Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has rejected reports of a fresh Chinese occupation in Arunachal Pradesh while acknowledging concerns raised by local communities over access to grazing areas in the border state. In an interview with India Today, Rijiju said there had been no new Chinese occupation and argued that the Chinese presence being discussed relates to developments dating back to 1959. His comments came amid reports alleging that Chinese troops were preventing Indian soldiers from patrolling certain sensitive points along the Arunachal Pradesh border.

Rijiju, who is from Arunachal Pradesh, said the concerns expressed by residents over grazing areas were legitimate but should not be equated with claims of a recent territorial encroachment. He linked the concerns to infrastructure development undertaken by China in areas where India had previously lacked comparable road connectivity. According to the minister, the issue has gained greater attention as India has accelerated infrastructure construction in the border region since 2014. He maintained that local communities’ concerns and reports of a new occupation represent two separate issues.

“The concerns of local people regarding grazing in the state are valid, but there has been no new Chinese occupation in Arunachal Pradesh,” Rijiju said. Arunachal Pradesh remains a sensitive border region because China claims the state as part of its territory and refers to it as “Zangnan”. India has consistently rejected Beijing’s territorial claims and maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country. The border has also remained an area of concern because of competing claims, infrastructure development and differences over patrolling and access.

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Rijiju’s remarks come against the backdrop of efforts to improve India-China relations, which deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Twenty Indian soldiers, including the commanding officer, were killed in the confrontation, while several Chinese military personnel also died. Against this background, concerns over border infrastructure, patrolling rights and traditional grazing areas continue to attract attention in Arunachal Pradesh. Rijiju’s comments seek to distinguish those longstanding concerns from reports of any newly established Chinese occupation, while emphasising that local grievances over access to grazing grounds should not be dismissed.

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