(TibetanReview.net, Mar30’20) – As India busied itself in a grim struggle to contain the spread of the Covid-19 global pandemic unleashed by China both on itself and the rest of the world late last month, a contingent of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has been reported to have abducted a local resident of the border state of Arunachal Pradesh from the Indian side of the border on Mar 19.
A memorandum submitted to the state’s governor said 21-year-old Togley Singkam was taken at gunpoint from Asapila sector near the McMahon line in the state’s Upper Subansiri district, reported the PTI news agency Mar 29.
Singkam, with his friends Gamshi Chadar and Ronya Nade, had gone to collect traditional herbs from the land belonging to the Naa clan of the local Tagin community, and also to do some fishing on the fateful day.
“The three friends were busy fishing (that mining) when the Chinese security personnel ambushed them. While other two friends could successfully escape, Tongle Sinkam was abducted at the gunpoint by the Chinese security personnel,” Tagin Cultural Society was quoted as saying in the memorandum submitted to Governor B D Mishra.
The escaped friends were reported to have informed the Tagin Cultural Society about the incident on their return to the district headquarters Daporijo.
The report cited the Indian Army’s Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata as saying they were checking the details with its personnel posted in the area.
The memorandum was reported to have urged the Governor to take up the matter with the Centre to secure Singkam’s immediate release, saying such incidents were keeping on happening from time to time, making the locals’ life miserable.
