All eyes are on Arunachal after reports emerged of a seventeen year old boy abducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army from Upper Siang district on January 18.  This is not a one-off case; several such incidents have occured in the recent past. In September 2020, five Arunachalee youths serving as porters for the Indian Army were abducted by the PLA from Sera-7 area near the McMahon Line in Upper Subansiri district. When the abduction was first reported the administration and intelligence agencies denied of any such happening. However, later India was able to secure their safe return through diplomatic channels.

While the Centre is not forthcoming with such information but BJP's Member of Parliament from Arunachal, Tapir Gao has been quite vocal about Chinese activity within Arunachal territory. Even in this recent case from Upper Siang district, Gao on his Twitter account claimed that the youth was abducted from inside Indian territory, Lungta Jor area where China built 3-4kms road inside India in 2018.

Gao is not alone, the BJP'S Subramanian Swamy has also been criticising the Centre’s Narendra Modi government for its denial on the occupation of Indian territory by the Chinese army in Ladakh and elsewhere. In October 2021, Swamy had lashed out at the Modi government after a video of Indian soldiers being tortured by Chinese troops went viral. Although the date and place of the video were not known, the outspoken BJP parliamentarian had launched a tirade against his own party's government.

Arunachal shares a long border with China which it claims as "South Tibet". Chinese incursions and construction have been reported on and off by border residents and the media. In November 2021, NDTV reported on China’s border village within Shi Yomi district which was confirmed by a Pentagon report. However, the report was met with sharp reactions from the Indian government establishment. China recently announced its own standardised names for 15 more places in Arunachal Pradesh. Though one would say, this kind of antics is routine from China, the important point that shouldn't be missed is China's obsession with Arunachal Pradesh. It also doesn't help that India's stand towards Pakistan and China is in stark opposition. 

Indian authorities need to wake up and stop living in denial. Admit to what's going on in our own territory.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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