China is well known for treacherous acts: Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: A Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday urged the Centre to take urgent precautionary steps along the Indo-China border to thwart off any evil design of Beijing.

Tapir Gao, the BJP MP from the state representing Arunachal East Parliamentary constituency, said that Communist China is well known in the committee of nations for its treacherous acts.

Gao's reaction came after tensions flared up on India-China Border in Eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley region, as Indian Army and China's PLA suffered casualties in a violent faceoff on Monday night.

Indian and Chinese soldiers were in eye ball to eye ball standoff in the region for over a month now.

Indian Army on Tuesday said that there was loss of 20 lives on the Indian side.

"China cannot be trusted and could resort to its deceitful tactic any time," Gao cautioned and exhorted the central government to take urgent precautionary steps along the Indo-China border areas in Arunachal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

At least 20 Indian soldiers along with their battalion commanding officer colonel B Santosh Babu of Galwan Valley were killed by Chinese soldiers in a violent faceoff on Monday night, heightening tensions along the Indo-China border. This is second most violent face-off since 1975 when four Assam Rifles troopers were ambushed.

"Arunachal Pradesh shares 3488-km border with China and patriotic Arunachalees have been very strongly reacting against the inhuman acts of China," Gao added.

"Indigenous Arunchalees, who greet each other with Jai Hind, are not only true Indians but also serve as sentinels of the frontiers," said state Health & Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang, whose Tuting-Yingkiong Assembly constituency in Upper Siang is located along China border.

Reportedly, Chinese soldiers with road-building machines crossed up to 200 metres into Upper Siang district in late December 2017, almost reaching a border village before Indian troops stopped them.

Indian security personnel intercepted the Chinese troops near Bising village under Tuting subdivision of the district, along the eastern bank of Siang river.

Indian soldiers confronted their Chinese counterparts and seized their road construction machines including two excavators.

"Defence establishments along the Indo-China border are located behind the inhabited areas of locals and the border villagers face any intruders first," Libang said, adding that he has been advocating reintroducing home guards, which was a concept for ensuring internal security by trained local youths after the 1962 Chinese war.

"Outsiders cannot manage internal security because of tough hilly terrain of the state," Libang said adding, Arunachal shares border with Bhutan, China and Myanmar while the PLA makes repeated incursions and the home guards could be very successful in border villagers of the state in collecting intelligence too.

Condemning the incident, All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU), the apex student's body of the state, charged Beijing for resorting to repeated incursions into Indian Territory and urged the union government to take extra vigil along the LAC.

"Chinese have a history of breaking trusts for their selfish gains," AAPSU President Hawa Bagang said and advocated for socio-economic boycott against China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sent a strong message to China, stating that India will protect its territorial integrity and will not shy away from responding, if provoked. 

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