After creating a major controversy, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) on Saturday tendered an apology to the people of Arunachal over renaming Kimin as ‘Bilgarh’ in Assam and covering Arunachal’s name with white paste during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent visit to Kimin to inaugurate roads. The BRO clarified it was an inadvertent and unintended mistake. The entire people of Arunachal had been seething with anger over the move of the BRO. The apology and the explanation given by the BRO has not satisfied the people of the state.
Many are not ready to accept the explanation. There are demands for proper investigation in order to unearth the truth behind the ‘conspiracy’. Looks like the issue will not die down early. Whatever may be the outcome, there is no denying that the entire people of the state, right from political leaders to ordinary citizens, have come together and sent out a strong message to the BRO and the central government. This attempt to humiliate the tribal people of Arunachal in their own state will not be tolerated at any cost. The government of India should respect the territorial integrity of the state. The BRO in particular, having operated in the state for so long, should be aware about local sentiments. They committed a grave mistake in Kimin. The relation between the BRO and the people of the state has been hurt. The trust level has been damaged. They will have to really work hard to win back the trust of the people.