AAPSU questions center’s failure, seeks early release of PLA-kidnapped Arunachalees

ITANAGAR, Sept 6:  The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has called upon the state and central governments to ensure early and safe release of the five people of Nacho area in Upper Subansiri district reported captive by the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Friday.

Terming the incident unfortunate, the AAPSU in its emergency meeting here on Sunday said that recurrence of such incidents “simply reflects the failure of the Central as well as the state government in protecting life and ensuring security of our people inhabiting the border areas.”

“The recent incident is not an isolated case as time and again the PLA have been repeatedly indulging in similar antics whereby innocent civilians living at inhospitable border areas are taken captive at regular intervals,” the AAPSU said.

It further said that the respective governments have shown utter negligence to this frontier state in terms of accelerating development in border areas.

It said absence of all-weather roads and other infrastructure in the border areas is not only making the life of the border area people difficult but also for the defense personnel deployed along the LAC.

“Stop looking at Arunachal only through the prism of security; rather take a more inclusive approach of development at par with other states of the country,” the AAPSU urged upon the central government.

“The misadventures of 1962 should also not be forgotten where our frontier state was a major theatre of war,” the AAPSU said, adding: “With abysmal road infrastructure and other development, history may repeat itself, lest those at Delhi and Itanagar are mindful of the emerging situation.”