India Firmly Rejects China’s Renaming Attempts in Arunachal Pradesh

India has strongly opposed China’s continued efforts to rename various places in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, affirming that the region remains an inseparable part of India. In a recent statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that Arunachal Pradesh has always been and will forever be a vital component of the country, despite China’s arbitrary naming practices. This development followed the release of a fourth list by Beijing, proposing 30 new names for different locales within what China refers to as Zangnan, claiming it as part of southern Tibet.

The contentious act by China came shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh, where he inaugurated the Sela Tunnel at an altitude of 13,000 feet. This move by China has been interpreted as a reaffirmation of its claim over the Indian state, sparking a series of assertive statements from Chinese foreign and defense ministries. However, India has remained resolute in its stance, dismissing these territorial claims as baseless and emphasizing the ludicrous nature of such assertions, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The dispute over Arunachal Pradesh is not new, with China having previously released lists of standardised names for parts of the region in 2017, 2021, and 2023. Despite these provocations, India continues to stand firm on its sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, rejecting any attempts by China to alter the geographical realities through mere nomenclature. The ongoing boundary discussions between the two nations remain a critical platform for addressing these territorial disputes.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright