Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said that the Cheetah helicopter, which was on a routine sortie, crashed at around 10 a.m. injuring both the pilots and they were immediately evacuated to nearest Military Hospital.
"With regret to inform that one of the pilots Lt Col Saurabh Yadav, who was critically injured, succumbed to the injuries during treatment.
"The second pilot is under medical treatment. The cause of the crash at this stage is not known. Details are being ascertained," he said.
Expressing his deep shock, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu offered all assistance.
"Pained by the news of crash of helicopter at Nyamjang Chu near BTK area of Jemeithang circle in Tawang district. I am in touch with the Army officials for every possible assistance, and pray for speedy recovery of the injured pilots," he tweeted.
Eastern Army Command chief, Lt General R.P. Kalita also expressed his deep sorrow over the accident.
"Lt General Kalita and all ranks offer tributes to the supreme sacrifice of Lt Col Saurabh Yadav in the line of duty on 05 Oct 2022 while flying a Cheetah Helicopter near Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. Eastern Command offers deepest condolences to the family," a defence statement said.
A official of Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that Khandu apprised Modi about the Kameng Hydro Electric Project, executed by the state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) with an estimated cost of around Rs 8,000 crores and about the greenfield airport, commissioned by the Airport Authority of India at a cost of Rs 650 crore.
The Chief Minister told the Prime Minister that the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric Project is the largest in the northeastern region and it would be a boon for the power sector in the country, especially the northeastern states and provide power for grid stability.
The Chief Minister said that the Director General of Civil Aviation has issued the necessary licence on September 7 to operationalise the greenfield airport, which was recently renamed by the state government as "Donyi Polo Airport".
The Donyi Polo Airport is the first airport in Arunachal Pradesh with capabilities of landing big aircraft, he added.
"With the operationalising of this airport, Arunachal Pradesh would be connected directly with New Delhi. The long - cherished dream of the people of my state to see the state Capital in the air-map of India has ultimately come true," Khandu said in a statement.
The Donyi Polo Airport airport in Itanagar would be Arunachal Pradesh's third airport after Pasighat and Tezu airports, and northeast's 16th airport.
Tuesday's incident took place days after militant outfits, including the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) called for a boycott of the Independence Day celebrations.
Defence sources said that the militant groups from across the India-Myanmar border attacked the Assam Rifles troops at Tirap Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Assam Rifles troops were undertaking enhanced patrolling activities in view of the heightened vigil for the forthcoming Independence Day. One JCO sustained minor injury in hand during the firing. No other casualty or any other damage has been reported, the defence spokesman said.
The paramilitary troopers enhanced the surveillance after the incident.
Meanwhile, a section of the media reported a similar incident of exchange of fire between the Assam Rifles and the militants in Nagaland's Noklak district.
The media report, which was yet to be confirmed by the Army officials, quoting Nagaland police said that NSCN (KYA faction) and ULFA-I opened fire on the Assam Rifles personnel at a border outpost in Noklak district along India-Myanmar border. There are no reports of casualties yet and police officers have rushed to the mountainous bordering areas.
Four Northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km) -- share 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar, where the cadres of the few militant outfits belonging to the Northeast region of India take shelter and conduct arms training.
Greeting to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, the president wrote "Greetings to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on statehood day. Endowed with natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, both the states exemplify unity in diversity."
"I wish both the states to make rapid strides in development while living in harmony with nature," he further said.
Greetings to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on statehood day. Endowed with natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, both the states exemplify unity in diversity. I wish both the states to make rapid strides in development while living in harmony with nature.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 20, 2022
Wishing people of Arunachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi said, "Best wishes to the people of Arunachal Pradesh on their Statehood Day. The people of the state are known for their stupendous talent and hardworking nature. May the state scale new heights of development in the times to come."
Best wishes to the people of Arunachal Pradesh on their Statehood Day. The people of the state are known for their stupendous talent and hardworking nature. May the state scale new heights of development in the times to come.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 20, 2022
Greeting people of Mizoram, the Prime Minister said, "Greetings to the people of Mizoram on their Statehood Day. India takes great pride in the vibrant Mizo culture and the contributions of Mizoram to national progress. I pray for the good health and well-being of the people of Mizoram."
Greetings to the people of Mizoram on their Statehood Day. India takes great pride in the vibrant Mizo culture and the contributions of Mizoram to national progress. I pray for the good health and well-being of the people of Mizoram.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 20, 2022
In his greeting on Mizoram statehood day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Extend my warm wishes to the people of Mizoram on their statehood day. Mizoram is known for its vibrant culture and amazing people, passionate about the nation's growth. May the state continue scaling new heights of development."
Extend my warm wishes to the people of Mizoram on their statehood day. Mizoram is known for its vibrant culture and amazing people, passionate about the nation’s growth. May the state continue scaling new heights of development.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 20, 2022
"Greetings to our sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh on their statehood day. The state is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. May the state keep progressing in the years ahead," Shah said in his message to the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
Greetings to our sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh on their statehood day. The state is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. May the state keep progressing in the years ahead.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 20, 2022
Wishing Arunachal Pradesh, BJP chief J.P. Nadda said, "My best wishes to all the sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh on their Statehood Day. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narednra Modi and chief minister Pema Khandu, the state is witnessing continuous progress. May the state continue to scale new heights and progress."
My best wishes to all the sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh on their Statehood Day.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 20, 2022
Under the visionary leadership of Hon PM Shri @narendramodi Ji & CM @PemaKhanduBJP Ji, the state is witnessing continuous progress. May the state continue to scale new heights & progress.
In greeting to people in Mizoram, Nadda said, "Greetings to the people of Mizoram on their Statehood Day. The state is blessed with immense natural beauty and known for its rich culture. Their commitment in contributing in India's growth is praiseworthy. I pray for the continued development of the state."
Greetings to the people of Mizoram on their Statehood Day.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 20, 2022
The state is blessed with immense natural beauty & known for its rich culture. Their commitment in contributing in India's growth is praiseworthy. I pray for the continued development of the state.
Wishing Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, BJP Vice President, Jay Panda wrote,"Heartiest greetings and best wishes to the brothers and sisters of #Mizoram and #ArunachalPradesh on their Statehood Day. May these beautiful states reach new heights of development & prosperity & make significant contributions to the nation's progress 🙏🙏."
Heartiest greetings and best wishes to the brothers and sisters of #Mizoram and #ArunachalPradesh on their Statehood Day. May these beautiful states reach new heights of development & prosperity & make significant contributions to the nation's progress 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/vNzmPNT27v
— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) February 20, 2022
(With Inputs From OdishaTV Bureau)
Talking to media later, Khandu while congratulating the people of the state, said that the monumental flag has been hoisted and dedicated to all the patriotic people of Arunachal Pradesh and is the second highest monumental national flag at an altitude of 10,000 feet.
He congratulated the Army, the Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Tawang district administration and MLA Tsering Tashi for the feat.
Taking to Twitter, Khandu said, Proud to dedicate to patriotic people of Arunachal a 104 ft national flag, which was hoisted today at Ngangpa Natme (Buddha Park) in Tawang.
At 10,000ft, this monumental national flag overlooking the Tawang city, is second highest in the country in terms of altitude. #JaiHind, he said in another tweet.
Proud to dedicate to patriotic people of Arunachal a 104ft national flag, which was hoisted today at Ngangpa Natme (Buddha Park) in Tawang.
— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) February 3, 2022
At 10000ft, this monumental national flag overlooking the Tawang city, is second highest in the country in terms of altitude. #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/JTpJSN7YwP
Viewpoint at Ngangpa Natme (Buddha Park) in Tawang. pic.twitter.com/96n3zhrIiK
— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) February 3, 2022
The deployments have increased gradually as the Indian Army revamped air firepower at its aviation wings. The force has recently come up with an aviation brigade in the region after getting more unmanned aircraft 'Heron I', chopper 'ALH Dhruv' and weaponised attack helicopters 'Rudra'. Earlier, the force aviation wing largely had Cheetah Helicopters
The force have raised the Squadron of indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv). It is a twin-engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class and is being used for quick mobilisation of troops.
The Army has also raised its first-ever dedicated squadron of 'Rudra' armed helicopters. Rudra is the first Army Aviation aircraft to add 'teeth' to the fleet of Army Aviation with its Mistral air-to-air missiles, 70 mm rockets, 20 mm guns and ATGMs. The ALH(WSI) is a force multiplier for the field force commander with its potent weapons on board. This helicopter will be able to storm the enemy forces and hunt them down when required.
"ALH(WSI) pilot will be like an archer who will strike and kill or injure the enemy from a distance. He will be like a fierce God bringing death and destruction to the enemy," said a senior Indian Army officer.
The Army Aviation wing recently got Israeli made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Heron I from Artillery in August.
Corps of Army Aviation's Lieutenant Colonel Amit Dadhwal said that the aviation wing has evolved from simple fixed wing aircraft with basic avionics to state-of-the-art equipment.
"We have in the rotary platforms today in the form of Cheetah, Advanced Light Helicopters, ALH-Weaponised System Integrated and Light Combat Helicopters," Lt Col Dadhwal said.
"These Rotary Wing platforms provide us and our leaders and commanders a plethora of capabilities so that we can achieve success in all kinds of operations."
As the Chinese People's Liberation Army aggression at the Line of Actual Control, the force has increased frequency of surveillance at the border area to keep a tap on their activities.
"The aircraft since its inception has been the backbone of surveillance. It can climb up to 30,000 ft and continue to give feed to commanders on the ground. So that we can manoeuvre forces on the ground. It has an endurance of 24-30 hours at a stretch," said Major Karthik Garg.
From Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh, India shares a total of 1,346-km-long LAC with China.
India and China have been engaged in a border standoff for the past 18 months.
So far, 13 rounds of top commanders level meetings have taken place and in the last round of talks, which was held on October 10, culminated inconclusive.
Perched at an altitude of 13,800 ft, Sela pass on the 317 km long Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road connects West Kameng, East Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of the country. It reduces travel time and provides all weather connectivity to Tawang.
Singh commended Border Road Organisation for making significant contribution to the progress of the Nation by constructing of roads, bridges, tunnels and airfields at record altitudes under extreme weather conditions and making remote areas visible on connectivity maps.
He said the efforts of BRO to strengthen border infrastructure have enhanced the operational readiness of the Armed Forces, encouraged tourism in far-flung areas and generated employment for local population. This state-of-the-art tunnel will prove to be a lifeline for not just Tawang but the entire state, he added.
Singh made special mention of the construction of Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, which is world's longest highway tunnel at 10,000 feet and Umlingla Pass, the highest motorable pass in the world at 19,300 feet in Eastern Ladakh. He said, these recent achievements of BRO have become a subject of study for the whole world.
Apart from presiding over breakthrough blast of main tube of Sela Tunnel via video conferencing, Singh flagged-off a motorcycle expedition at an event organised by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in New Delhi.
Referring to motorcycle expedition', Singh described the expedition as a fitting tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation. The expedition is part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' which is being celebrated across the country to commemorate 75 years of Independence.
Seventy five riders from BRO, including Indian Army and General Reserve Engineer Force personnel, will cover approximately 20,000 km over the next 75 days.
The personnel will interact with local people, school children, gallantry award winners, ex-Servicemen and Veer Naris; conduct medical camps and raise awareness on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and road safety.
Singh hoped that the expedition will instill the message of national integration and nation building among people especially the youth. He stressed that besides adventure, such activities have an important aspect of defence and security.
"We can gather additional information about border security and its challenges through such campaigns. Our Army has given a lot of encouragement to such activities and it has helped them to gather information related to security," he said.
He called for reaching out to general public for promotion of such activities, emphasising that these can play a big role in encouraging tourism, generating employment and strengthening local economy.
The new species of Cascade Frog has been named Adi Cascade Frog (Amolops adicola) after the Adi hills, which are home to Adi tribes, an indigenous group of people from the Himalayan regions in the state.
The literal meaning of Adi is "hill" or "mountain top". Historically, this region was also known as Abor Hills.
The findings have been published in a scientific article titled 'Phylogenetic position of the poorly known montane cascade frog Amolops monticola (Ranidae) and description of a new closely related species from Northeast India in the Journal of Natural History, London, the statement said.
The discovery was made as biologists investigated a group of medium to large sized Cascade Frogs from Northeast India over the last five years.
Dr. Abhijit Das, from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, said the new species was discovered while revisiting the century-old Adi expedition in 2018 and named after the land of Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh where this species dwells particularly during the post-monsoon season.
According to the researchers, the Cascade Frogs are named so because of their preference for small waterfalls or cascades in flowing hill streams.
The new species was identified based on multiple criteria, such as external morphology, DNA, and calling pattern.
This study is once again testament to how little is known about the most threatened animal groups, frogs, in northeastern India. Many frogs in this region are reported to occur widely but, in fact, have relatively small geographical ranges and require special attention for conservation before they go extinct forever. Northeast India is a treasure house of species still unknown to Science , said Delhi University Professor S. D. Biju, the corresponding author of the article.
Rijiju on Friday posted a string of photographs and captioned it: "Hearty congratulations to the winners of Dalmia MTB Arunachal Hornbill's Flight 2018 Cycling Race. Hats off to the para-cyclists, women cyclists and the local participants who competed with some of the top cyclists of the world."
Salman was attending the concluding ceremony of Dalmia MTB Arunachal Hornbill's Flight 2018 and the beginning of Adventure at Mechuka in Arunchal's West Siang District.
The "Dabangg" star donated Rs 22 lakh for the event.
The 52-year-old star on Thursday promised to shoot for his upcoming film in the scenic state.
Mechuka is about 29 km from India-China border and around 500 km from Arunachal's capital Itanagar.
The Defence Ministry confirmed her visit in a tweet on Monday night: "Continuing the tradition of celebrating Diwali with the families of our soldiers, Smt @nsitharaman will celebrate Diwali this year at Dinjan (Assam), Andra La-Omkar and Anini (Arunachal Pradesh)."
During her visit, Sitharaman, accompanied by Eastern Army Commander and other senior officials, will be briefed about the defence preparedness and infrastructure improvements by the Army in the region, the official said on Tuesday morning.
"She is expected to conduct an aerial survey of the region and will meet troops in Andra La-Omkar and Anini on Wednesday," he said.
Sitharaman is also slated to meet families of fallen soldiers.
The chopper crashed around 6 a.m. while it was on an Air Maintenance Mission, IAF sources said.
A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The Minister of State for Home told reporters here that the Supreme Court would be apprised of the "ground reality" on the matter.
"The ground reality is that the Chakmas and Hajons have entered settlement camps in Arunachal Pradesh illegally in large numbers. If the small original Chakmas population is given status of Arunachal tribals or as indigenous (people) of Arunachal Pradesh, it will (cause) imbalance in the social and demographic structure of the state," he said.
"We have to impress upon the Supreme Court to understand the reality that it is not easy to implement its order because of the complexity of the situation," Rijiju said.
The Minister said since he was an MP from Arunachal Pradesh he had to "stand for his people".
The Supreme Court had in 2015 directed the central and Arunachal Pradesh governments to confer citizenship rights on the "eligible" Chakmas and Hajong people, coupled with steps to protect their lives and liberty and guard them against any discrimination.
The Home Ministry had last week cleared limited citizenship to the Chakmas and Hajong refugees.
The Chakmas and Hajongs were originally residents of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan, who fled when their land was submerged by the Kaptai dam in the 1960s. The Chakmas, who are Buddhist, and the Hajongs, who are Hindus, also faced religious persecution in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
They entered India through the then Lushai Hills district of Assam (now Mizoram). While some stayed back with the Chakmas already settled in the district, the Indian government moved a majority of them to the North East Frontier Agency, which is now Arunachal Pradesh.
The state government has argued that granting citizenship to refugees would reduce the indigenous tribal communities to a minority and deprive them of opportunities. Since 1990, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union has been demanding their ouster from the state.
According to officials, the number of these refugees has increased from about 5,000 in 1964-69 to one lakh. At present, they do not posses citizenship and land rights, but are provided basic amenities by the state government.
The dissolution of the NCP in this BJP-ruled the state came after NCP leaders alleged that NCP President Sharad Pawar showed "no keen and active interest" in Arunachal Pradesh.
"We and supporters of the NCP have lost confidence with the NCP. None of the central party leaders, even Sharad Pawar, show any keen and active interest" or even visit the state, NPP spokesperson Nima Sangey Saling told IANS.
"Arunachal is facing many issues, be it China's frequent claims over Arunachal or development issues. They (NCP MPs) never raise it in Parliament. Therefore, we decided to merge with the NPP," the former NCP Vice President stated.
Saling said the NCP leaders in Arunachal merged with the NPP after assessing the party's performance in the Manipur election besides seeing "the NPP stand to protect the tribal interest and to ensure sustainable development".
Meanwhile, NPP national President Conrad K. Sangma has appointed former NCP President Gicho Kabak as his party President in Arunachal Pradesh.
The bridge which links Dhola to Sadiya -- located near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border -- in Assam's Tinsukia district, will cut travel time from over six hours to just one hour. Sadiya is the birthplace of the legendary Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika.
The Dhola-Sadiya bridge is longer than the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (5.6 km) in Mumbai by nearly two-thirds. The bridge -- the fourth over Brahmaputra river after Saraighat, Kolia Bhomora and Bogibeel (nearing completion) -- is expected to boost communication across the eastern part of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
The bridge is also expected to transform and improve the road connectivity in the northeastern region, a government statement said.
"The bridge will fill a huge connectivity gap that has existed in the region," a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said.
The bridge will also benefit the army, with convoys requiring less time to journey from Assam to the posts along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge is also expected to enhance India's defence capabilities in the northeastern region.
Since northeast is in a high-seismic region, the bridge has been provided seismic buffers in all its 182 piers.
Till now, the only means to cross the Brahmaputra in the location was through ferry only in day time, and even this was not possible during the floods, the Ministry statement said.
"The bridge will also reduce the distance from Rupai on NH-37 in Assam to Meka/Roing on NH-52 in Arunachal Pradesh by 165 km," it added.
"The travel time between the two places will come down from the current six hours to just one hour - a total five hour reduction," the Ministry said. This would lead to Rs 10 lakh worth saving of petrol and diesel per day.
The Ministry said the new bridge promises to usher in prosperity in the northeastern region and would provide efficient road connectivity to the remote and backward areas which have poor road infrastructure.
"This bridge will also give a major boost to overall economic development of the areas north of Brahmaputra in upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
"It will also cater to the strategic requirements of the country in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh, besides facilitating numerous hydro power projects coming up in the state," the statement added.
Built at a cost of Rs 2,056 crore, the total length of the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge project, including the approach roads on each side, is 28.50 km. The construction of Dhola-Sadiya bridge began in 2011 and the original target date for completion was December 2015.
The Arunachal Pradesh mountaineer on Tuesday scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to conquer the 8,848 feet Mount Everest for a fourth time.
"Anshu is very keen for the double ascent. We have already paid for her fifth permit to climb the Everest and the paper formalities have also been completed," Wange told IANS.
"She (Anshu) is likely to reach the Everest Base Camp today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (Thursday) and the expedition team will take a decision for her double ascent. Nonetheless, we are elated with Anshu's achievement. It is a historic moment for Arunachal Pradesh and India," he said.
Wange, who also heads Arunachal Mountaineering and Adventure Sports Association, said the camp officials, who communicated with Anshu during the expedition, informed him that his wife was "fit and fine" and "keen for the double ascent".
Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday congratulated Jamsenpa for unfurling the Indian flag at the world's highest peak for the fourth time.
"You made us proud once again Anshu Jamsenpa by unfurling the tricolour for the fourth time atop the world's highest peak. My heartiest congratulations to our proud daughter of Arunachal. I wish you all success in your future endeavour and may you keep making our nation proud," Khandu said in a message.
"I have been told that Jamsenpa is motivated and energized enough to try a double ascent if conditions remain favourable. I wish her success and may the almighty bless her to accomplish her dream. It will be a proud moment for Arunachal Pradesh and India," Khandu said.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor P.B. Acharya also congratulated Jamsenpa.
Jamsenpa, a mother of two, began scaling at 1.45 a.m. on Saturday and unfurled the national flag atop the Everest at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama had on April 2 flagged off the mountaineer's double ascent expedition from Guwahati in Assam.
She scaled the Mount Everest twice in May 2011 and again scaled the peak on May 18 in 2013.
If she is successful with her double ascent this time, Jamsenpa will set a record of climbing the Mt Everest five times.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on April 14 on its website that it had standardised in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet the names of six places, the state-run Global Times reported on Tuesday.
The six names are Wo'gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidêngarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bümo La and Namkapub Ri. The report did not say which six places in Arunachal Pradesh it was referring to.
"The standardisation came amid China's growing understanding and recognition of the geography in South Tibet. Naming the places is a step to reaffirm China's territorial sovereignty to South Tibet," Xiong Kunxin, a professor of ethnic studies at Beijing's Minzu University of China, told the daily.
"These names have existed since ancient times but had never been standardised (earlier). Therefore, announcing the names is like a remediation," said Guo Kefan, a research fellow at the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences.
He added: "Standardising the names from the angles of culture and geography could serve as a reference or leverage when China and India negotiate border issues in future."
On April 5, China's Foreign Ministry criticised India for inviting the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, an action which it said will "bring no benefits to India".
"The Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh severely damages China's interests and Sino-Indian relations," said Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Hua added that arranging "his activities in this sensitive area where China and India have territorial disputes not only violates India's commitment on Tibet-related issues, but also fuels the border dispute".
The letter follows photographic evidence of the presence of snow leopards at Thembang area in West Kameng district of the mountain state recently which was yielded during a study of the elusive animal by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India.
Ering in his letter on December 4 last also requested the union minister to initiate Project Snow Leopard in Arunachal Pradesh.
The letter, a copy of which was made available to the press, also sought publishing of a vision document with regard to the country's participation in 'The Bishkek Declaration 2017' which seeks to conserve the snow leopard and its ecosystem.
"In Arunachal Pradesh, there is also need for extension of the area allotted to the snow leopard landscape with a plan for community participation in the surveillance process as most of the forests are community owned," Ering said in his letter.
"While the Centre has always identified Arunachal as a snow leopard state, this is the first time that proof of their presence has been captured. This is a significant feat for our state for the presence of this carnivore is an indicator of the thriving ecology in the area," Ering added.
The state-wide survey carried out by WWF India in collaboration with state forest department was started in March this year, focusing on unexplored areas. It had yielded photo evidence of the snow leopard through a camera trap set up at Thembang, one of the community conserved areas in the state, according to a WWF statement released in October this year.
Only a fraction of snow leopard habitats in the state fall into two protected areas - the Dibang biosphere reserve and the Namdapha National Park.
"The presence of the big cat beyond these protected areas highlights the importance of community support for conservation as well as landscape-scale conservation planning," the WWF statement said.
The survey relied on the knowledge of the community members to understand the current distribution of snow leopards and other large mammals in the region.
The state-wide survey is significant as it covers one of the 22 priority landscapes of the Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP).
The findings of the state-wide survey will enable Arunachal Pradesh forest department to develop a snow leopard conservation plan to address increasing threats such as retaliatory killings, infrastructure development and climate change induced impacts on the habitats, the statement said.
Snow leopard, native of central and south Asia and a sacred animal in Kyrgyzstan, is listed as a vulnerable category animal in the Red List of threatened species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Appreciating the police for arresting all the culprits within three days, Khandu said that it exemplified the efficiency and commitment of the police in maintaining law and order.
I congratulate and appreciate all the police officials and personnel involved, particularly DIG (West) Tussar Taba and city SP Dr A Koan, for their promptness and arresting the culprits in record time, he said.
Armed miscreants in an extortion bid had forcefully entered the office chamber of Audit and Pension Director A Basit in on May 25 last.
However, they fled leaving the arms after the director started shouting.
The chief minister also appreciated Basit for his courage and presence of mind.
Despite being threatened with an assault rifle, Basit displayed exemplary courage and presence of mind and single-handedly tackled the culprit.
His action not only saved his life but also helped the police get a lead from the arms left behind by the fleeing assailant, Khandu added.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, who is in the national capital to attend the 66th Plenary Session of the North East Council (NEC), expressed serious concern over the fact that all the four miscreants are aged between 24 to 35 years.
He called for introspection by parents and elders and asked them to aptly guide them so that they do not stray away from the mainstream.
Khandu also appealed to the young men to utilize their time and energy in constructive ways and assured them of the government s support.
The state government has launched several new schemes and programmes for the benefit of unemployed young people.
Please take advantage of these and make a decent livelihood instead of opting for unlawful means that would only land you in trouble, the chief minister added.
PWD(Highway) chief engineer Hage Appa said today that landslides triggered by heavy rains on August 15 disrupted surface communication between Itanagar and Naharlagun and washed away road and culverts at sinking zone near Karsingsa.
The road communication between Banderdewa and Itanagar via Karsingsa remained disrupted for the third day today as a result. The road currently is closed for all types of vehicles, he said in a release.
The district administration has asked the people to use Nirjuli-Doimukh-Harmuty road and Itanagar-Hollongi road to take NH-52 in Assam as the road restoration work between Naharlagun and Banderdewa may take two days to complete.
The Kimin-Ziro road too is blocked since Thursday due to massive landslides, some of which have been cleared, he said.
Landslides have also occurred at Chandranagar, Nitivihar and many sectors in the capital complex here.
Two children of a family were killed and another boy injured when a retention wall of BSNL fell over their dwelling at C Sector area here during landslide on August 15 midnight.
Supply of drinking water in Itanagar and Naharlagun, including Nirjuli has been disrupted because of damage to water supply pipelines, Appa said, adding the main water supply pipeline of Donyi Polo School was damaged last night.
The PHED department is working round-the-clock to repair the damaged pipe lines and restore water supply which may take 3-4 days, department sources said.
The flood situation in worst affected Lohit district remained grim as a fresh wave of flood submerged agricultural land and human habitation in the district.
An official report from the district said the water level of Lohit and Digaru rivers was above the danger mark and ferry services at Alubari had been suspended.
The Tezu-Parasuramkund road blocked for past few days due to landslips and floods, however, re-opened yesterday for small and light vehicles.
Midway into his five-year term, Narendra Damodardas Modi‘s record as Prime Minister has been a mixed bag. He has notched up some notable successes and some equally notable failures. On the positive side are a series of initiatives to put some life back into the moribund economy, the mainstreaming of cleanliness as a major national agenda and some deft moves on the foreign affairs front that have raised India’s profile in the international arena. On the negative side, he has failed to live up to his pre-election promise of bringing back trillions of rupees stashed away in foreign shores, his below-the-belt ‘surgical strikes’ against state governments led by Opposition parties (Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi are cases in point) and – last but not the least – his complete failure to rein in the extremist elements within his party.
But there is one area where he has been an unqualified success: polarizing the nation. At least in this respect, he has proved his critics, who had prophesied in the run up to the last Parliamentary elections about his ability to divide people, right. The nation as a whole is split down the middle – between those who would suspend their rational, critical faculties to support him blindly no matter what he does or does not do and those who just cannot accept that he can ever do anything good. No section of society - academia, bureaucracy, media, youth, elderly, women … you name it – is left untouched by the great polarizing power of Modi.
One just has to look at the contrasting ways in which the people are reacting to the demonetization bombshell he dropped on an unsuspecting nation on November 8 to realize how deep is the schism. For everyone who is slamming the move that has caused untold miseries to millions of people across the country, there is someone who is defending it to the hilt. To dismiss the first set as ‘incurable Modi-haters’ or the second as ‘Bhakts’ is to miss the woods for the trees. Perfectly normal people with no affiliation to any party get into no-holds-barred arguments – often with strangers - on Modi and his governance at tea or paan shops, on train journeys or on the social media.
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That Modi evokes extreme reactions among people came to the fore for the umpteenth time the day his 94 (or is it 96) year-old mother Heeraben landed at a bank in Ahmedabad on a wheelchair to exchange some currency just demonetized by her illustrious son. Modi was trolled as much on the streets as on social media for what was dubbed a ‘cheap gimmick’ by many people even as others trolled them for ‘defiling’ the sanctity of motherhood by seeing politics in it!
One is not talking here about the ‘usual suspects’ – the left, liberal intelligentsia with a visceral hatred for Modi and his brand of politics or the ‘andhe bhakts’ who see him as a knight in shining armour, who is destined to rid the country of all that has bedeviled it all these years and – to paraphrase Donald Trump’s election slogan – ‘Make India Great Again’. One is talking instead about perfectly normal people with no political or ideological affiliations, who are too busy with their mundane life to bother about such things.
In fact, Modi ‘The Polarizer’ has done more. He has made people of a particular persuasion to switch their loyalties - like this relative of mine, who has been a Congress sympathizer all his life but has started singing the ‘Namo’ tune of late. Unlike other politicians, you have to either like him or hate him: there is no half-way house. Such is his power to polarize that even his bitterest critics admit, though only grudgingly, that the BJP would have got anything between 50 and 100 seats less than the numbers it did in the 2014 elections had someone else been the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate.
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Having polarized the electorate before the election, Modi has gone on to polarize particular sections within the population after the polls. He has divided the academia between those who want the status quo to continue and those who want to ‘Indianise’ education, the media between those remain implacably opposed to him and those who rejoice at the formre’s discomfiture, and – I dare say – the BJP between those who see him as a messiah for the party and those who are seriously concerned at his autocratic ways.
Coupled with the visible and not-so-visible attempts to suppress all dissent, this tendency to polarize does not augur well for the nation poised at the threshold of a great leap. Indian economy may continue to do well – as Germany’s did during the reign of the Fuehrer – despite the divisions. But one only has to remember Germany’s fate after World War II to realize that it could also land in disaster, more so given Modi’s all too obvious desire to go down as the man who changed history.
The annular solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon and the earth come in a straight line and almost on the same plane. It is a partial eclipse when a ring of fire appears in the sky.
The path of the eclipse will not touch almost any part of India, barring the North-Eastern extremes of the country in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, Director of M P Birla Planetarium, Debiprasad Duari, said in Kolkata on Tuesday.
"In Arunachal Pradesh, people can see, just before the sunset, a minuscule fraction of the sun covered by the moon, that is also very low in the horizon, lasting at the most 3-4 minutes depending upon the position," Duari said.
"On the northern borders, in Ladakh, a sliver of land in the border region can experience the last phase of the partial eclipse, again for a short duration, but relatively at a higher altitude than the eastern part of the country," he said.
One can see a very small part of the solar eclipse from the vicinity of Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh at around 5:52 pm. In the northern part of Ladakh, where the sun will set at around 6.15 pm, the last phases of the phenomenon can be seen at around 6 pm.
The eclipse can be seen from a vast region of North America, Europe and Asia, Duari said.
First, the partial eclipse will start at around 11:42 am Indian Standard Time and the annular eclipse will appear to occur from 3:30 pm and will continue up to 4:52 pm, though for different intervals for a particular region, depending upon one's geographical location.
The partial eclipse will end at around 6:41 pm IST, he said.
Live coverage of the eclipse is being arranged by various organisations around the world.
Modi on Saturday inaugurated several developmental projects during his one-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as its own and dubs South Tibet.
"China's position on the Sino-Indian border issue is consistent and clear. The Chinese government has never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and resolutely opposes the activities of Indian leaders to the eastern section of the Sino-Indian border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said here.
Beijing said such actions would also hurt the progress made by both sides, especially after the pathbreaking meet between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last year.
"China urges the Indian side to bear in mind the common interests of the two countries, respect the interests and concerns of the Chinese side, cherish the momentum of improvement in bilateral relations and refrain from any action that may lead to the escalation of disputes or complicate the boundary question," she added.
Beijing resents and slams visits by Indian leaders and foreign dignitaries to Arunachal Pradesh, a state in India's northeast at the heart of Sino-Indian border dispute.
In 2017, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh infuriated China, prompting it to rename some towns in the Indian state.
China and India, who fought a brief but bloody war in 1962, have a 3,444-km long boundary dispute.
The two sides, which have seen several skirmishes since then, almost came to blows in 2017 over building of a road by the Chinese at Doklam, an area claimed by Bhutan and close to an arterial Indian highway.
However, New Delhi and Beijing have tried to repair the damage and the ties have been on the upswing after Modi and Xi had an icebreaking meet last year.
Both the leaders pledged to keep the border quiet and peaceful.
Arunachal Pradesh has a total of 7,94,162 voters, including 4,01,601 women. Elections to the state Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats were held simultaneously.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kangki Darang said that according to reports available from the respective district election officers (DEOs) roughly 66 per cent voting was recorded in the state till 5 pm.
"Reports from several remote polling booths are yet to be received by this office and even in some polling stations polling is continuing, so the polling percentage will increase," Darang said.
He said that barring a few sporadic incidents of violence and damage of EVM, the polling was by and large peaceful in the state.
Three persons were seriously injured at Pipsorang circle under Tali assembly constituency in Kurung Kumey district after clash took place between supporters of two rival political parties, DGP S B K Singh said.
The injured have been immediately evacuated to Itanagar by a chopper requisitioned by the district administration, the DGP added.
Darang said that as per available reports, polling in 133 booths could not be conducted due to various reasons like damage of EVMs and malfunctioning of voting machines where re-polling would be held.
"Re-polling will be done only after recommendations of the respective district election officers which will be forwarded to the Election Commission and accordingly the Commission will decide," Darang disclosed.
The additional CEO informed that so far total unaccounted cash seized by the police and Election Commission appointed Static Surveillance Teams and the Flying Squads in the state amounted to over six crore.
A polling official died while performing duty in Tirap district, he said.
Tenak Socia polling officer at Upper Primary School polling station under Khonsa West Assembly seat died due to cardiac arrest while performing duty, the additional chief electoral officer told reporters here.
Socia was a work inspector in the Water Resources department.
Terming the incident as unfortunate, Darang said that as per the laid down rules, the Commission would pay minimum ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased
"Liquor worth 1.97 crore were also seized and destroyed in the state," he added.
A total of 45 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) comprising ITBP, CRPF, IRBn and SSB along with over seven thousand state civil police personnel have been deployed.
There are 2,202 polling stations spread across the state out of which, 281 were identified as vulnerable and 662 as critical polling stations.
This time, there were also 11 polling stations exclusively for women.
The ruling BJP had already opened its account in the assembly polls by winning three seats unopposed.
The winners are Kento Jini from Along East constituency in West Siang district, Taba Tedir from Yachuli seat in Lower Subansiri district and Phurpa Tsering from Dirang seat in West Kameng district.
The BJP has fielded candidates in all the remaining 57 assembly seats while Congress is contesting in 46 seats, the NPP in 30 seats, JD(U) in 15 constituencies, JD(S) in 12 and PPA nine.
"The rescue mission of inducting teams to the crash site, by helicopters has begun. Mi17s and ALH from army are being utilised," said defence PRO Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh.
The site where the wreckage of the AN-32 has been spotted is located 16 km north of Lipo and about 12 to 15 km west of Gatte under Payum region of Shi Yomi district.
The wreckage was spotted on Tuesday afternoon when the joint teams of IAF, Army and the civil administration carried out aerial survey in the area.
"It is likely to take some time for the ground parties to reach the crash site. The area has thick vegetation and the tough terrain often prevents the ground search party from advancing," said a senior official of Shi Yomi district.
Although the IAF has spotted the wreckage, nothing is yet clear about the fate of the 13 on board the aircraft when it taken off on June 3 from the Jorhat airbase for Mechuka advanced landing ground in Arunachal Pradesh.
His comments came days after the wreckage of the aircraft was found in a remote area in Arunachal Pradesh, more than a week after it went missing with 13 people on board.
"We have recovered the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder...We will go into the detail (to ascertain) as to what happened and how do we make sure that it does not happen again," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Combined Graduation Parade at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal near here.
"In Arunachal Pradesh, the way we fly, the terrain is very treacherous and most of the time, it is cloudy...When you are flying in that terrain, in that cloudy weather, there have been many, many, not only Air Force, even otherwise, Pawan Hans and all, lot of accidents, because of controlled flight into terrain," he claimed.
Noting that there were procedures to make sure such accidents do not recur, he said, ".. need to review what happened and we don't have such an accident again."
The Russian-origin aircraft went missing in the afternoon of June 3, around 33 minutes after taking off from Jorhat in Assam for Menchuka in Arunachal Pradesh.
After eight days of a massive search operation, the wreckage of the plane was spotted by an IAF chopper on Tuesday at a height of 12,000 feet near Gatte village on the border of Siang and Shi-Yomi districts. All 13 on board the aircraft died.
During his address at the Air Force Academy, Dhanoa said the institution has always been close to his heart since he graduated from there 41 years ago.
Earlier, the IAF chief also reviewed the Combined Graduation Parade at the Academy.
He exhorted the cadets to have high professional competence and be a good leader of men at the same time.
A total of 152 flight cadets, including 24 women, graduated as Flying Officers of the IAF. The flight cadets, who were commissioned, include a woman, named Anjali, in fighter branch.
On Thursday, Air Marshal R.D. Mathur, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, paid tributes to the Air Force personnel at a wreath-laying ceremony in Jorhat.
The IAF recovered six bodies and mortal remains of seven of the air warriors on Thursday, 18 days after the crash. The remains were then brought to Jorhat in Assam.
On Thursday, Vicky took to Instagram and shared a few photographs in which he is seen making rotis along with the cooks of the Army. "The first-ever roti I made... glad it was for the Army," he captioned the images.
Earlier, Vicky shared another photograph of himself with the Army, saying he was "elated to be getting an opportunity to spend a few days with our Army posted at 14,000ft altitude at the Indo-China border of Tawang".
Vicky will next be seen playing Udham Singh in a biopic of the freedom fighter, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer -- the former lieutenant governor of Punjab in pre-Independence India -- to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Singh was subsequently tried, convicted of murder and hanged in July 1940.
Vicky will start shooting for Meghna Gulzar's movie, based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, in 2021. For Vicky, it's an absolute honour to be getting the opportunity to portray the first Field Marshal of India.
"He is a true legend that this country has produced. It's an honour of the highest order for me to get an opportunity to play the part of Field Marshal Manekshaw. I am excited for that film," Vicky said.
"At the moment, I am focusing on 'Sardar Udham Singh'. We will start shooting for first Field Marshal's biopic in 2021. I will try to go as close to the character as possible in terms of looks," he said.
Field Marshal Manekshaw, or Sam Bahadur as he was popularly known, was born on April 3, 1914 in Amritsar.
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He cheated death on a few occasions, both on the battlefield and away from it. He, however, lived on to be a nonagenarian dying in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, on June 27, 2008. The Field Marshal led the country to victory against Pakistan in 1971.
"My mother and father belongs to Punjab. They closely followed the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. At that time, Indira Gandhiji and Sam Manekshaw used to deliver speeches on radio to embolden people. When I heard his story for the film, I was really blown away," said the actor.
Vicky's last film "Uri: The Surgical Strike" did well at the box-office. He will also be seen in Shoojit Sircar's "Sardar Udham Singh".
On so many patriotic films in his kitty, the actor said, "When you choose a story to do a film, you don't see whether it's a patriotic film or some other kind of film. If a story connects with you then you want to be a part of it.
"It was my dream to work with Shoojit Sircar and I got an opportunity. I am glad that it's a film based on life of Udham Singh. It's a big honour at the same time a big responsibility to play this role. We are resuming shooting in October and I am excited for that process to start."
In "Sardar Udham Singh", Vicky will be seen as Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O' Dwyer, former lieutenant governor of Punjab, in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. Singh was tried and hanged in July 1940.
On romantic roles, the actor said, "I really want to do such films. Whenever I will get a good offer, I will definitely do it. Audience will see me romancing on the screen because there are romantic angles in every film, but I can't tell what will be extent of it," he said while interacting with the media at the NBT Utsav Awards 2019 on Saturday here.
On younger brother Sunny Kaushal's growth in the Hindi film industry, he said, "I am happy the way it has been shaping up for Sunny. I saw his last film, 'Gold'. He got a lot of love and appreciation. He is the lead actor in Ronnie Screwvala's next film 'Bhangra Paa Le'.
"Now, he is shooting in Allahabad for his next film 'Hurdang'. He is also doing a film with Dinesh Vijan. He has got an interesting line-up. We want to work hard and hope for love from the audience," he said.
(With IANS inputs)
Officials said that the first landslide occurred at Tigdo village in Papum Pare district at around 2.30 a.m. on Friday when the victims were asleep, killing four people, including an eight-month-old baby and a 17-year-old boy, on the spot. The Papum Pare district administration and police, assisted by locals, retrieved the four bodies from the debris.
In the second landslide four more people including two children were killed when their house was buried by a huge mudslide at Modirijo in between Itanagar and Naharlagun. Disaster management personnel helped by local people have recovered three bodies so far while a rescue operation to retrieve the fourth body was still on. Three children were also injured in the second landslide.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed deep shock and sorrow over the loss of lives in the landslides and announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakhs for the next of kin of the deceased.
Shocked to learn of yet another incident of landslide today at Modirijo, between Itanagar & Naharlagun that claimed 4 lives. My deeepest sympathies for the bereaved families. I appeal all to stay alert in view of incessant rain. Necessary relief to next of kin is being extended.
— Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) July 10, 2020
Khandu in a statement said that the incessant rain for the last couple of days that triggered landslides and floods has caused devastation in the entire state. "Reports have been pouring in about landslides in various locations from in and around the capital region. Road communication has been badly affected by nature's fury and there is an increase in water flow in streams and rivers," he added.
The Chief Minister cautioned that as per the Indian Meteorological Department, there is a likelihood of heavy rainfall in the next few days across Arunachal Pradesh. He requested the people to take all precautionary measures and refrain from staying at vulnerable locations.
Khandu directed the district administration and the disaster management department to continuously monitor the situation to avoid large scale devastation and loss of lives.
Saddened by the loss of lives due to heavy rains as well as landslides in Arunachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi aslo expressed grief in a tweet over the loss of lives in Arunanchal Pradesh landslides.
(IANS)
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Based on the specific intelligence inputs regarding presence of armed insurgents, two columns were launched by the Assam Rifles in Khonsa area, which is nearly 50 kilometres East of Tinsukia.
At 4.30 a.m., an operational contact was established with the insurgents. In the ensuing gunbattle, six insurgents were neutralised, and six weapons alongwith war-like stores were recovered.
One Assam Rifles soldier was injured in the operation. His condition was said to be stable and was being evacuated to the nearest military hospital.
The police said six long-range weapons (Four AK-47 and 2 Chinese MQ) were recovered from the spot, and an operation was led by a joint team of the Assam Rifles and Arunachal Pradesh Police.
“Acting upon actionable and specific information by SIB Arunachal Pradesh, a joint team of 6 Assam Rifle and Arunachal Pradesh Police conducted an early morning action today in Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh near Nginu village. In the operation, 6 NSCN- IM armed cadre have been killed. 1 Assam Rifle personnel also received injuries. 6 long-range weapons (Four AK-47 and 2 Chinese MQ) have been recovered so far,” state DGP R P Upadhyaya informed.
(IANS)
Also Read : 8 People Including 4 Children Killed In Arunachal Landslides
Jagpati, a native of Rayagada block in Gajapati district went missing nearly two decades back. Nobody exactly knew where we went and as years passed by and he did not return, many even questioned whether he was alive.
But like the story of a revenant, fate brought Jagpati back to where he came from. Like discovery of many astonishing stories during the extraordinary time of the pandemic, Jagpati was recently found living a solitary life in the foothills of Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh.
Neither he remembers nor does anyone know the exact year when he came here and how the man who left home abandoning wife, children, relatives and all worldly things, landed in the inhospitable terrain of the North-Eastern state.
https://youtu.be/Nb8t7d2aync
It is said that he collected woods, went for hunt, worked in nearby areas just to survive. And times flew by until the arrival of man Friday.
A local teacher Rubuama met Jagpati in 2003 and started to see him regularly to provide foods and ration. All went smoothly, but the COVID19 pandemic which has been festering around the world also reached the hills. Without any job in hand, it became hard for them to survive.
Rubuama posted a video of Jagpati on social media and said, “I have been seeing this man since 2003. He has been living in the hillside of Lower Subansiri district. He is from Odisha’s Gajapati district.”
Soon after the video went viral, former Gajapati SP Sarah Sharma came to know about him from her JNU alumni group and helped coordinate his family. She contacted OTV local correspondent from Gajapati to ascertain the identity of Jagpati.
When OTV reached Jagpati’s family at Abasing village, they could barely believe their eyes.
“My brother left home when I was young. He should return now as we miss him. We would live together happily," Jagpati’s brother said after recognising him from the video.
Jagpati’s son who was not even born when he left home also expressed his happiness after seeing his father.
Sources said, Jagpati is being treated in an Arunachal Hospital and will be brought back to Odisha after the pandemic crisis.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)
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"SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been ‘abducted’ by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)," Ering tweeted.
Ering's also tweeted a screenshot of a Facebook post that mentioned the name of the people allegedly abducted by the Chinese troops. However, he did not motioned the exact date on which the five persons were abducted.
SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been ‘abducted’ by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Few months earlier,a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia https://t.co/8gRdGsQfId pic.twitter.com/KbDMJ3bUi2
— Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) September 4, 2020
The officials concerned in the district said that no formal complaint has so far been lodged with the police or the armed forces that guard strategic areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.
The Congress MLA also said that a similar incident had taken place in the state few months ago and demanded a 'befitting reply' to PLA and China.
On the other hand, Indian Defence Minister Rajanth Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe met in the Russian capital on Friday to discuss their border dispute and agreed to de-escalate the situation through talks.
The two-hour meeting between the Indian and Chinese delegations, which started at 9.30 p.m. Indian Standard Time,saw the border disputes discussed at length.
This is the first political dialogue after the tension on the borders started.
Both the ministers are in Moscow to participate in a joint meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.
India and China are engaged in four-month-long standoff at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough to the resolve the deadlock, while Chinese’s People Liberation Army (PLA) troops had made fresh attempts at incursion attempts into Indian territory late last month.
(With agency inputs)
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