Northeast Desk, 1st October: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu today flagged off the inaugural Tawang Marathon from the High Altitude Stadium in the Tawang sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. The event coincides with China’s renewed efforts to undermine India’s sovereignty regarding Arunachal Pradesh.
In August, China released an updated version of its “standard map” that falsely claims Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region as its own territory. Furthermore, just before the marathon, Beijing denied valid visas to three athletes from Arunachal Pradesh who were supposed to participate in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou as part of India’s Wushu contingent.
This marathon was organized by the state government with support from the Indian Army. Union Minister Rijiju praised the collaboration between the Indian Army and the Arunachal Government, expressing his delight in seeing numerous participants coming to Tawang for the event. Chief Minister Khandu also thanked the Army for their significant support in organizing the marathon and mentioned the interest of big companies in sponsoring it.
Recently, residents of villages in the Tawang sector expressed their anger over Beijing’s claims regarding Arunachal Pradesh’s territorial status. One resident, Karchung from Grengkhar village, emphasized their solidarity with the Indian army and government, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, and they are prepared to stand with the Indian army if necessary to defend their territory against China’s claims.