- Rijiju denies China intruded 60 km into Arunachal Pradesh.
- Undemarcated India-China border causes ongoing tensions and claims.
- Minister warns against misinformation, affecting troop morale.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday denied reports claiming that China had intruded 60 kilometres into Arunachal Pradesh. He said there is a problem along the border, but this is because the boundary has not been clearly demarcated.
The remarks came after Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi made allegations regarding an alleged Chinese intrusion into Indian territory, asserting that the concerns being raised in Arunachal Pradesh need to be viewed in the context of the long-standing lack of a formally demarcated India-China boundary.
In an interview with IANS, Rijiju said, "India and China share a very long border in Arunachal Pradesh that has not been formally delineated. There are no border pillars, and the boundary is not clearly marked on the ground; there is no distinct border line. This is not a recent issue. Even when Tibet was a separate entity, the border between Tibet and India had not been delineated."
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Rijiju acknowledged concerns among villagers living in border areas but cautioned against using unverified videos and claims to suggest that Chinese troops had occupied Indian territory.
He said the lack of demarcation had contributed to tensions and competing claims over certain areas. Rijiju also noted that the region's difficult terrain had historically limited permanent settlements, with some areas traditionally used for hunting and grazing.
"Due to the absence of delineation, there have been long tensions between India and China," he said.
According to Rijiju, another major concern is the pace of infrastructure development along the border. He alleged that China began constructing roads and other infrastructure much earlier, while Congress-led governments at the Centre adopted a different approach.
Claim of entering 60 km inside is false
Rijiju said, “Those who say that China has come 60 kilometres inside (India) and share various videos to defame us are wrong.
There is a problem along the border. Some people from villages in Arunachal Pradesh have raised concerns about the border issue, and these concerns are legitimate because the boundary has not been demarcated.”
The Union Minister said, “This is where the confusion lies, but spreading lies that they have come 60 kilometres inside and posting pictures from Bangladesh or elsewhere to make it appear that the Chinese army has entered 60 kilometres into Arunachal Pradesh is not right. Spreading such misinformation lowers the morale of our army personnel and security forces deployed there and creates confusion in the country. This is not right.”
He said India had strengthened security arrangements along the border, with the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) increasing patrolling in the area.
"We have a post at the current border point. While there is no cross-border movement between India and China at that specific location, Chinese military activity has certainly increased along the ridgeline. This has heightened the concerns of our villagers, and we must take their apprehensions seriously," he added.
Rijiju dismisses claims of occupation
Rijiju said the situation should not be construed as China having occupied an Indian village. He explained that the absence of a formally demarcated boundary has resulted in competing territorial claims.
“They have their eyes on some land because it has not been demarcated. Our people believe that our land extends further ahead, while people living in villages on the Chinese side, including Tibetans and local people, claim that their land extends quite far inside this area.”
Rijiju's comments came amid renewed attention on the India-China border and concerns over developments in Arunachal Pradesh.
The recent government decision to officially identify 27 locations and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh using their standard names on Survey of India maps has also drawn attention to the region and the broader boundary dispute.