Chinese Abduction of Teen: Why Arunachal Porters & Hunters Are at Constant Risk

The recent abduction and subsequent release of Miram Taron is not the first such incident.

The recent abduction and subsequent release of Miram Taron, who was on a hunting trip, from Arunachal Pradesh by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was not the first such incident in the border state. Nor will this episode be the last given the unpredictable situation along the border.

While the latest incident happened at Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, there was a similar episode involving five men last year at Upper Subansiri. They were released hundreds of kilometres further east at Kibithu across Anjaw, where a large establishment of the PLA exists.

While these cases have attracted wide media publicity owing to improved communication and enhanced awareness, there have been many instances in the past that were buried and never came to light. Also, unlike some incidents with Pakistan, no cases have been heard so far when the abductees were killed by the PLA.

An Opportunity for Extra Income

Hunters and porters recall stimulating tales of their travels to the border whenever they are interviewed. During an interaction with this correspondent in 2016, a hunter in Upper Subansiri reminisced that he had lost his way during a hunting expedition two years ago. He was unsure if he had crossed the border, but also unaware that a squad of the PLA lurking in the jungles was trailing him. He was accosted, interned at a nearby camp for two days, and then released after his left arm was slashed with a knife and salt rubbed over the wound.

Such stories are heard across the entire stretch from Upper Subansiri to Dibang Valley along the McMahon Line, which is among the most treacherous zones along the 1,126-km-long border between the two neighbours in Arunachal Pradesh.

Four of the ‘disputed’ areas are at Asapila, Longzu, Bisa and Maja in Upper Subansiri, and a ‘sensitive’ area identified as Fishtail-1 falls in Dibang Valley. There are a total of six ‘disputed’ and four ‘sensitive’ zones along the entire border in Arunachal Pradesh.

Incidentally, these are also some of the regions frequented by hunters and porters employed by the Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Intelligence Bureau. Some hunters claimed that they double up as porters whenever the opportunity arose for an extra income. There have been many instances when they meet with accidents, never to return home.

Trail of the Hunter

An overwhelming majority of the hunters hail from low-income groups, who are prompted to undertake risky hunting trips lasting for many weeks in search of exotic items along the border. They fetch a high value in local and international markets, which fluctuates from time to time. Sometimes, the hunter’s trail strays deep into China, and that is when they are apprehended by the PLA.

The hunters are well-equipped for long trips, which could last anything from a week to a fortnight. The single-barrel shotgun replaced the muzzle-loading weapon at least two decades ago. Besides a good stock of ammunition, their paraphernalia comprises rice, ropes, a small utensil for cooking and a plastic sheet for the tent.

The toughest journeys are usually at some spots in Dibang Valley and Upper Subansiri, where hunters stalk the Musk Deer at high altitudes along the border. Besides the Musk Deer, the other prized item is Yarsagumba, or ‘the miracle fungi’, which is a multi-billion dollar industry spanning the US, China and Singapore. While the Musk Deer’s navel, called ‘kasturi’, has a large demand in India, the latter is mostly used to manufacture traditional medicines in China.

As rare as the Musk Deer is the Asiatic Beer, which is hunted, albeit infrequently, for its bile required to manufacture some medicines. The Chinese government had recommended its use in the treatment of critical COVID-19 cases.

The most abundantly available commodity gathered by hunters is Paris Polyphylla, which has been listed as a vulnerable medicinal plant by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is found mostly in moist areas of forests, thickets, grassy or rocky slopes, and water channels in rich humus soil.

The items are sold to agents in some district headquarters, who are linked to dealers in Dibrugarh, Dimapur and Kolkata. According to some hunters, these middlemen have begun to place repeated demands for the supply of Tokay Gecko, which is a lizard found more in Assam than in the hills.

The Porter’s Unenviable Load

Though strange, it is true that the porters’ role in keeping a tab on the McMahon Line is no less vital than that of the Army, the ITBP or the Intelligence Bureau. Without them, the long-range patrols (LRPs) of the Army to the border, or the recce missions by the Intelligence Bureau, which could last as long as three weeks, would be impossible.

Porters who are recruited from the local populace ferry essential commodities during the LRPs and to the remote border outposts. An average porter is medium-built, but the load he carries over the hilly terrain is simply unbelievable, varying from 20 kg to 50 kg. They are paid Rs 2,000 every day for 40 kgs, which increases depending on the change in load.

Jimi Miwu (name changed), a resident of Anini in Dibang Valley, recalled that the trek to Andrella Pass in the border district was the toughest and the most lethal compared to the journeys to other outposts, such as Basam and Balua.

“The border is not demarcated and there have been many instances when the Chinese army had marched into the interiors of Arunachal Pradesh. So, there is always a perennial risk that we might get apprehended and whisked away,” he said.

Occasionally, hunters and locals who serve as porters could be assigned to reach some zones for a recce of the situation. These are among the most inhospitable places along the border with extreme weather conditions, where only the locals would dare to reach after weeks of trekking in the mountains.

(Rajeev Bhattacharyya is a senior journalist in Guwahati. Views expressed are personal)