Amit Shah to visit Arunachal Pradesh, launch programs near LAC
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reportedly visit Kibithoo—a strategically important village in Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC)—on Monday to launch the Centre-sponsored "Vibrant Villages Programme" for the development of villages at the India-China border. On Saturday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader would be in the state on Monday and Tuesday.
Why does this story matter?
The visit by the senior BJP leader comes at a time when a row over the nation's international borders with neighboring China is ongoing. However, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey recently claimed, while speaking at the India Today Conclave 2023, that the situation was stable but acknowledged that keeping a "close" tab on it was necessary.
Details on Vibrant Villages Programme
Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, the Centre plans to improve the quality of life of locals living in the border villages. It also encourages the people to remain native to their locations and roots. With assistance at panchayat and block levels, the concerned district administration would be tasked with preparing action plans for villages to make sure 100% saturation of state and central schemes.
Know about Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh
On Monday, Shah will also inaugurate nine micro hydel projects of the Arunachal Pradesh government in Kibithoo constructed under the "Golden Jubilee Border Illumination Programme." The Union minister will then visit an exhibition of products made by women's self-help groups before inaugurating various Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) projects to boost infrastructure at Likabali (Arunachal Pradesh), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Nooranad (Kerala), and Chapra (Bihar).
Shah to pay homage at Walong War Memorial
Furthermore, the senior BJP leader will also interact with personnel from the ITBP at Kibithoo in the Anjaw district of the border state on Monday. Following this, Shah is also scheduled to visit Namti Valley on Tuesday and pay homage to Sino-Indian War heroes at the Walong War Memorial, the news outlet India Today quoted a statement from the home ministry as saying.
India's strained bilateral ties with China
Shah's visit also comes just days after China renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as South Tibet, straining the bilateral ties between the two nations even more. This was also reportedly the third time that Beijing has unilaterally renamed places in the border state, after changing the names of six places in April 2017 and 15 places in December 2021.
India's response to China renaming places in Arunachal
Reacting to the renaming of 11 places, the Indian government has strongly rejected China's move. "This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright. Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated.
