It is not every day that a central minister gets into a kayak in the fast-flowing river near India’s border with China, where two tributaries from Tibet flow through Bhutan to finally reach the Brahmaputra.
When Kiren Rijiju, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, displayed his skills in kayaking in the Tawanchu river, the scene was electric as local, national and international players cheered on. Rijiju’s sporting spirit was displayed at the closing ceremony of Tawangchu Tides International Kayaking Championship (TTIKC), where Indian players—Shikha Chouhan and Bhumi Baghel from Madhya Pradesh and Elizabeth Vincent from Meghalaya—won the top three medals recently.
Shikha (18) and Bhumi (20) began their training in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, but it was the six years of guidance and support from the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association that provided them with the essential skills for wild water Canoe Slalom—a race through a series of upstream and downstream gates on a whitewater course. Originally from Europe, this challenging sport has made its way to India’s northeast, putting the region on the global map.
Bilquis Mir, 36, chairperson of the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA) and a native of Kashmir, embodies the success stories of young girls and boys from Kashmir and the northeast who are making significant strides in sports. For her, it’s a dream come true as she was six when she started kayaking in Dal Lake in 1998, associated with a small canoe club that practised on old boats. She followed her passion to Paris by becoming the first woman on the jury of the Paris Olympics 2024.
“It is very heartening to see the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, and Union minister Kiren Rijiju supporting the young boys and girls of Arunachal Pradesh,” says Bilquis. “The championship being held in remote border villages of Khurung and Bongling in Tawang district has brought not only more footfalls but development of infrastructure and amenities for the locals.”
The chief minister, a sporting enthusiast himself, urged the youth of Arunachal Pradesh to take the lead in building a “Viksit Arunachal” by 2047. Khandu has been outlining cultural pride and economic self-reliance as the key pillars towards the growth and prosperity of the people.
The sentiment is echoed by Gishi Jigme Sangpo, a Buddhist monk, who says the Buddhist soft power of India is on display in Arunachal Pradesh as people from all around the world visit here to experience spiritual bliss and the historical significance of Tawang, which sits at the heart of the story of the Dalai Lama’s journey into the country in 1959.
An engraving at the Gorsam Chorten, a symbol of Himalayan Buddhism, at Zemithang describes how the 14th Dalai Lama and his entourage set out from Chhudangmo towards Gorsam.
“When they finally arrived at Gorzam, the locals pulled out all the stops to welcome them and made arrangements to spend the night in Gorsam.”
It says that villagers from all over Pangchen-ding-gro and the surrounding areas of Muchut, Khobleteng, and Thikshi gathered to catch a glimpse of the revered spiritual leader and seek his blessings. The Dalai Lama blessed the stupa, and Tawang got another feather in its cap.
What is significant today is that border villages are no longer isolated or lacking infrastructure. Both the civil administration, through the Vibrant Village programme, and the Border Roads Organisation are actively working tocounter any potential threats from across the border.
Chinese infrastructure and deployments of the Chinese PLA along the Line of Actual Control had once been an eyesore for the Indian military as they built roads and populated villages on the Chinese side. In contrast, the border villages on the Indian side remained underdeveloped.
Over the past decade, the BJP-led government has not only improved connectivity but is also transforming border villages into a strategic first line of defence. This effort is helping locals access skill-based employment, basic amenities, and facilities, while empowering the youth to contribute to the success story of Arunachal Pradesh.