IStern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita Said Last week, there was a proposal to develop 130 villages as model villages under the Vibrant Village Program in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Budget 2022-2023, “Work has started in say two-three villages. [in eastern Arunachal Pradesh] To be specific,” Kalita had further said. A year ago in December 2021, Chief Minister Pema Khandu did launched A plan to develop a ‘model village’ and three hamlets – Kaho, Musai and Kibithu – were selected. The interesting thing is that a memorial stone Musai—also known as Meshai—the village says it was converted into a model village on August 1, 2018. Obviously something is wrong. Either the work was less or it seems that not much has been done.
The above reflects poorly on India’s approach to mirror the Chinese in developing their border infrastructure in general and Vibrant/Model Villages in particular. According to Jayadeva Ranade, president of the Center for China Analysis and former additional secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Beijing has completed construction work on it. 624 ‘Jiaokang’‘ (well) border village. China started this project in 2017 and completed it by the end of 2021. In fact, just opposite Kaho village in Arunachal Pradesh, 9 km from the Line of Actual Control, two such Chinese villages are visible on Google Maps.
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Development of China’s Border Region
Apart from security requirements, developing border infrastructure is the best way to physically claim disputed territories, win over restive populations and show economic progress. Tibet and Xinjiang—the border areas most insurgent and a sore heel of expansionist Chinese rule—are where Beijing is building modern Xiaokang villages and road/railway networks. China is asserting its sovereignty by managing and developing its border areas and promoting tourism and economic development in the process.
In 2015, three years after taking office as Chinese president, Xi Jinping spoke Policy: “Ruling the border areas is the key to ruling a country and stabilizing Tibet.” He reiterated this policy during the 7th meeting of the Tibet Work Forum held on 28-29 August 2020. This policy was formalized. land boundary law in October 2021 to strengthen China’s claims on territories that were occupied by non-Han populations, disputed or vulnerable to insurgency.
In January 2021, Indian media provocative Discovery of a Xiaokang village on the Tsari Chu River in Upper Subansiri District, an area annexed by China in 1959. But when M. Taylor Frawell, a renowned Chinese scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Explained The village, which was part of a $4.6 billion Chinese project to revitalize its border areas, was nothing short of an eye-opener for India.
According to RanadeXiaokang villages, intended to form a buffer along the border, are inhabited by people loyal to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the nation. These modern villages are easy to monitor via Wi-Fi-enabled equipment and will serve as military outposts for operations in areas where the Tibetan population could be potentially hostile.
China is also increasing its border roads and rail infrastructure. it is construction A new highway, the G695, about 20-50 km from the LAC. Unlike the existing G219, which is three to four times this distance, the G695 runs closer to the Indian border. It will likely be connected to the LAC and the G219 via existing or new side roads. After this comes the number of China strategic rail line From Sichuan to Tibet, which is divided into three sections and connects major Chinese provinces with Tibetan provinces. Work on any one of these sections, Lhasa,Nyingchi Railway The line is already full. China is also building a railway line for this Nepal,
Border development requires a holistic approach
since 2014While developing its northern borders, the primary focus of the Government of India has been on military infrastructure such as roads, defense installations and accommodation for soldiers. It has also taken several initiatives Strategic Rail Projects To connect the northern borders of the country. However, the civic and economic development of the border areas has been neglected. There is little or no military-civilian fusion, while inner-line permits are still in vogue and deter tourism. Suffice it to say that whatever little civilian and economic development has taken place is due to military infrastructure projects.
India has a centrally funded Border Area Development Program (BADP) since 1986-87 for the security and well-being of its border population. However, growth has been hampered by inadequate budget allocation and poor execution. For one, BADP fund It was reduced from Rs 1,100 crore in FY 2017-18 to Rs 565.72 crore in FY 2022-23 and further reduced to Rs 221.61 crore in that year. As per the reply of the Government a starred question In Parliament, the actual funds allocated from FY 2018-19 to FY 2021-22 were Rs 770 crore, Rs 824 crore, Rs 63.97 crore and Rs 190.98 crore.
The funds allocated to the northern border areas of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were Rs 162 crore, Rs 30 crore, Rs 32 crore and Rs 31 crore for the financial year 2020-21. Now compare this with the $4.6 billion or Rs 3.76 lakh crore that has been allocated for the construction of 624 Xiaokang villages over three years. India announced the Vibrant Village Program in response to these developments.
“We have decided that we will develop villages on India’s borders. For this, we are moving forward with a holistic approach. Such villages will have electricity, water and all other facilities and a special provision has been made for this in the budget. Told Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year while emphasizing on the importance of this scheme.
But there was no news of VVP after last year’s budget. Nothing on record indicates that specific funds were allocated for this initiative or that convergence with BADP and state government programs actually took place. The project went off the radar until it was brought back to attention by the Eastern Army Commander on 27 January. Lt Gen Kalita had said, ‘We are trying to develop a system of single window clearance for any infrastructure coming within 100 km radius from LAC. Said, VVP, thus, is yet to take off even after a year of its launch.
India should take a holistic approach and build 500-600 vibrant villages along the northern borders to match China. China has spent Rs 60 crore per village. Given our small population and low construction cost, we can accomplish this with half the budget of China. Thus, a budget of Rs 15,000-18,000 crore would be required for the entire project. There is a need for civil-military and centre-state merger. Our present administration is incapable of implementing such a project. I can only think of the Army or the Border Roads Organization (BRO), which are the lead agencies developing the 10-20 km stretch along the borders. The project should be centrally funded. Given the ample scope of tourism, Public-Private Partnership can be encouraged. Corporate houses should be motivated to adopt such villages. Each vibrant village should showcase the local culture and be made economically self-sufficient.
On 12 July 2018, the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh did announced Development of 61 model villages in border areas with similar facilities as now mentioned for Vibrant Villages. One can only hope that the Vibrant Village Program gets the desired impetus and funding and the Army ensures that Kaho becomes India’s first Vibrant Village.
Lt Gen HS Panag PVSM, AVSM(R) served in the Indian Army for 40 years. He was GOC in C Northern Command and Central Command. After retirement, he was a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal. He tweets @rwac48. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)