On the Arunachal frontier, silence is not a strategy

‘Candour will strengthen New Delhi’s hand in dealing with Beijing’ | Photo Credit: THE HINDU/RITU RAJ KONWAR For some time, reports have circulated of transgressions by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Asaphila, Taksing and Longju areas of Arunachal Pradesh. The facts are neither clear nor officially acknowledged. Yet, there are signals that something out of the ordinary is happening along this stretch of the border. The matter warrants close attention.The clearest signal came on October 22, 2026. Speaking at an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) function, Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor said: “In the past few days, a situation arose where face-off happened at several locations in Arunachal and it still continues.” This was the first official confirmation of the scale of the problem. This daily reported, citing “government sources”, that the two sides had been in a stand-off at Asaphila, near Taksing, since late July. Published - November 04, 2026 12:16 am IST