If a Pakistan threat defines J and K, Arunachal is a state that is defined by the China threat. More so, because India lost the only real war that she fought with China, in 1962. The seeds of the dispute lie in the Tawang monastery. During the days when Tibet was ruled from Lhasa, not Beijing, Tawang was a monastery which owed allegiance to a bigger monastery in Tibet. The monastery would collect taxes from locals and pass on the same to TIbet.

In the early 20th century, the British leadership had a cartographic challenge in the North East part of India which McMahon, the then Secretary of State of the UK, was tasked with resolving. During negotiations in Simla with the Tibetan government, it was agreed that the Brahmputra, called the Tsangpo in China, watershed would serve as a boundary between Tibet and India. But further west, closer to Bhutan, no watersheds existed. 

China in those days was in the last days of the rule of the Qin dynasty. The rulers were fighting their own survival struggles, and did not pay too much attention to the border negotiations. After independence, Sardar Patel mandated that Tawang should be in Indian control. The Assam Rifles were dispatched to Tawang – and they managed to nudge the Tawang monks into retreating into their parent  monastery in Tibet. The forties were again a time of turmoil in China. Chiang Kai Shek and company, who had come to power by overthrowing the Qins, were forced by the Communists to flee to Formosa island, now Taiwan. Again, the Tawang border dispute remained under the radar for the Chinese. As the new Communist regime settled in, it was happy to note that the past Chinese government had not been signatory to the McMahon agreement of 1914. In an attempt to bolster their bargaining position, they staked a claim to the entire territory north of the Brahmputra.

In Arunachal, the army plays a dominating role in civilian life. Aka J and K, they run a sadhbhavna scheme to fund schemes meant to benefit the local population. An army funded Sainik school has been started recently. The governor is a retired army general, who used to head the Northern Command in the Indian army. In the earlier days, PLA camps used to be quite far from the border – but in recent years they have started coming closer. The Indian army patrols along demarcated checkpoints which they think are safely much within Indian jurisdiction – the Chinese have an opinion that these checkpoints are the border. The average altitude at the border is 13,000 to 15,000 ft above MSL, with villages located at lower altitudes about 20-30 km away from the border. Thanks to global warming, the army is working actively at resettling populations closer to the LAC, so that they are able to keep a watch on PLA activities. 

Arunachal started as the North East Frontier Tract during the British days. The Tract was changed to Agency post independence. In 1972, the agency transited to become a Union Territory, and then a state in 1987. There are quite a few Buddhists in AP, about 20% Christians, but most of Arunachal is tribal – the Adis are nature worshippers. The Itanagar airport is named after their deities – Doima Polo – the Sun and the Moon. There are more than 200 tribes and as many dialects – 5 of the dialects can actually be called languages – as they have their own distinct scripts. In the British days, inter tribe communication would speak in Assamese, post independence they have switched to Hindi. The tribals are generally peaceful – and Arunachal, unlike its six other North Eastern sisters, has never seen any real insurgency. 

The Ahoms, who migrated from Myanmar, were rulers of this region for more than 600 years. They lost to the British in the early 19th century – and the region became part of the Bengal presidency. During the later part of the Ahom rule they were threatened by other Myanmar folks who would come marauding into their territory. With the Myanmar junta not in control of northern Burma, the Myanmar insurgency is bothering Arunachal somewhat – but a few surgical strikes on camps across the border are helping somewhat. Even today, there is resistance on both sides for the border fence. 

Getting back to Ahoms, to protect their subjects, the Ahoms constructed a few forts on the north and south bank of the Brahmaputra. One such brick (ita) fort gave its name to Arunachal’s capital – Itangar. There were only 5 districts during the NEFA days – demarcated by riversheds – Kamang, Subasri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap, the last two being south of Assam. These 5 have now morphed into 28. The assembly has 60 MLAs. Arunachal has not just leapfrogged, it has polevaulted in medicine – they use telemedicine for consultations and drones fly in medicines across valleys to remote villages. There is a medical college in Itanagar and one more is on the anvil. 

Economics is not the strong point of the state – as the hills cannot support any significant population. As per the last census, Arunachal had a total population of 15 lakh. Post statehood, the central government has been looking at using the state resources – more to help the center than the state. There are 3 hydel projects in operation, with 7,000 MW generation capacity. 13 more are in the pipeline. The total hydel capacity is estimated to be 58,000 MW. I would suggest that the central government look at Sikkim hydel projects which were washed away in flash floods before they decide on large hydel projects. 

Arunachal wants only non polluting industries, so focus remains on food processing, textiles (I assume mostly hand woven) – and of course IT. CII has started a skilling center in AP – where internships and placements  have started happening. What worries me is the current government’s plan to bring huge tracts of the state under palm and rubber plantations. 80% of the state is under forest. I wonder what the percentage would be, if commercial horticulture makes inroads. What I liked more was the government’s work with organic farmers. Arunachal produces a significant amount of Mandarin oranges, smaller than the Nagpur ones – but tastier. Off late, they have also become the nation’s largest producers of kiwi. 

Tourism is one area where Arunachal is treading cautiously. Indian tourists need an inner line permit to enter Arunachal. The plan is to use the Bhutan template and attract fewer, but higher paying, tourists. There is a shortage of rooms at the moment – but home stays seem to be popular. Birders love the place as there are some bird species which can only be found in Arunachal. The government is looking at giving a leg up to mountaineering – more as a tool for international recognition of Arunachal being firmly Indian territory.  Tawang has a 5 star hotel constructed by the Taj group.

I think it would be more interesting to visit the smaller towns of Eastern Arunachal. The Brahmaputra, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, flows eastward for 1700 km before making a dramatic U-turn around Namcha Barwa, a 7,782-meter peak, and flowing south into Arunachal. This sharp turn is called the Great Bend and is characterized by a deep gorge where the river descends about 3,000 meters. The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world, highlighting the river’s erosive power. Tragically there is a Chinese government proposal to build the world’s largest dam over there. My bucket list would include a visit to Namcha Barwa before the dam gets built!