Amid heightened concern about Chinese incursions into J&K border areas, Arunachal Pradesh is, instead, worried about large-scale migrations from villages near the China border.
“Food scarcity, lack of basic amenities and access roads are factors behind the migrations,” Takam Sanjoy, Arunachal West MP said.
“It is difficult to quantify, but most villages on the China frontier are deserted, with their inhabitants migrating to Itanagar, Koloriang and other towns deeper inside the state,” he added.
There are some 600 villages within 10km of the 1,046 km border that Arunachal shares with China-controlled Tibet.
Officials in Itanagar said they had no reports of fresh intrusions by Chinese soldiers who had violated the LAC at least four times in 2011. “The border in Arunachal Pradesh is not demarcated, and many strategic points take three days’ foot march to reach from the nearest stations.”