當地時間8月5日，印度政府宣布廢除憲法賦予印控克什米爾地區過去70年一直享有的特殊地位。對於不知情的外人來說，這似乎屬於印度的內政。
然而，事實並非如此。印度政府提出「查謨和克什米爾重組法案」（Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill），成立「拉達克中央直轄區」，試圖將該爭議地區直接變為其國家領土。
巴基斯坦和中國都對此表示反對，稱印度的這一舉動是非法且不具有任何效力的。此外，其他一些國家也呼籲印度應謹慎行事，因為這並不像印度外交部所宣稱的那樣，是一件簡單的印度內部事務。
印度和巴基斯坦都宣稱對克什米爾擁有完整主權，因此巴基斯坦譴責印度的決定是非法的，稱克什米爾是國際社會承認的爭議地區。
此外，印度宣布成立的「拉達克中央直轄區」涉及中印邊界西段的中國領土，因此中方認為印度方面的做法「不可接受，也不會產生任何效力」。中國外交部6日回應稱，中方一直反對印方將中印邊界西段的中方領土劃入印行政管轄範圍，這一立場是堅定、一貫的，從無任何改變。
早在今年大選期間，印度人民黨就做出了廢除印控克什米爾地區特殊地位的承諾，但兌現承諾要冒的政治風險卻是極高的。為了實現諾言而侵犯鄰國領土主權，可見印度此舉實在不明智。
目前，巴基斯坦已請求聯合國及其他國家對此進行幹預。中國也敦促印度在邊界問題上謹言慎行，嚴格遵守雙方達成的相關協定，避免採取導致邊界問題進一步複雜化的舉動。
中印邊界除了2017年的洞朗對峙之外，在幾十年的時間裡都基本上保持和平，這是因為雙方都保持克制，避免採取挑釁行動。印度國內法律上的任何修改都不會改變克什米爾地區作為國際法爭議領土的性質，利用國內立法對中國領土主張主權，這顯然是中國無法接受的。
這樣的做法即便不會對中印關係造成直接的實質性傷害，但也將不可避免地帶來一些負面影響。中國和印度作為兩個人口眾多的鄰國，會在越來越多共同關心的問題上越走越近。印度的確應該謹慎行事，否則只會適得其反。
（註：英文原文在8月8日刊發的《中國日報》第九版）
（翻譯：高琳琳 編輯：黨超峰 周鳳梅）
India should avoid recklessly complicating boundary issues: China Daily editorial
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party stripped the disputed Kashmir region of its seven-decade autonomy and special status on Monday.
Which, to uninformed outsiders may sound like an internal affair of India.
The BJP government-proposed "Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill" seeks to divide the state into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, which will have an elected legislature, and Ladakh, which will be ruled directly by the central government.
Which, again, may seem to be no one's business but its own.
But both Pakistan and China have voiced opposition, saying it's illegal, and several other governments have appealed for caution on New Delhi's part. Because it is not, as the Indian Foreign Ministry claimed, a simple internal affair of India's.
While it does concern "the territory of India", as New Delhi insists, it concerns those of others' as well.
Islamabad has condemned New Delhi's decision as "illegal", stating Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory. Both India and Pakistan claim it in its entirety.
Beijing, too, has declared the move as "unacceptable" and that it "will not be in any sense binding".
This is because India's claim over Ladakh, as part of Kashmir, involves Chinese territory.
Beijing has emphasized it opposes "India's inclusion of Chinese territory in the western sector of the China-India boundary into its administrative jurisdiction", saying such a practice is unacceptable and will not come into force.
The BJP may have very high political stakes in honoring such a campaign promise, but a political maneuver like this is unadvisable because it violates the sovereignty of neighboring countries.
Pakistan has asked the United Nations and other countries to intervene. China has urged India to abide by bilateral agreements and avoid acts that further complicate border issues.
The China-India border, except the 2017 Doklam standoff, has by and large remained peaceful over the past decades, because both sides have practiced restraint and avoided provocative moves.
No change made to India's domestic laws will change the related area's nature as disputed territory in international law.
But using India's domestic legislation to claim jurisdiction over a piece of Chinese territory is certainly unacceptable to China.
Even without inflicting immediate tangible damage on bilateral ties, this move will inevitably have negative consequences. Which will be very counterproductive as the two populous neighbors find increasing needs to get closer on matters of common interest.
India should exercise prudence.
來源：中國日報網