As the old saying goes – “Good fences (or boundaries) make for good Neighbours”.

It is therefore in our interest to clear-up all confusion about our boundary, by irrefutably proving to our Neighbouring Country (China) that our stand on our common boundary has always had such recognition and for them to not recognize this is being belligerent.

Recalling some of the actions and statements of our leaders and those of China’s leaders, especially since our Independence, could help clarify our stand and if  necessary will allow us to negotiate to further strengthen our boundary.

However, Pandit Nehru said in the Lok Sabha on 20 ^th Nov 1950 –

“Our maps show that the McMahon line is our boundary and that is our boundary, (Chinese) map or no map. That fact remains, and we stand by that boundary, and we will not let anybody come across that boundary”.

In 1954, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru , decided unilaterally to eliminate such ambiguity and ordered new maps clearly showing all of Aksai Chin as Indian Territory and the McMahon alignment, with what he saw as minor adjustments of the North-Eastern boundary as our boundary.

It is however clear that he was even then not certain about his decision, as even on 04 ^th Sept 1959, he again said in the Lok Sabha –

“Now it is a question of fact whether this village or that village or this little strip of territory is on their side or on our side. Normally wherever these are, (they) are relatively petty disputes, well, it does seem rather absurd for two great countries… immediately to rush at each other’s throats to decide whether two miles of territory are on this side or on that side, and especially two miles of territory in the high mountains, where nobody lives”.

Also, he had in 1959, sent Dr. S. Gopal , the then Director of the historical division of the Ministry of External Affairs, to make an objective appraisal of the historical evidence about India’s boundaries and submit his report; which was done by November 1959 and which confirmed Pandit Nehru’s view that the McMahon line was not to be submitted to renegotiation and that the Aksai Chin area was entirely Indian territory.

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