External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has once again made it clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. He said this during an interaction with students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, after a student raised concerns about China’s repeated claims over the northeastern state. The minister was responding to a question from Tarh Haniya, a third-year civil engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh. Haniya is also the president of the Students’ Association for the Development of India’s North East Region at the institute. He drew attention to the recent case of Prema Wangjom, a resident of West Kameng district, who was detained for almost 18 hours at Shanghai airport. Chinese authorities reportedly told her that her Indian passport was “invalid” because they do not recognise Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.
Haniya also said that this was not the first time such incidents had happened. He mentioned that several people from Arunachal Pradesh have faced similar problems during international travel, which has caused worry and uncertainty among residents of the state.Jaishankar firmly rejected China’s stand and said that such claims do not change facts on the ground. He stressed that Arunachal Pradesh is, and will always remain, an inseparable part of India. He added that India’s position on this issue is very clear, and there is no ambiguity about it.The minister also pointed out that international travel is guided by globally accepted conventions, and India expects all countries to respect these rules. He said the issue is not only about political disagreement but also about respecting international law.
Jaishankar further assured that the Government of India continues to strongly defend the country’s territorial integrity. He said New Delhi remains committed to protecting the rights and dignity of every Indian citizen, including those from border states like Arunachal Pradesh.His remarks come at a time when China has repeatedly tried to lay claim over Arunachal Pradesh. India has consistently rejected these claims and maintains that the state is an essential and inseparable part of the nation.
