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Nobody can take inch of land: Shah in Arunachal

ByNeeraj Chauhan, Kibithoo
Apr 11, 2023 12:18 AM IST

India's home minister, Amit Shah, has stated that India will not allow anyone to take even an inch of land and border security is the government's top priority, during his visit to Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh. The visit comes days after China renamed 11 places in the state, which it claims as South Tibet, further straining the bilateral ties between the two countries. Shah also launched the ?4800 crore Vibrant Villages programme from Kibithoo, which aims to develop villages in 46 border blocks of 19 districts in four states and one Union Territory abutting the northern border.

India will not allow anyone to take even an inch of land and border security is government’s top priority, Union home minister Amit Shah said in Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh days after China renamed 11 places including mountain peaks, rivers and residential areas in the state, which it claims as South Tibet, further straining the bilateral ties between two countries, which have been locked in a standoff along the line of actual control in Ladakh since May 2020.

Union home minister Amit Shah in Kibithoo, Arunachal Pradesh, on Monday. (PTI)

Shah also launched the 4800 crore Vibrant Villages programme from Kibithoo, the first village near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) overlooking Chinese posts in Arunachal Pradesh in what is seen as another message to Beijing.

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The home minister asserted that besides the holistic development of border villages to stop migration of the locals to the cities, the army and the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) will be provided with every facility they need to deal with any threat from across the border.

In February, the Union cabinet approved the induction of 9,400 more Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops in seven new border battalions that will serve along the LAC .

“Those times are over when somebody could occupy our land. Today, nobody can have an evil eye on Indian territory and we will not allow anyone to take even an inch. Our biggest priority is border security and border infrastructure,” Shah said during his first ever visit to the eastern end of India’s 3488 km long LAC .

New Delhi has already strongly rejected China’s move to rename the places in Arunachal Pradesh saying the state has been an inalienable part of India.

China on Monday objected to Shah’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying it violated Beijing’s territorial sovereignty and was not “conducive” to peace and tranquility along the border.

Shah blamed the Congress for ignoring border infrastructure and overall development of the north-east in its 12 terms in power, adding that Modi government had done more development work in its two terms.

“Before 2014, the entire north east was seen as an area which had various problems including insurgency and alienation from the mainland. It was because of the laziness of the leaders in Delhi at that time. All this is ending today. North east is contributing to the growth of India. Insurgency has come down in the region. The violence has been reduced by 60%, there are 83% less civilians’ deaths and AFSPA has been removed from 70% of the region. It will be removed from entire north east as the situation further improves,” Shah said, referring to the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that gives the army immunity from prosecution in disturbed areas.

Welcomed by hundreds of people with the chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” , Shah arrived in Kibithoo on a two-day trip to launch the Vibrant Villages programme besides inaugurating nine hydropower projects. These projects will provide electricity to 25 villages and 11 establishments of the army and the ITBP.

The central scheme aims to develop villages in 46 border blocks of 19 districts in four states and one Union Territory — Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Ladakh — abutting the northern border. A fund of 4,800 crore has been allocated between 2022-23 and 2025-26 for the programme.

In the first phase of the scheme, 662 villages have been identified, including 455 in Arunachal Pradesh.

The programme was announced against the backdrop of the Chinese building model villages along the borders with India and Bhutan.

The home minister further said that the Vibrant Villages programme will be implemented in three stages: by carrying out development activities, building infrastructure such as hydro power projects, roads, bridges, education systems, mobile towers etc; stopping migration by providing employment to the locals so that they don’t move out of the border villages; and regular monitoring of development work.

“The output benchmark indicators have been created to oversee the Vibrant Villages programme status. I will personally monitor it and PM (Narendra) Modi is also watching the work being done at the border villages. I want to assure you (locals) that your village will have every facility; this is the responsibility of Modi government and Arunachal Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu,” Shah said.

Speaking at the event, Khandu said India is not the same country it was in 1962, a reference to the Sino-Indian war of that year. “This is not the same country of 1962. It is the country of Modi. It is the country of Shah. When the country celebrates the centenary in 2047, the north east will also have a major contribution in its growth story”, Khandu said.

Amit Shah visited ITBP and army camps at Kibithoo and interacted with officers and jawans.

Kibithoo is the main border camp at Walong, which is known for the battle of Walong in 1962. The battle is considered to be one of the few glorious chapters for India in the 1962 war, where heavily outnumbered and outgunned Indian soldiers halted the Chinese war machine at Walong.

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