It is heartening to note that relations between India and China have been improving steadily in recent decades. A great future is beckoning our two ancient civilizations to come together on a path of mutual rediscovery and cooperation in the modern era to promote peace and stability in Asia and all-round enrichment of life in the world. In the present scenario, I believe, our two countries should attach greater importance and urgency to resolving the border dispute on a fair, reasonable and durable basis, and also in a spirit of accommodation of each other’s concerns and recognition of the ground-realities.

India presents a proud—I may even add, exemplary—example of forging unity in diversity, respect for all modes of worship, and mutually tolerant coexistence among people professing different faiths. Often, in some localized situations, the relationship between different faith-based communities exhibits tension, which occasionally snowballs into violent conflict. This is true even about intra-community relations. But all such incidents, invariably, are aberrations, and not a permanent feature of India’s social reality. They are exceptions, rather than the rule.