India has clarified that its support for a United Nations resolution promoting the use of equal-area maps does not amount to endorsing any particular map or altering the depiction of existing national borders. The clarification came after the UN released a new world map that shows Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, which India affirms is a part of Ladakh, as separate regions lying between the “claim lines” of India and China.
“…we favoured the resolution and voted in favour of the resolution. When the resolution was adopted in the UN General Assembly, we also made a statement where we clarified our position…The resolution is focused on the principle of equal-area maps. It does not endorse any map of any private party or any particular entity,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
India had supported the map-related ‘Correct the Map’ resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 4. However, Jaiswal has stressed that New Delhi’s vote was based solely on the principle of equal-area mapping.
The MEA spokesperson had earlier said that India’s vote in favour of the map was based on “the underlying principle of promoting equal-area cartographic representation.”
“The resolution is focused on the principle of having, giving weightage or giving credence to equal-area maps, so that, as we have said, the equal-area maps project or preserve the relative sizes of continental landmarks,” he stated.
“India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India’s official map. Any inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable. Our position on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear, consistent and non-negotiable,” Jaiswal said in the statement.
What does the UN map show?
The map was initially released on July 1, as discussions were taking place on the UNGA resolution. In its depiction of Arunachal Pradesh, the map removes the state’s boundary with Nagaland and shows it as a separate state, with Assam and China on either side. Notably, Aksai Chin has also been shown as a separate region. The United Nations has not given any explanation for these changes.
Jammu and Kashmir has been shown with a dotted line marking the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan.
The map also carries a note on its left side about the LoC. It says that the “dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.”