Amit Shah Launches 'Vibrant Villages Prog' in Arunachal: Why Is It Significant?

The visit comes days after China unilaterally renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, claiming they were in Tibet.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing the public in Arunachal Pradesh's Kibithoo village on Monday, 10 April. 

(Photo: PTI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, 10 April, launched the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' (VVP) in Arunachal Pradesh's Kibithoo village, which is situated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.

Shah is on a two-day visit of the northeastern state and will be inaugurating a number of projects in the region, including nine micro hydel plants constructed under the 'Golden Jubilee Border Illumination Programme.'

Apart from this, the home minister will also unveil Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) projects and interact with soldiers and local residents.

Why Is Amit Shah's Visit Significant? 

Shah's visit comes just days after China unilaterally renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, including mountain peaks, residential areas, and rivers, claiming that they are actually a part of South Tibet. China refers to the set of 11 places as "Zangnan."

The Indian government rejected the announcement, saying that China has no territorial claims in the region.

"This is not the first time that China is making such attempts, and we have criticised such attempts," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said during a press conference.

Beijing had earlier unilaterally tried to rename places in the northeastern state in 2017 and most recently in 2021.

Bagchi further said, "Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality."

Hence, Shah's visit to the state exemplifies a show of strength in response to China's announcement concerning Arunachal Pradesh. It also comes at a time when border talks between the governments of the two countries are ongoing.

What Did Amit Shah Say?

Addressing the public in Kibithoo, Shah hit back at China, saying that nobody could take "even an inch of land" from India.

"Before 2014, the entire northeast region was known as a disturbed region but in the last nine years, because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Look East' policy, northeast is now considered an area which contributes to the development of the country," he said.

The government's 'Look East' or 'Act East' policy is focused on industrial development of the northeastern region in a bid to bolster ties with South-east Asian countries, which are closely linked to the region.

Shah further added that nobody could encroach on "even a tip of a pin's worth" of India's land since the ITBP and the Indian Army were keeping guard along the borders.

How Has China Reacted To Amit Shah’s Visit?

On the other hand, the Chinese government issued a strongly-worded statement after India slammed its territorial claims, saying that Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh was a "violation" of China's sovereignty.

"Zangnan is China's territory," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin had said during a press conference, adding, "The Indian official's visit to Zangnan violates China's territorial sovereignty, and is not conducive to the peace and tranquility of the border situation," news agency ANI reported.

What Is the 'Vibrant Villages Programme'?

The VVP is a scheme sponsored by the Centre, under which 2,967 villages across states along India's northern border will receive resources for comprehensive development.

The places included under the programme are in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Ladakh. The villages specified for the programme have been chosen because they have "sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure."

The VVP was first announced during Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's 2022 Budget speech. Subsequently, the Union Cabinet approved the programme for the financial years 2022-23 to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs 4,800 crore.

In the first phase, 662 villages have been identified on a priority basis, including 455 in Arunachal Pradesh.

The focus areas identified under the programme include road connectivity, drinking water, electricity including solar and wind energy, mobile and internet connectivity, tourist centers, multi-purpose centers, healthcare infrastructure, and wellness centers.  

According to the Indian government, the VVP will help improve the quality of life of people in specific border villages and encourage them to stay in their native places by bolstering the security of the borders. This will, in turn, reverse the outmigration from these villages.

(With inputs from ANI.)