After Ladakh, now it seems that China is brewing tension along the LOC in Arunachal. In a disturbing development, NDTV reported on Monday that China has constructed a new village in Arunachal, consisting of about 101 homes. The village, located on the banks of the river Tsari Chu, lies in Upper Subansiri district – an area which has been long disputed by India and China and has been marked by armed conflict. In June last year, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. The stand-off in Ladakh continues through this winter with thousands of soldiers from both sides deployed on the frontline at extreme altitudes in sub-zero temperatures.
Interestingly in November 2020, BJP MP from Arunachal, Tapir Gao, had warned the Lok Sabha of Chinese incursions in his state, referring specifically to Upper Subansiri district. The government of India was silent and dismissed his claims. But the latest revelations show that indeed Chinese hugely transgressed into Arunachal territory in the Upper Subansiri belt. Similar claims are being made about Upper Siang and Dibang Valley too. The government of India should not commit the same mistake it did in Ladakh. It is believed locals had warned authorities many times about Chinese capturing the land. The Galwan incident thoroughly exposed the intelligence failure of the government of India. They are now repeating the same mistake in Arunachal too. Hopefully this latest report of Chinese constructing villages inside Upper Subansiri will open their eyes.