Tawang face-off: Arunachal locals ready to help Indian soldiers if required

GUWAHATI: Jambey Tsering is virtually glued to his mobile phone these days, for he does not want to miss any updates on the December 9 clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

“We have seen in a video what happened between the two sides. The Indian Army is giving their everything to protect our motherland,” Tsering, a young businessman from Tawang, told TNIE.

His reference was to viral videos on social media after the incident of border clashes. A sense of patriotism has gripped the locals. They are ready to go to the border and help the Indian soldiers if required.

“NGOs and people, including the youth, are saying they will go to the border and help the Indian Army if they have any problem. A students’ organisation has released a video saying it is ready to help the Indian soldiers,” Tsering said.

Sewang Dorjee is neither tense nor afraid after the border skirmish. “I don’t have any tension. The Indian Army is there on the border to protect us,” Dorjee said. His Geling village in the Upper Siang district of central Arunachal is less than 5 km from the China border.

“People are discussing it but they are not afraid. They have full confidence in the Indian soldiers. If required, we will go and fight alongside them. This is our land. We have to protect it,” Dorjee said.

Opang Taron, who hails from Nido village located around 30 km from the border, said China hatched a “conspiracy” against India.

“China should maintain peace on the border but we are not afraid of them. If the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) creates a problem, we must not leave everything to the Indian soldiers but do something to protect our country,” he insisted.

His 17-year-old son Miram was brutally beaten up by the PLA before being released nine days later in January this year. The teenager had gone to a forest on the border in search of medicinal herbs but was picked up by the PLA.

Raju Diru, a local from Tato village in Shi Yomi district, said India must not give an inch of land to China. “We appreciate how India is dealing with the border issue under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are all with the Indian soldiers,” he said.

Annu Pullom Diru, a housewife from Monigong in Shi Yomi, said there should be a permanent solution to the border disputes. “The clashes took place in Tawang. Who knows a similar incident may take place in our district next. We’ve got fed up with these,” she said.