[ Bengia Ajum ]
KAHO, 1 Jun: Kaho, a sleepy village located just a few kilometres away from the Indo-China border in Anjaw district, has been emerging as a major tourist attraction in recent years.
With a population of just over 80 people, the village is home to the Meyor tribe and comprises 18 households. During the 1962 Sino-India war, villages like Kaho and Walong, inhabited by the Meyor tribe, witnessed fierce battles.
Since then, both Kaho and Walong have come a long way and are now major tourist attractions. Besides the scenic beauty, what attracts tourists to Kaho is its distinction as the first village of India. It is the easternmost village of India, and Chinese infrastructure, including roads and buildings, can be viewed from Kaho. With the Tezu to Kibithoo road being upgraded and internet facilities reaching Kaho, the villagers now feel more connected with the rest of the state.
Chochi Meyor, who runs a homestay in Kaho, says that earlier, the majority of the people in the village worked as labourers in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to make a living. “I, along with my husband, started a homestay with money saved from working in the BRO. Today, we run two homestays. We need help from the government in this regard,” said Chochi.
She added that the health and education sectors need improvement. “We have a primary school that can be improved. Lack of teachers is an issue. Further, we need an ambulance for our hospital for emergency situations,” she added.
The villagers depend on the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for emergency medical needs. “The Indian Army and ITBP conduct medical camps on a regular basis, which helps us a lot,” added Chochi.
The villagers also urged the authorities to accelerate the construction of the Tezu to Kaho/Kibithoo road. “The road construction work should gather pace. We face a lot of trouble now due to ongoing road construction, especially during summer. We appeal to the authorities to expedite the construction,” she added.
The Meyor community has credited Chief Minister Pema Khandu for infrastructure improvements in Kaho and Walong areas. “Since Pema Khandu became CM, he has shown keen interest in improving the lives of the people of the Meyor community, and we acknowledge his efforts. We expect more such efforts in the days to come. We are a small tribe with around 1,200 population, and earlier our voices often did not reach power corridors in Itanagar,” said Chochi.
While memories of the 1962 war are slowly fading, the villagers hope peace will always prevail. “During the Sino-India war, elders had to flee from Kaho and other villages. The youths helped the Army. Now the situation is peaceful. We feel secure and share absolute bonhomie with military personnel,” said Chochi.
The Meyor tribe mostly inhabits Kibithoo and Walong circles. They mostly follow Buddhism and are one of the smallest tribes of the state.
