ARUNACHAL Pradesh is a sensitive state in North Eastern India and is in desperate need of connectivity with the mainland. It is encouraging that Air Vice Marshal Prabhu Bhat from Shillong-based Eastern Air Command gave the assurance that the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) and other airfields in the state would be renovated with greater speed to make them operational for defence and civilian purposes. Bhat called on Arunachal Chief Minister Nabam Taku at Itanagar, the state capital. The Defence Ministry had taken up the job of renovation in 2008 but the work has not been done with speed. Only one of the eight ALGs along the China border had been made operational.
The decision to expedite renovation of the ALGs is linked with Chinese incursions into Arunachal Pradesh. Taku categorically said that the non-operational ALGs would be made operational while airports would be developed in many district headquarters, including the green field airport at Itanagar in order to improve the connectivity of the land-locked state. However the assurance given by the Air Vice Marshal is of greater significance. The snag is the Indian armed forces are not at the height of operational skill. The BJP presidential candidate Narendra Modi has already criticized their weakness. The military have not shown their worth in tackling Pakistani terrorism and Chinese incursions in Ladakh. Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh are not infrequent but receive little media publicity. But the Ladakh controversy has exposed the vulnerability of Arunachal Pradesh which China claims to be part of its territory. It is to be hoped that the IAF will take greater interest in. beefing up infrastructure in border areas and step up renovation of ALGs in Arunachal. Improving airfields will also strengthen the state’s links with the rest of India to bring about its economic development.