Centre snubs Jairam for China alarmist remark

The minister of state for environment, Mr Jairam Ramesh, who described the home ministry policies with regard to Chinese projects in India as “alarmist” and “paranoid” in Beijing on Saturday, has been snubbed by the home ministry, which has squarely rejected his contention.

The ministry sources said there will be no toning down of security checks before clearances are given to Chinese companies for export of equipment to India. Also, with fresh security concerns emerging, the Chinese ambassador, Mr Zhang Yan, has sought an appointment with the home secretary, Mr G.K. Pillai, later this week to discuss these issues. Sino-Indian ties, incidentally, have seen their share of ups and downs over the years.

While on the downswing last year, the first quarter of 2010 has been relatively quieter. Chinese enterprises had bagged contracts worth $25 billion in India in 2008. The controversy triggered by Mr Ramesh raises doubts on whether there are differences within the government on its China policy. While the government has consciously decided to adopt a cautious stand on the proposed Chinese projects in India due to security concerns, Mr Ramesh virtually echoed the CPI(M) line on the matter, often articulated by party general secretary Mr Prakash Karat and other leaders.

Mr Ramesh’s remarks in Beijing have expectedly led to a flutter in government circles here. The Congress spokesperson, Mr Manish Tiwari, however, said it would be appropriate to comment on the “purported” statements only after talking to Mr Ramesh first. Sources said stringent security checks were enforced by India after the security agencies learnt that some Chinese firms desiring to export telecom equipment were either being directly run by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army or are indirectly connected with it.