Ering writes to PM on stapled visa, Siang issues

ITANAGAR, Nov 27: Member of Parliament Ninong Ering has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the stapled visa and other issues concerning the people of Arunachal Pradesh with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet during the G-20 summit in Argentina.
Modi and Jinping are scheduled to meet on the sideline of the G20 meeting in Argentina this week.
Stating that China’s issuing stapled visas to the people of Arunachal Pradesh visiting that country is not new, Ering urged the PM to bring the vexed issue tactfully to the attention of the Chinese president.
The Congress parliamentarian from Arunachal also urged Modi to ask China to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India for a peaceful coexistence, as envisaged in the historical Panchsheel agreement.
“The government of India must assert the territorial integrity of India before China, and convey the feelings of Arunachal Pradesh people in a firm manner,” Ering wrote to the prime minister.
He said Chinese troops had recently tried to enter into Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh to build roads in Bising village in Tuting subdivision.
Ering, who has raised concern over the unusual behaviour of the Siang river on several occasions, also urged Modi to negotiate for a water treaty with China.
He said the Siang river, which is a lifeline for the people of Arunachal, had turned black due to “ill-intent” projects and “diversion” of the waters of the Brahmaputra by the Chinese authorities.
“The focus of the government must be on negotiating a water treaty with China for sustainable development of the region. It will help the northeastern states of India to have their natural right to clean and continuous water,” the letter read.