Intelligence inputs indicate that illegal settlers from across the border are increasingly making the north-eastern state their base

Arunachal Pradesh is sitting duck for Chinese infiltrators

Intelligence inputs indicate that illegal settlers from across the border are increasingly making the north-eastern state their base

This story cost MiD DAY more than Rs 50, 000 and seven days of arduous witch-hunting in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh. The journey began after this newspaper stumbled upon intelligence that the Chinese were settling in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The inputs also hinted that the power projects in northeastern states were easy entry points for the infiltrators.

Porous border

An estimated 200 of the 500-odd Chinese labourers hired from contractual jobs escaped from Sikkim and headed for Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh shares an almost 2000-km long border with China, which almost makes it easy for the tribals and trained spies to gain entry into the country.

An engineer working on a power project at Seppa in Kurung Kumey district confirmed that a large number of Chinese were working on the sites. Many did not return after the contract was over, "Chinese labours accompany machinery hired from their country. They do not want Indians to operate them. The contract takes years and nobody returns,'' said the engineer.

Another civil contractor from Itanagar said that he suspects few Chinese labourers are working at his site. The infiltrators are trained. He explained that some of the Chinese who work at the power projects have undergone a special Hindustani course at Indian universities,u00a0 and can now converse in fairly good Hindi.

"It is like finding a needle from a haystack. How can you weed them out from one of the 108 tribals, which live in the mountainous Arunachal Pradesh? In a few months they naturalise and masquerade as locals," the contractor added.

S K Mittal, CEO, Lanco Hydro Projects, Arunachal Pradesh, said, "Till date we have not approved any Chinese labour or machinery, but it is really difficult to identify them."

u00a0AAPSU President Takam Tatung said, "We are clear on the issue of Chinese infiltration but the local and the central government are not taking the issue seriously. The people of the state feel proud to be Indians, but very little is being done for securing the country's borders with China.