ITANAGAR: In a strategic move mirroring China’s effort across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India has decided to establish “new villages” or “habitations” closer to the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.
This initiative aims to bolster security-civilian infrastructure integration and enhance local development along the sensitive border region, a national daily recently reported.
Emerging reports indicate that existing Indian villages in Arunachal Pradesh, situated around 50 to 60 km inside the LAC, have benefited from infrastructure under the Centre’s ongoing Vibrant Villages Programme.
However, their distance from the LAC poses challenges for seamless integration into dual-use security-civilian architecture.
As a result, the government has set targets to establish new habitations closer to the LAC.
These new habitations will leverage the infrastructure, including roads reaching forward military locations along the LAC, and will cater to adventure tourism.
A similar tourism-based initiative has yielded positive outcomes in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir, attracting tourists to the Kishanganga riverbanks opposite Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Unlike border areas in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where Indian villages are closer to the LAC, Arunachal Pradesh’s sparse population necessitates the creation of new habitations.
The initiative aligns with the Vibrant Villages Programme, launched from Kibithoo in far-east Arunachal Pradesh, aiming to upgrade 662 villages with a focus on infrastructure, renewable energy, high-speed telecom connectivity, and tourism promotion.
In contrast, China has established 628 “prosperous villages” along the LAC, including areas opposite Arunachal Pradesh, reinforcing territorial claims and military readiness.
These villages potentially serve a legal defence under the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement-2005, safeguarding settled populations in border areas during any future delineation exercises of the LAC.
As India expands its presence and infrastructure near the LAC in the state, the move underscores strategic imperatives amid ongoing border dynamics with China.
