Representative Image / File Photo

Even as the other parts of the country are celebrating the 80th Independence Day with full vigour and fervour, locals of the Taksing area in the north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh are increasingly worried about the alleged "capture" of at least two strategic points in the Indian territory along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China especially the strategic Shera 5 point in upper Taksing area and the Sipi 6 point in the Gelemo area of the state.

While the alarmed locals of Taksing area have been been sharing information about the alleged Chinese occupation of strategic Indian points on social media, at least three socio-political groups have reached Taksing over the past one month and two have found that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has indeed reached two strategic points that fall in Indian territory and where the Indian Army constructs temporary camps during their patrolling. The third group has reached Taksing on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day of India with an aim to hoist the Indian flag in Taksing to underline Indian sovereignty in the area.

Two of the groups that have returned after surveying the strategic area- the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) and the All Tagin Students Union (ATSU) have shared the findings of their reports with New India Abroad.

According to the findings of the PPA and the ATSU delegations, the Chinese have "occupied" the strategic Shera 5 point in Indian territory in the upper Taksing area and the Sipi 6 point in Gelemo area which is at a lower altitude than the upper Taksing area. Both Taksing and Gelemo fall in the Taksing circle.

Shera 5 and Sipi-6- the bone of contention 

Both Shera 5 and Sipi 6 are designated Indian patrolling points which have become the bone of contention at present.

Speaking to New India Abroad, All Tagin Students Union (ATSU) president Tadak Pakba said that the Chinese PLA has entered the strategic Shera 5 point.

"Our delegation reached Taksing circle on August 11 and we surveyed the area on August 12. Our intention to visit Taksing was to verify the allegations of the capture of Indian territory by the Chinese PLA.  The locals informed that the Chinese PLA has reached the strategic Shera 5 point and the Sipi - 6 point. Since, Sipi-6 is a strategically important point, the Chinese have reached a point of strategic importance given that from there, it can target the areas of Maza, Gelemo and half of the Taksing area," he said.

The ATSU found that the Chinese have "destroyed" the temporary camp of the Indian Army in the Sipi-5 patrolling point and have "settled at the Sipi-6 point." 

The findings of the ATSU are similar to the findings of the PPA whose delegation led by former minister and PPA chief adviser Kahfa Bengia, visited Taksing on 10 July along with vice president Kaling Jerang, secretary Sorang Kiokam and secretary Narah Jimmy.

Speaking to New India Abroad, Bengia said that his delegation held detailed discussions with locals from the area, intellectuals along with senior Indian Army personnel and jawans stationed in the Taksing, Maza and Gelemo areas.

Shera-5 'captured' by PLA: PPA

Concurring with the findings of the ATSU, Bengia said that when their delegation visited Taksing, they found that the strategic Shera 5 Point which is a designated Indian patrolling point has been captured by the Chinese PLA. 

"Shera 5 is the main bone of contention. There have been confrontations between the Chinese PLA and the Indian Army. Earlier, the Indian Army would reach till the Shera 5 point and patrol till Taksing but now, the Chinese PLA has erected a camp there. It falls in the Indian territory but the Chinese have occupied it. The Indian Army erects a temporary camp at the point whenever they return to patrol the point around July every year but the Chinese PLA keep demolishing the same. Both the Chinese PLA and Indian Army build bunkers at the point. The Chinese have demolished the Indian Army camp again. After we visited the area and reported our findings, the Indian Army reached the spot and at present, both parties- India and China- have been patrolling. They (Chinese) have come illegally in our territory and they dominate our territory," he said.

India lacks adequate infrastructure for year-round patrolling: PPA
 
The PPA delegation found that the main problem for India is that it lacks adequate infrastructure to patrol the area throughout the year unlike the Chinese.  

"The Chinese PLA start erecting their camp and build bunkers at the point since April every year but the Indian Army starts doing it only around July every year. We have suggested that there is an urgent need for India to construct a road and and establish satellite telecommunication in the area. Further, the Indian Army needs to work with the locals, administration, panchayat leaders and the state intelligence bureau (SIB) to make rounds of the area throughout the year. The Indian Army should object to the movement of the Chinese every year except between December-March when the PLA is not there," Bengia said.
Talking about the Sipi-6 point that falls in the Gelemo area, Bengia said that the next target of the Chinese is to capture the strategic point and that the Chinese have already reached the Sipi-6 and the Sipi-5 points.

Chinese have reached Sipi-5 point: PPA

"The Chinese have reached the Sipi 5 point and have been obstructing patrolling by the Indian Army from patrolling the point. The Indian Army has a camp at Sipi-2 at present," he added.
    
"The Chinese remain present at the Sipi-6 point for most time of the year. The Chinese have constructed roads on their side as they want to permanently capture Nikurila. This is their next target. They have built permanent bunkers, etc and they are very smart in constructing tunnels and bunkers and are well acclimated with climate. Since this point is located at a very high altitude at a very tough terrain and given that the Indian Army has to walk till there by foot with guidance of local people, the Chinese are using this to their advantage," Bengia said.

Chinese advancing year by year, urgent need to construct helipad, road: PPA
 
The PPA has suggested to the government of India to speedily construct a helipad at Sipi-4 point so that the Sipi-6 and Sipi-5 points become easily accessible for the Indian Army.

Bengia further said that the government of India needs to urgently sanction the Sipi-Nikurila road and the Gelemo to Kokila road that will cover all the points from Sipi-1, 2,3,4,5 and 6," he said.

"Once a helipad comes up at the Sipi 4 point, it will become accessible to Nikurila and India can give a befitting reply to China at the time of a confrontation. The Sipi 4 track needs urgent repair," Bengia further said. 

 The locals of the area are being provided very little time by the Indian Army to access some of these strategic points causing anger within locals, he said. 

"There are five-six houses belonging to Indians there and locals wanted to stay there. However, locals are being given very little time to access the area which has caused anger within them. Locals are being stopped from hunting and carrying mobile phones in the area," he said.

He pointed out that one of the main problems is also that the number of Indian Army personnel who patrol the area is very less than the number of the PLA personnel who remain present in the area.    

"The Indian Army goes to Nikurila around July every year and comes down in October while the PLA stays there from April till November and also demolishes the tents of the Indian Army there. They (Chinese) are advancing year by year and are pushing back the Indian Army on the Taksing side," he said.

New India Abroad reached out to the Indian Army for a comment on the issue but received no response till filing of the story. Commenting on the allegations of the alleged Chinese occupation of strategic Indian points, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the  Ministry of External Affairs had said on Aug. 14 during a briefing that  while he had already shared a detailed statement on the issue on Aug. 11, he had nothing more toadd to the same and had said that mediapersons requiring more specific details could contact the relevant ministries. 

Earlier on Aug. 11, Jaisiwal had said that India has always emphasized during talks with the Chinese that matters related to the border areas between India and China were "most serious" and that "maintaining peace and tranquility in these areas was of utmost importance." 

"We have also made it clear that the situation of the border issues will reflect the state of our broaders bilateral relations...," Jaiswal had told mediapersons in response to questions about the reported stand-off between the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the Indian Army on July 29, 2026 after photographs of the same had gone viral on social media.

AAPSU leads delegation heads to Taksing with tricolour
     
After the PPA and the ATSU, it is the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) which has left for Taksing on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day of India.

The delegation which has over 10 student leaders is led by the AAPSU general secretary Mato Bui.    

Speaking to New India Abroad, AAPSU president Meje Taku said that he flagged off the delegation from Itanagar on Saturday and the delegation intends to hoist the tricolour in Taksing on the occasion of India's Independence Day. 

"We will soon share the details of the report of our delegation once it returns from Taksing," he said.

 

Discover more at New India Abroad.