Bhupen Goswami
GUWAHATI : China calls Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet. Several meetings have been held between India and China on the border dispute but till date the issue has not been resolved. Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister, Bamang Felix, today said that Arunachal will always remain an integral part of India, and China should stop making hypothetical claims on the state. He said that “It is sad that China has the imagination to claim our state as ‘South Tibet’.” Arunachal has always been a part of India and will remain so.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had said that “China has not recognized” the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’, which is the South Tibet region of China. “In response to questions about the whereabouts of 5 missing youths allegedly abducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, Arunachal Home Minister Felix said that the state police, as well as the Indian Army youth, would be safely rescued. Is doing its job for sure.
Regarding the poor road connectivity in the border areas, Felix said that construction of several roads along the border areas of the state is in progress and some have already been completed. Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao termed the statement of the Chinese spokesperson as ‘false’. “We were never part of Tibet and will never be part of China. In fact, even Tibet was not under China in the past, but they occupied it illegally and are now trying to claim Arunachal Pradesh, ”said Tao. Echoing Gao, his Rajya Sabha counterpart Nabam Rebiya said “the Chinese claim on Arunachal is completely fictitious.”
“China should refrain from making such inflammatory claims and instead maintain brotherhood. They should be clear that the people of Arunachal Pradesh are Indians and will remain so in future. The MP further said “China should not underestimate the power of India. It is mentioned here that China calls Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet. Several meetings have been held between India and China on the border dispute but till date the issue has not been resolved.
The two countries have a 3,500 km (2,174 mi) long border. Due to the border dispute, the two countries stood face-to-face on the battlefield in 1962, but there are still disputes over some areas on the border that sometimes cause tension.India’s sovereignty is recognized internationally including Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal is considered part of India in international maps. China also claims Arunachal Pradesh along with Tibet and calls it southern Tibet. In the beginning, China claimed Tawang in the northern part of Arunachal Pradesh. Here is the largest Buddhist temple in India. “