In the interactions the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister had with the Prime Minister and Finance Minister during the past couple of days, it was the urge for more Central assistance in ushering in development in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh that was common. The state’s demand is legitimate and if placed in the context of national security it’s more a national need than Arunachal’s alone. While theoretically the argument always remained and had been placed by the state several times in the past, after the revelation that China has managed to construct a full-fledged village well within the Indian territory in Upper Subansiri, there are no options now but to give importance to the matter. 

Why the districts along the long international border that Arunachal shares with multiple countries needs real development are clear to understand and require no elaborate deliberations. For China Arunachal is always a soft target given the fact that its geographical features make ‘things’ easy. This, coupled with low population density means that civilian response to any possible encroachment attempt is minimum and that has been the root cause of the current village-building maneuver by China. It is further worse in the national security perspective that due to the absence of bare necessities for human survival, the already meager population in these border areas are dwindling and it’s a kind of forced exodus. It has been a fact which can hardly be challenged that the state’s border area people have been the most loyal and efficient watchdogs of all foreign (read China) incursions so far. But if just for want of development they are forced to vacate these strategic places, upholding the territorial integrity of the country will not only be challenging, but also virtually impossible. If the basics such as electricity, mobile connection, health facilities, educational opportunities continue to remain evasive today as has been the case throughout the decades since independence, it is no surprise that the exodus will go on unabated. The Centre must have a clear understanding of the seriousness of the matter and do all that is needed if it intends to prevent a ‘do as you like’ situation for China. It needs mentioning for a further time that Arunachal Pradesh continues to remain the only state in the country deprived of all external financial aids that come from World Bank, ADB, JICA etc. only due to China’s enviable coercive global outreach and the issue has not been pursued in the manner it should be on international fora still today. If this is impossible then how long will the state have to wait for alternative arrangements?

It is unfathomable why a fiercely patriotic state has to plead again and again for things it rightly deserves. Develop Arunachal’s border areas on war footing to avoid further loss of lands.   

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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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