SOVEREIGN VOW

 

 

 

UNION Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Jyotiraditya M Scindia inaugurating the newly-upgraded Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh, is not just any other inauguration. It is a strong statement, reflecting that India of today is acting as a sovereign whole without compromising on national interest, national pride, and territorial integrity. Till some years ago, a lot of deliberations used to be there prior to planning official visits by Union Ministers to Arunachal Pradesh. ‘What will China think?’, used to weigh heavily on Indian mindset too. Similar pressure was palpable while ushering in major development projects in Arunachal Pradesh as well as areas in Ladakh. However, in the past few years, all this has changed. The Indian approach has adopted boldness, confidence, and strength as core values. India is not afraid of looking eye to eye, to any power in the world including immediate deceptive neighbour like the Communist China. Mr. Scindia making it a point to go to Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh to inaugurate the newly-upgraded airport is part of that boldness in Indian approach. The fact that it has come close on the heels of China denying accreditation to the Indian athletes from Arunachal Pradesh, makes Mr. Scindia’s presence at the programme all the more important from the point of view of realpolitik. Already, after China’s denial of accreditation to the Indian athletes from Arunachal Pradesh for the Asian Games at Hangzhou, invited a snub from India in the form of Union Sports Minister Mr. Anurag Thakur cancelling Hangzhou trip.

 

Within a couple of days of that another Union Minister inaugurating airport at Tezu reflects consistency of approach of India. May be it sports or civil aviation or military or space or countering terrorism or science or any other area of activity, steps taken by India reflect a consistency of approach. This approach needs to be celebrated. For, such an approach indicates that India has started treating geography, economy, aspirations, demography, diplomacy, development and everything Indian as a sovereign whole. Everywhere, ‘Nation First’ is the guiding policy. There is no compromise on national interest, national pride, and national integrity. Out of this vision only, apart from other things, India has been giving a renewed push to the infrastructure development in border areas including those in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh. There were several World War era air-strips in Arunachal Pradesh, but many of them were not refurbished for years out of the fear of the Communist China’s reaction. In the past few years, India has shed that mindset of fear and has started giving a push to upgrading these.

 

As a result, the Indian Air Force also activated eight advanced landing grounds in Arunachal Pradesh including Walong and Vijaynagar. Recently, work began on upgradation of Nyoma advanced landing ground in eastern Ladakh. Beyond these developments military in nature, push to civil aviation is being encouraged in these areas to increase people-to-people connect. Inauguration of Tezu airport is part of that exercise. If one considers the entire North-East, there were only nine airports previously. Today, the number has increased to 17, thanks to the development push. Further, steps are being taken to encourage tourism, trekking activities, and boost to sports in these regions. All these put together indicate a progressive, positive, dynamic, and pro-development trait in Government of India’s thinking about the North-East region as well as border areas. When a nation stands as a sovereign whole, no power can disturb its upward trajectory in the global scheme of things. India has earned that position with sustained efforts.