POSSIBLE SHIFT IN SINO=INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE?
NEW DELHI -~ In the context of France's reocognition of the People's Republic of China, the Indian government appears to be pre» paring to make a shift in policy in relation to Peking. There are signs that Prime Minister Nehru is seeking a rapprochement in the Sino~Indian border dispute,
During a visit to New Delhi in February, Burmese President Gen. Ne Win talked with Nehru about the problem, They are known to have discussed a formula whereby India and China might sit down at a round table on the basis of the "Colombo proposals," which were jointly made by the heads of states of Ghana, the United Arab Republic, Burma, Ceylon and Cambodia in relation to settling the Sino-Indian border dispute,
A little later, Lal Bahadur Shastri, substituting for the sick prime minister in the Indian parliament, asserted that an “honorable” basis for opening negotiations with China could be found, The ex~ treme right-wing parties like the Jan Sangh and Swatantra protested his declarations; but a definite move seems likely following Chou En-laits return home from his visit to Colombo.
The capitalist press in India has toned down its "hate China” propaganda and the All-India Radio has dropped its anti-China broad~ cast features,
A section of the big-business press, with the Times of India in
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the forefront, has even begun ° campaigning for New Delhi to “seize the diplomatic initiative" by opening talks with Peking. The Indian press now rules oul a “military settlement of the border dispute.'
It appears that India's new "military" allies, the U.S. and Britain, not caring to get embroiled in a fresh military entanglement on the Sino-Indian border, would lodge no strenuous objections to a negotiated settlement. Khrushchev certainly would not stand in the way of resumption of talks. .
“Another: positive development is the appearance here. and there in the Indian press: of favorable accounts about China although such Chinese publications as the Peking Review are still banned from circulation in the country.
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