Guwahati: As he launched the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ at Kibithoo in the easternmost sector of Arunachal Pradesh Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said: “Our policy is clear, we want peace with everyone. But not an inch of our territory can be transgressed, and there can be no compromise on the integrity of our soldiers and our borders.” His remarks came a week after China’s attempts to “rename” some places within Indian territory.
“Border security is national security. And enhancing border infrastructure is our priority,” Shah further said at the event, which is part of the central government’s initiative to link the border villages in states sharing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
Addressing a public gathering, the BJP leader, who is on a two-day visit to the northeastern state, referred to Kibithoo as the country’s “first village, from where India begins”.
On 2 April, the Chinese government had released a list of 11 places along with a map that showed parts of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, a claim India has outrightly rejected.
“Kibithoo is India’s first village and not the last. Earlier, when people visited here, they used to say, ‘I had gone to the last village of the country’. But today, I will return home to tell my granddaughter that I visited the first village of India,” Shah said, adding: “This conceptual change is because of PM Modi’s vision, his respect and admiration for our troops manning the border.”
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‘We sleep peacefully because ITBP standing guard’
Recalling the legacy of the 1962 war, the home minister said that the country can now sleep without a worry because of the dedication of the forces guarding the borders, including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), at perilous heights.
“We are sleeping peacefully in Central or North India because of our ITBP jawans standing guard, be it in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh or Kashmir. No one can dare to challenge us today or transgress our boundaries,” Shah asserted.
“It is because of the patriotism of the people of Arunachal Pradesh that the ones who crossed our borders in 1962 had to return,” he added.
Shah said that the border villages will be connected with electricity, water and sanitation in a period of three years, at par with the rest of the country.
He also said that ITBP personnel or ‘Himveers’ and others guarding the border would be equipped with all the facilities to survive harsh weather conditions.
A total of 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts on the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union territory of Ladakh have been identified for comprehensive development under the Vibrant Villages Programme.
“Northeast has transformed from a troubled region to one that is significantly contributing to the progress of our country. It has been possible because of the Act East Policy under prime minister Modi, as conflict and insurgency is coming to an end,” said Shah.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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