First a village was built, now it is inhabited by citizens, China’s dangerous actions near LAC increased India’s tension.

China has once again come into action on the Line of Actual Control i.e. LAC. China has started occupying the villages situated in the areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese nationals have begun occupying several of their model “Xiaokang” border defense villages along India’s north-eastern borders, The Indian Express reports. Senior officials familiar with the matter said China has started capturing some villages along the LAC in the Lohit Valley and across the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in the last few months. China has been building 628 such prosperity villages along India’s borders with Tibet Autonomous Region, including Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, over the past five years.

Villages being established near the border

Although the exact nature of these villages is unclear, the settlements can be seen as dual-use infrastructure, i.e. serving both civilian and military purposes. Thus they remain a matter of concern for the army. Till now, the two-storey, large and spacious buildings constructed as part of these villages along the LAC were vacant. Chinese citizens have been moving in over the past few months. It is not known whether the occupants are civilians or military personnel. Sources said the Chinese are building infrastructure along the LAC along the northeastern border, while the LAC is far away from most populated areas or areas of importance except Tawang and Siliguri corridor. They (Chinese) have created adequate infrastructure near the LAC in Tawang. But they are not stopping here. Even in other areas like Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, we are seeing rapid development of Chinese infrastructure. The official said the Chinese have continuously improved their existing infrastructure, including improving their connectivity through passes, roads and bridges and building their model villages. China is also building infrastructure in Bhutanese territory, including border villages. Over the last three to four years, India has also intensified work on its border infrastructure – this includes improving forward connectivity, creating alternative routes to the LAC as well as connecting them.

India’s Vibrant Villages Program

Under the Vibrant Villages programmes, India plans to develop 663 border villages into modern villages with all amenities in the first phase. Of them, at least 17 such villages in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh bordering China have been selected for development as pilot projects under the programme. In Arunachal Pradesh, villages such as Zemithang, Taksing, Chiang Tajo, Tuting and Kibithu have been identified in the eastern part of the state and Tawang region. Additionally, in Arunachal Pradesh, three major highways are in various stages of construction: the Trans-Arunachal Highway, the Frontier Highway and the East-West Industrial Corridor Highway. There are plans to improve connectivity to Tawang with the construction of at least two alternative axes, in addition to the existing one connecting Guwahati and Tawang.