No Chinese encroachment in Arunachal, Army safeguarding territory: CM Khandu
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday dismissed reports of Chinese military encroachment in the state, asserting that the Indian Army is effectively patrolling and safeguarding the territory.
"No signs of encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh; Indian Army effectively patrolling and safeguarding the territory," Khandu told reporters.
His remarks came a day after the central government identified 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on the official Survey of India map. The move is seen as a response to China's repeated attempts to rename places in the border state.
An official statement said the exercise was aimed at ensuring accurate recognition of these locations and improving public awareness of their geographical and historical significance.
New Delhi has consistently rejected Beijing's practice of assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh, calling it "vain and preposterous". India maintains that such actions do not alter the "undeniable" fact that Arunachal Pradesh "was, is, and will" remain an integral part of the country.
Several of the newly identified locations hold strategic importance due to their proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and their role in past India-China military confrontations. Among them is Long Ju, one of the earliest flashpoints, where Chinese troops entered in 1959, three years before the 1962 India-China war.
The map also includes Maja village in Upper Subansiri district near Long Ju, Bisa village, and the strategically significant mountain passes of Dzo La, Riza La and Pukur La. Another key location is Thag La, the high-altitude pass where one of the opening battles of the 1962 war took place.
Jairampur in Changlang district, an important logistics hub for the movement of security forces towards eastern Arunachal Pradesh and the Myanmar border, has also been formally identified.
Other locations added to the map include Sambho Sarovar, Bara Kundun, Chhota Kundun, Dhan Bari, Pritnagar, Teritnagar, Ramnagar, Jaswant Garh, Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar, Baisakhi, Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, Chhota Ropuk, Bara Ropuk, Shivaji Nagar, Sunpura, Kamlang Nagar and Buddhamandir.
The border area has witnessed heightened tensions since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, with both sides holding multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the standoff. The naming of these locations is part of India's broader efforts to assert its sovereign claim over the region.
China first issued a list of six standardised names for places in what it calls Zangnan in 2017, followed by a second list of 15 locations in 2021 and another of 11 places in 2023. Beijing uses the term Zangnan to refer to Arunachal Pradesh, a claim India has consistently rejected.
India has repeatedly dismissed these naming attempts as efforts to create "baseless narratives" and warned that such actions could undermine efforts to improve bilateral ties.
