Confusion at Arunachal Pradesh arises as border with China not demarcated: Kiren Rijiju

Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified on Wednesday that the border with China in parts of Arunachal Pradesh is not marked, leading to differing perceptions of the boundary among residents on both sides. He dismissed reports claiming China had intruded 60 km into Indian territory, stating, "On certain land, they have cast an eye because there is no demarcation.

Our people believe that our land extends further ahead, while the villages situated on the China side, including Tibetan and local people, claim that their land extends deep inside here."

Rijiju's remarks came after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized the need to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the border. The Army and the ITBP have significantly increased their patrolling since August 11, he noted.

In a remote area where a village was built ahead of Longju, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) constructed structures and buildings resembling a village in 1959, which were later expanded in 1962. Since 1962, an Indian post has remained at the border point, and although travel and movement between China and India have been closed at the location since then, Chinese military activity has increased on the high ridges.

Rijiju emphasized the validity of villagers' concerns but criticized the spread of misinformation about China's alleged penetration into Indian territory, stating that such claims undermine the morale of Indian security forces. The current status of the standoff in Arunachal Pradesh remains unclear, though a few face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops were reported in July, with tensions escalating towards the end of the month.