Arunachal CM Pema Khandu said China continues to transgress along the border. ITBP Director General Kapur confirmed a face-off occurred at several locations in Arunachal and is still ongoing. Indian troops remain deployed in large numbers to prevent escalation, while the Ministry of External Affairs monitors these disturbed patrolling patterns.
“China doesn’t consider the McMahon Line in Arunachal and since the state shares a very long border with Tibet, China, sometimes patrolling parties transgress. Our soldiers go (to) that side, their patrolling parties also come (to) this side sometimes,” he said.
In September, India and China held Corps Commander-level talks at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point amid reports of tension in the Taksing area of the Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh. Wacha is India’s easternmost border personnel meeting point, located in the Kibithoo sector.
On October 22, ITBP Director General Kapur, speaking in Alwar in Rajasthan, said, “Our newly raised Shaurya commandos are doing great work. Recently, a situation arose where a face-off took place at several locations in Arunachal and is still ongoing. There, our Shaurya Commando teams played an exemplary role.” His remarks had the Congress demanding “immediate answers” from the government on the situation.
In response, the Ministry of External Affairs said the situation along the Line of Actual Control “gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns”.
Sources said Indian troops continue to remain deployed in large numbers in the area to prevent any escalation.
On Thursday, Khandu, responding to questions on the ongoing protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in the state, said it was more of a “defence mechanism project” than a hydropower project, and that the administration was attempting to engage with local communities staging protests.
“It is not a hydropower project. It is a defence mechanism project. Hydropower is an offshoot. It is in the discussion stage. Discussions with the public are going on,” he said.
Last week, protests against the proposed 11,200-MW project of NHPC Limited turned violent, following which security personnel fired tear gas shells at demonstrators. Incidents of arson and vandalism took place in Pasighat in East Siang district.
Khandu also spoke on the potential of “battlefield tourism” and “border tourism” in the state. “We are developing tourism potential for all border areas in the state. In fact, most of our tourist spots are located in border areas. However, since this is a strategic state, permits are required and access is controlled,” he said.
One of the famous landmarks in the state is Holy Waterfalls, which is revered by Buddhists. It is just 250 metres from the LAC and is visited daily by tourists. This is ensured through coordination between the ITBP, the Army and the local administration.