The ‘Vibrant Villages’ program is a major Indian counterattack with strategic and military implications
Posted on – Thu 13 Apr 23 at 12:15pm
The ‘Vibrant Villages’ program is a major Indian counterattack with strategic and military implications
Hyderabad: The “Vibrant Village” project launched in the border village of Kibitu in Arunachal Pradesh is an important manifestation of India’s determination to counter China’s territorial aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The central plan aims to create comprehensive infrastructure, connectivity and employment opportunities in remote border areas, covering 2,967 districts in 19 districts near the northern borders of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. villages, and the Federal Territory of Ladakh. Beijing’s unbridled infrastructure push is forcing a response from India. Since the Galwan Valley conflict, China has been busy building new settlements or expanding facilities in existing ones. The “Vibrant Villages” initiative, launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is a major counterattack by India with strategic and military significance. The choice of Kibithoo village for the launch was symbolic. It was one of the main battlegrounds of the India-China War in 1962. After it fell into the hands of the Chinese army, many Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives before retaking it. In the first phase of the Vibrant Villages programme, 692 villages have been identified as priority coverage areas, including 455 villages in Arunachal Pradesh. The timing of the Home Minister’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh is also important, as Beijing has renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh as “Southern Tibet” just days ago. According to a report released by the US Department of Defense in 2021, Beijing built 628 villages along the 3,488-kilometer Line of Actual Control from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. Since the Ladakh standoff in May 2020, base construction, including the new dual-use airport, has also accelerated.
China’s attempted invasion of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district in December last year underscored again the urgency of strengthening border infrastructure. With the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deciding when and where to inflict pain on India along the disputed border, New Delhi is running out of time. Despite the 24/7 high-level deployment of Indian troops, the PLA seems keen to convey the message that they can invade anywhere along the LAC at will. Building “vibrant” villages and developing infrastructure along the border is important, and politically signals that the government is seizing the urgency of the border situation, but that alone may not be enough. They must be part of a broader national defense strategy, which should include force modernization. India still has a long way to go if it is to catch up with China in terms of border infrastructure. Beijing has long coveted Arunachal Pradesh, the largest state in the northeast. Its location — bordered by Tibet to the north and northwest, Bhutan to the west, and Myanmar to the east — makes it a protective shield to the northeast.
