp quickly the essential geography of vast regions that eludes those who are earth bound. Most of these panoramas were created between virtual elevation of 50 to 200 kilometers above sea level with a virtual 35 mm camera equipped with a 22 mm lens. Normally the vistas encompass much more than a thousand square miles (259,000 hectares) of the earth's surface.
Because of our lack of geographic experience and the unusual perspectives offered by this atlas, I recommend that users acquire copies of detailed national and regional maps and atlases. Equipped with such references, Himalaya Atlas users will be able to orient themselves better and identify all manner of detail. An outstanding introduction to the geography and people of these mountains is the Illustrated Atlas of the Himalaya, authored by David Zurick and Julsun Pacheco and published by The University Press of Kentucky in 2006.
The panoramas in this collection are named for urban places or principal natural features occurring within the field of view. The author has tried his best to locate and name each image as accurately as possible. Compass direction abbreviations are normally appended to each name in order that atlas users will at least have some general sense of the direction in which they are looking. Constructive comments and suggestions are always welcomed and should be emailed to Dr. Bowen.
One of the unfortunate realities of Web publications is that every user's computer screen will render the panoramas differently. Serious users may need to download the images and modify image color balance using their own software. The pictures are best viewed on a large monitor, because the panoramas measure 2100 x 900 pixels.
It is hoped that these unique aerial views will provide a new and valuable resource for those who seek to understand better the character of the Earth's mightiest mountain range and the people who occupy this high country. Many other atlases and aerial flights may be found in the Survey's Electronic Map Library.
The California Geographical Survey is a creation of Dr. William A. Bowen, and it is hosted by the Department of Geography and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Northridge. The Survey operates for the benefit of the students and faculty of the California State University System, public and parochial school teachers and students, and the people of the State of California. It is the California Geographical Survey's intention to provide a variety of important geographic resources to the entire Internet community.
The materials of the California Geographical Survey are available without restrictions to the California State University Northridge campus community for non-profit, classroom use. All other persons should be aware that all original materials contained within this geographic archive are copyrighted and the sole property of Dr. William A. Bowen. Use of such copyrighted items without the permission of the owner is strictly forbidden. Individual students and teachers everywhere are specifically granted the right to use all materials for class assignments and lectures. In some cases, the author may extend additional legal rights to specific off-campus individuals and groups whose works he deems to be in the general public interest. Dr. Bowen's efforts are not funded by any government agency or private sponsor. His work is not in the public domain. Every item is copyrighted and is distributed with the clear understanding that its use for commercial and non-commercial purposes outside of public school and university classrooms is forbidden without his expressed approval. Please contact Dr. Bowen for additional information concerning copyright issues and the development of commercial projects.
California Geographical Survey People
Bill Bowen and his wife Marilyn live in Northridge, California, near the university he served for thirty-four years. Bill was educated as a geographer at U.C. Berkeley. He was privileged to have taken courses from Professors Clarence Glacken, John Kesseli, Ted Oberlander, James Parsons, Carl Sauer, Hilgard Sternberg, James Vance, Gunther Barth, Peter Birkeland, J. B. Jackson, and George Stewart. He joined the faculty at California State University, Northridge in 1970 and taught there until his retirement in 2004. Several years before his retirement, he decided to create the California Geographical Survey as a tool for better communicating his ideas and maps to students and other explorers who frequent the Web. He continues his work today at home, in a closet that contains two high-speed Macintosh computers.
Bill and Marilyn with Mozart in Vienna.
Although educated as a cultural geographer and physical geographer in the Sauerian tradition, he has always been fascinated with maps. This evolving collection of photorealistic, panoramic maps of the earth's landscapes can be traced to an undergraduate map reading course taught by Professor John E. Kesseli in 1962 and a cartography course taught by Professor Ted Oberlander in the Spring of 1963. He is forever in the debt of these fine scholars and the many other teachers who touched his life.
Robert Provin has provided essential technical support to the California Geographical Survey since its beginnings. He is a true scholar and valued colleague whose patient good thoughts and intelligence have kept the web service alive during challenging times. Until his retirement in June 2005, Robert was the senior scientific technician of the Department of Geography. He remains a highly regarded instructor, and an internationally renown expert in astronomical photography.
He has made many contributions to that science and coauthored the influential Manual of Advanced Celestial Photography. This book has been called "the most comprehensive book on astrophotography ever published." He and his coauthor Brad Willis are currently completing another volume entitled From Silver to Silicon . His photography may be seen on the Web at http://voltaire.csun.edu/Default.html. Robert is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where he earned both his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees.
Robert preparing for very remote sensing.
David Deis began providing technical support for the Survey's computer server in 2005. He is the chief cartographer for the Department of Geography, and in that capacity is an expert in digital mapping, image processing, and graphic design. He teaches courses in cartography and geographic information systems. David is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where he earned both his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees. He lives with his wife Tina in the San Fernando Valley.
SNPP LAUNCHED IN SIKKIM FOR ASSOCIATE STATE STATUS
Gangtok, Oct 15: In a new political development, the Sikkim National Peoples’ Party (SNPP) was on Wednesday formally launched expressing its resolve to protect and promote the identity of the Sikkimese people by seeking restoration of the associate state status for the himalayan state as was the case prior to its merger with India in 1975.
Addressing a press conference after the launch of the SNPP, its President Biraj Adhikari defended his party’s stand for review of Sikkim’s merger on the ground that the grant of the associate state status was necessary for maintaining the distinct identity of the himalayan state and its people.
He also sought to question the process of Sikkim’s merger before 1975.
Claiming that the Centre had failed to maintain the distinct identity of Sikkim or protect the interests of the people and the state, Adhikari cited the dilution of the Article 371(F) of the Indian constitution by the Central governments over the years.
Alleging the integration of Sikkim and its people with India has not been realised even 33 years after the Himalayan state’s merger, he said it would be appropriate that the Centre should review the matter and grant Sikkim the status of an associate state.
Adhikari said that his party has launched a signature campaign from today itself for grant of the status of an associate state.
“We hope to get signatures of lakhs of people of Sikkim on the issue and the same would be forwarded to the Centre,” he said.
The SNPP would also seek to make the associate state demand a key political issue in the coming assembly polls in the state early next year, he said.
sOURCE: zEE nEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addressing a press conference after the launch of the SNPP, its President Biraj Adhikari defended his party’s stand for review of Sikkim’s merger on the ground that the grant of the associate state status was necessary for maintaining the distinct identity of the himalayan state and its people.
He also sought to question the process of Sikkim’s merger before 1975.
Claiming that the Centre had failed to maintain the distinct identity of Sikkim or protect the interests of the people and the state, Adhikari cited the dilution of the Article 371(F) of the Indian constitution by the Central governments over the years.
Alleging the integration of Sikkim and its people with India has not been realised even 33 years after the Himalayan state’s merger, he said it would be appropriate that the Centre should review the matter and grant Sikkim the status of an associate state.
Adhikari said that his party has launched a signature campaign from today itself for grant of the status of an associate state.
“We hope to get signatures of lakhs of people of Sikkim on the issue and the same would be forwarded to the Centre,” he said.
The SNPP would also seek to make the associate state demand a key political issue in the coming assembly polls in the state early next year, he said.
sOURCE: zEE nEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
HYDROPOWER IN NEPAL -CHINA AND INDIA
I ndian and Chinese firms are going head to head in efforts to develop hydropower projects in Nepal in an attempt to build commercial and diplomatic relations with a country that is strategically located between two of the world’s fastest growing major economies.
Commercial and so-called exim banks from China are underwriting efforts by Chinese companies to develop hydropower projects in Nepal by promising money for these.
This model using so-called letters of intent promising credit has been successfully used by Chinese firms in Africa to win oil and gas exploration blocks.
“Since Nepal has a huge infrastructure funding requirement, such a model definitely helps,” said Himalaya Pande, director, West Seti Hydro Project, one of the largest hydropower projects being developed in Nepal.
“Chinese banks are flush with funds and are looking at opportunities in different parts of the world...India, on the other hand, has not adopted this model in Nepal.” Companies such as China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corp., or CMEC, and Sinohydro Corp. have used letters of intent promising credit provided by Bank of China and China Exim Bank to get contracts and projects.
CMEC has won the contract to construct 750MW West Seti Hydro Project and Sinohydro has picked up a 90% stake in the 50MW Upper Marsiangri project. CMEC had not responded to a questionnaire from Mint till late Tuesday evening.
Nepal has a hydropower potential of 83,000MW and needs an investment of around Rs9.96 trillion to harness this.
The country is open to partnering with Chinese and Indian firms to raise this money.
On Tuesday, Mint reported that it plans to offer Indian private sector firms majority stakes in midsize hydropower companies.
India isn’t worried by China’s display of money power.
“Chinese competition in Nepal is overstated. It is partly due to nervousness and partly due to the reason that they are strong. As Nepal is in our immediate neighbourhood, we get jittery,” said an Indian government official posted in Kathmandu who did not want to be named.
Nepal has emerged as a favourite destination for several Indian hydroelectric power generation firms. Companies that have plans to set up hydroelectric projects in that country include Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd, Bhilwara Energy Ltd and GMR Infrastructure Ltd.
It was only because India didn’t respond to requests for monetary participation in hydropower projects that Nepal turned to China, said one banker.
“We have contacted Indian banks such as Punjab National Bank and Canara Bank for participation in hydropower projects but they were not interested...only then did we go to the Chinese banks,” said Prithivi B. Pande, chairman and chief executive officer of Nepal Investment Bank, the largest investment bank in that country.
Nepal has an installed power generation capacity of 617MW, of which around 570MW is generated from hydropower. Although Nepal has 83,000MW of hydropower potential, it is facing a shortage of 100MW, which is expected to increase to around 300MW in the coming winter months.
Tapping some of the country’s hydropower potential could help bridge that gap and also serve as a source of power for India.
And Nepal could also be the ideal place for Indian infrastructure firms to showcase their integrated project development and financing model, said Anish De, chief executive officer of energy consulting firm Mercados Asia.
( Source: Live Mint)
Commercial and so-called exim banks from China are underwriting efforts by Chinese companies to develop hydropower projects in Nepal by promising money for these.
This model using so-called letters of intent promising credit has been successfully used by Chinese firms in Africa to win oil and gas exploration blocks.
“Since Nepal has a huge infrastructure funding requirement, such a model definitely helps,” said Himalaya Pande, director, West Seti Hydro Project, one of the largest hydropower projects being developed in Nepal.
“Chinese banks are flush with funds and are looking at opportunities in different parts of the world...India, on the other hand, has not adopted this model in Nepal.” Companies such as China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corp., or CMEC, and Sinohydro Corp. have used letters of intent promising credit provided by Bank of China and China Exim Bank to get contracts and projects.
CMEC has won the contract to construct 750MW West Seti Hydro Project and Sinohydro has picked up a 90% stake in the 50MW Upper Marsiangri project. CMEC had not responded to a questionnaire from Mint till late Tuesday evening.
Nepal has a hydropower potential of 83,000MW and needs an investment of around Rs9.96 trillion to harness this.
The country is open to partnering with Chinese and Indian firms to raise this money.
On Tuesday, Mint reported that it plans to offer Indian private sector firms majority stakes in midsize hydropower companies.
India isn’t worried by China’s display of money power.
“Chinese competition in Nepal is overstated. It is partly due to nervousness and partly due to the reason that they are strong. As Nepal is in our immediate neighbourhood, we get jittery,” said an Indian government official posted in Kathmandu who did not want to be named.
Nepal has emerged as a favourite destination for several Indian hydroelectric power generation firms. Companies that have plans to set up hydroelectric projects in that country include Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd, Bhilwara Energy Ltd and GMR Infrastructure Ltd.
It was only because India didn’t respond to requests for monetary participation in hydropower projects that Nepal turned to China, said one banker.
“We have contacted Indian banks such as Punjab National Bank and Canara Bank for participation in hydropower projects but they were not interested...only then did we go to the Chinese banks,” said Prithivi B. Pande, chairman and chief executive officer of Nepal Investment Bank, the largest investment bank in that country.
Nepal has an installed power generation capacity of 617MW, of which around 570MW is generated from hydropower. Although Nepal has 83,000MW of hydropower potential, it is facing a shortage of 100MW, which is expected to increase to around 300MW in the coming winter months.
Tapping some of the country’s hydropower potential could help bridge that gap and also serve as a source of power for India.
And Nepal could also be the ideal place for Indian infrastructure firms to showcase their integrated project development and financing model, said Anish De, chief executive officer of energy consulting firm Mercados Asia.
( Source: Live Mint)
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
CHINESE INCURSIONS ALL ALONG 4075 km BORDER
Though it eventually refrained from back-stabbing India during the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting at Vienna, China continues to needle Indian forces all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In the latest set of incursions across the LAC, Chinese patrols once again "transgressed" into the Indian side at the strategically located Pangong Tso lake as well as Trig Heights in eastern Ladakh on September 2-3, said sources.
There were both boat and vehicle-mounted People's Liberation Army (PLA) patrols on the north bank of Pangong Tso, two-third of which is controlled by China as it extends from India to Tibet at an altitude of 4,218 metres, on September 2.
A day later, a vehicle-mounted PLA patrol crossed over at the Trig Heights. "The patrol was on our side for quite some time before it went back. PLA has really stepped up incursions into our side in eastern Ladakh region this year, with well over 100 transgressions being recorded there since January," said a source.
Pangong Tso and Trig Heights have become quite contentious since the 1999 Kargil conflict, with China even constructing a "track" right up to the lake's southern bank during that time to demonstrate its support to Pakistan. China, it's assessed, wants the border to be drawn in a straight line on the lake to gain strategic advantage. It seeks similar gains in Trig Heights and Demchok areas in the western sector.
But eastern Ladakh is not the only region where Chinese patrols have been flexing their muscles in an "aggressive" border management policy to put pressure on India and lay claim to disputed areas along the LAC.
Similar Chinese moves have been witnessed in the eastern sector in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in recent months. In fact, perturbed by the incursions into Sikkim, "a settled matter" as far as India is concerned, the government in June had made some strong public statements about taking up the matter with China.
With over 80 incursions across the 206-km Sikkim-Tibet border being recorded since January, the Indian establishment is especially worried about the so-called 2.1 sq km "finger area", the northern-most tip of Sikkim, which China is claiming as its own territory.
The government, incidentally, is now conducting a fresh survey of the northern plateau in Sikkim to counter claims by China. The survey is using latest technology to chart out the watershed in the area, which is usually used to demarcate boundaries in mountainous areas.
Many feel China's gameplan could well be to use Sikkim as a leverage in its policy of exerting pressure on India over the Tawang tract in Arunachal Pradesh. Always careful of not ruffling Chinese feathers, India often downplays intrusions by its troops, holding that they take place due to "differing perceptions" of the still-unresolved LAC.
The fact, however, remains that the step-up in incursions has been accompanied by a hardening of the Chinese posture in the never-ending border talks to delineate the LAC. What has added to the worry of Indian defence planners is the rapid build-up of military infrastructure by China all along the LAC making it possible for it to amass large troops at the border in double-quick time.
( SOURCE: tIMES OF iNDIA)
In the latest set of incursions across the LAC, Chinese patrols once again "transgressed" into the Indian side at the strategically located Pangong Tso lake as well as Trig Heights in eastern Ladakh on September 2-3, said sources.
There were both boat and vehicle-mounted People's Liberation Army (PLA) patrols on the north bank of Pangong Tso, two-third of which is controlled by China as it extends from India to Tibet at an altitude of 4,218 metres, on September 2.
A day later, a vehicle-mounted PLA patrol crossed over at the Trig Heights. "The patrol was on our side for quite some time before it went back. PLA has really stepped up incursions into our side in eastern Ladakh region this year, with well over 100 transgressions being recorded there since January," said a source.
Pangong Tso and Trig Heights have become quite contentious since the 1999 Kargil conflict, with China even constructing a "track" right up to the lake's southern bank during that time to demonstrate its support to Pakistan. China, it's assessed, wants the border to be drawn in a straight line on the lake to gain strategic advantage. It seeks similar gains in Trig Heights and Demchok areas in the western sector.
But eastern Ladakh is not the only region where Chinese patrols have been flexing their muscles in an "aggressive" border management policy to put pressure on India and lay claim to disputed areas along the LAC.
Similar Chinese moves have been witnessed in the eastern sector in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in recent months. In fact, perturbed by the incursions into Sikkim, "a settled matter" as far as India is concerned, the government in June had made some strong public statements about taking up the matter with China.
With over 80 incursions across the 206-km Sikkim-Tibet border being recorded since January, the Indian establishment is especially worried about the so-called 2.1 sq km "finger area", the northern-most tip of Sikkim, which China is claiming as its own territory.
The government, incidentally, is now conducting a fresh survey of the northern plateau in Sikkim to counter claims by China. The survey is using latest technology to chart out the watershed in the area, which is usually used to demarcate boundaries in mountainous areas.
Many feel China's gameplan could well be to use Sikkim as a leverage in its policy of exerting pressure on India over the Tawang tract in Arunachal Pradesh. Always careful of not ruffling Chinese feathers, India often downplays intrusions by its troops, holding that they take place due to "differing perceptions" of the still-unresolved LAC.
The fact, however, remains that the step-up in incursions has been accompanied by a hardening of the Chinese posture in the never-ending border talks to delineate the LAC. What has added to the worry of Indian defence planners is the rapid build-up of military infrastructure by China all along the LAC making it possible for it to amass large troops at the border in double-quick time.
( SOURCE: tIMES OF iNDIA)
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