A recent incident in the Northeast has raised questions about border preparedness amid seasonal pressure. Incessant rainfall damaged National Highway 113, resulting in the cutting off of the China-bordering Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh for more than a week. This damage has disrupted access to remote regions of the Anjaw district, such as Kibithoo and Chaglagam. They hold strategic significance due to their proximity to the China border. Due to stalled vehicular movement, the local population is facing logistical problems. They are forced to carry essential supplies on their head. It is an alarming incident not just from a humanitarian perspective, but more from a strategic and national security perspective.
Strategic Concerns
The
state of Arunachal Pradesh has been a site of multiple encroachments and
skirmishes, including the 1962 war and the recent Tawang clash in 2022. China
illegally claims Arunachal Pradesh is part of South Tibet. Anjaw district,
which was cut off for over a week, is the easternmost district of India,
sharing a border with China to the north. During the 1962 war, parts of this
district were briefly occupied by the Chinese PLA. Therefore, a compromise in
access to this border region shows a strategic vulnerability.
On
the Chinese side, China has started a bullet train in Tibet, which connects
Lhasa with Nyingchi, a strategically located Tibetan border town near Arunachal
Pradesh.1 Fast connectivity to reach LAC can provide strategic
benefits in case of conflict between China and India. Along the LAC, China has
aimed to construct more than 600 Xiaokang (Well-off Villages).2 Some
of these villages near Arunachal Pradesh are being occupied. These Xiaokangs
are considered for dual-use purposes. These villages are constructed in such a
way that they can facilitate the PLA’s logistics and deployment near the
border. These villages can help in the permanent Chinese presence in remote
border areas.
On
the Indian side of the McMahon Line, India is also improving its
infrastructure. For improving the connectivity along the border and to reach
the remote areas, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed several
strategically important roads in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, such as the
Sela Tunnel and the Sela Pass Road- to enhance all-weather access to Tawang and
the Tawang-Bum La Road- to ensure better mobility along the India-China border.3
To counter China’s Xiaokang, India has launched the Vibrant Village Programme
in April 2023. Under this programme, the Indian government will ensure basic
amenities for the people living in the villages near the border. The government
sees these people as partners of the armed forces in border management and
national security.
However, both countries are improving their
capabilities on their respective borders. But the infrastructure gap in the
border region between India and China is concerning. India is catching China in
improving border infrastructure. The disruption to NH-113 demonstrates that
even after the scaling up of the border infrastructure, a natural disaster such
as heavy rainfall can hamper the capability of timely troop movement to the
border area where the neighbour is hostile. It is worrying given China’s
extensive development along its border, which can allow the swift deployment of
its soldiers.
When
you have a hostile neighbour, it becomes necessary to participate in the border
infrastructure race. For decades, China has outpaced us in developing roads,
railways and other infrastructure projects. Now we are catching it and completing
several projects along the border to fulfil our strategic demands. However,
given the mountainous terrain, challenging path, and extreme weather
conditions, BRO’s infrastructure projects are praiseworthy. But the current
geopolitical scenario demands more robust and all-weather solutions.
The
disruption to NH-113 serves as a critical stress test of India’s strategic
infrastructure. Compared to the past development, India is moving fast in
constructing several strategic infrastructures. But we need a strategy of
diversification, and faster response and restoration mechanisms. To avoid a
situation like the Anjaw district being isolated for over a week, we need
diversification of the access routes. It will reduce the reliance on a single
point of vulnerability. However, helicopter sorties were activated to provide
emergency services to stranded civilians. But we should not overlook the
strategic vulnerability that it demonstrates. However, here we need not miss
the point that, even after diversification, having a strategy of faster
response and restoration enhances the capacity to face the vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
Border management does not require only military might but also resilient infrastructure and community development. The Anjaw district incident, though localised, serves as a potent reminder that border management in the region, like Arunachal Pradesh, requires all-weather and diversified routes. India needs to accelerate infrastructure development along the border, ensuring that these infrastructures can withstand natural and geographical challenges.
Ashish Kesarwani
Notes
1. PTI.
(2021, June 25). China launches first bullet train in Tibet, close to Indian
border. India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/china-launches-first-bullet-train-in-tibet-close-to-indian-border-1819166-2021-06-25
2.
Dutta, A. N. (2024, February 15). Explained: China’s ‘Xiaokang’ border defence
villages along the LAC, now being occupied. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/china-xiaokang-border-defence-villages-lac-9163202/
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