Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), August 19
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said on Friday that the Chinese army had transgressed Arunachal Pradesh's border twice last month, although they could be called “incursions”. “We cannot term it as incursion, but transgression, as the Chinese army just crossed the perceived area along the Line of Actual Control,” he told reporters after inaugurating the Pasighat Advance Landing Ground ALG in the northeastern state.
Rijiju said one incident was reported from Kibithu area in remote Anjaw district on July 22 and another at Thangsa in Tawang district later in the same month. Both acts were put down as transgressions, he said.
The ALG will allow fighter aircraft like Su 30 MKI to land and take off in a major fillip to India's military capabilities along its border with China.
The Centre had already started strengthening infrastructure to match China, Rijiju said, adding that the ALG at Pasighat was a major step in the direction.
“We are not challenging or competing with any other country by strengthening our border infrastructure. We will have to build robust infrastructure to strengthen our defence and whatever we have done is because India is an emerging power with capability.
“So IAF should have operational bases in all the bordering states,” he said, noting that the Centre attaches priority to development of border infrastructure.
Asked about the proposed ALG at Tawang, the minister said an area had been identified between Tawang and Lumla at an altitude of 11,000 feet and a rugged terrain at that height was very challenging.
“We will have to see whether the site is feasible or otherwise we will have to look for an alternate place,” he said.
To a question about some leaders of insurgent outfits from the northeast taking shelter in Myanmar, Rijiju said that India has requested Myanmar to take action against the insurgent groups taking shelter in that country.
“There are reports of some leaders of insurgent outfits from the northeast taking shelter in Myanmar and we are in constant talks with the government of that country requesting it to take action against them,” the minister said. — PTI
