Frequent abductions of Arunachalees a new tactic by China? Anxious kin await return of Arunachal hunter missing for 7 years

Questions are being raised in circles over frequent abductions of Indians from border villages along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. Is China wants to keep pressure on India to kowtow its demands through guerilla manoeuvres along the international border?, writes Pranab Kumar Das

Tezpur: The case of Tapor Pullom, a resident of Arunachal Pradesh, who went missing eight years ago, remains shrouded in mystery as his kin alleged that he had fallen into the hands of the People's Liberation Army(PLA) of China, which often sneaks into the northeastern state that shares 1,126 km of border with the neighbouring country, the longest for any Indian state.

Indian agencies despite best efforts couldn't trace Pullom. Still, his whereabouts remain unknown much to the agony of his family members. Amni Diru, Tapor Pullom's daughter-in-law, has frenetically been making a desperate appeal to the state's MPs, Union Ministers, and even Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The abduction dates back to the first week of September 2015 when Tapor Pullom and his friend Taak Yarshi embarked on a hunting expedition near the border region known as 'Tagi Bogu Pass' in the Shi Yomi district of eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Scheduled to return on September 21, Taak Yarshi, who returned safely, recounted the horror tale. He revealed that Chinese troops had infiltrated the border and whisked away Tapor Pullom under gunpoint while Yasshi managed to escape.

Subsequently, Pullom's family members scouted for him. They could only trace belongings left behind by him. They alerted the local police and the army about the incident. In December, Amni Diru approached Union Minister Kiren Rijiju to apprise him of the situation. Following the abduction of Miram Taron in 2022 by Chinese forces, who were later repatriated through Indian intervention, Amni Diru once again raised the plight of Tapor Pullom.

East Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao raised the issue in the Parliement in 2022, prompting discussions by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar with Chinese counterparts. However, Diru alleged that the matter did not receive the attention it demanded. Pullom's son Wiki Pullom wrote to the then Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, while MP Tapir Gao informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the matter in March this year.

In her communication to Union Ministers and authorities, Diru wanted to know a few questions. "Is Tapor Pullom still alive if he has been killed or tortured by PLA? Our anxiety grows with each passing day and the agonising wait still continues. Have our pleas fallen on deaf ears?" Diru questioned.

This is of course not one such incident. PLA has always been accused of being a 'mischief monger' in Arunachal Pradesh spreading its espionage tentacles. In September, five youths, who had gone hunting in a forest in the Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, were abducted by the Chinese military.

After hectic diplomatic activities, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) finally handed over the five Arunachalee youth missing to the Indian Army. Questions are being raised in circles over frequent abductions of Indians from border villages along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. Is China wants to keep pressure on India to kowtow its demands through guerilla manoeuvres along the international border?