ITANAGAR:
Two men who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw District in August are yet to be traced even after two and a half months.
Identified as Bayingso Manyu (35) and Bateilum Tikro (33), the two had ventured into the thick forest of the district on August 19 to search for medicinal plants. They had taken with them small beddings, traditional sickles and a bag of rice that would last them for 15 days.
Manyu is from Chiprugam Village, Goliang Circle, and Tikro is from Duliang Village, Goliang Circle, both under 45th Hayuliang Constituency, which is located on top of a mountain near National Highway 113.
When the two did not return after 15 days, their family members lodged a missing persons complaint at the nearest police station of Khupa village on October 9. The last time the duo had been spotted by locals was on August 24. The relatives of Tikro and Manyu have also appealed to the state government, the Central government and the Indian Army to help trace the two men.
Speaking to The Meghalayan, the elder brother of Manyu, whose name is Maniso Manyu, said that this is the first time his brother has gone missing for so many months. The family members of the two fear that they might have crossed over to China inadvertently.
“He used to go hunting or to collect herbs and other leafy vegetables, to sell in the market. It usually took only eight to ten days for them to return. This is the first time that he has gone missing for so many months. From our family side, we have tried our best to reach out to the authorities to help us search for them. Bayingso has two children, one daughter and one son,” Maniso Manyu said.
Deputy Commissioner of Anjaw District in Arunachal Pradesh, Talo Jerang, said that the administration had received the information of these missing youths on October 10.
“I came to know that on August 19, they had set out from their house to go towards Chaglagam area in search of herbs and medicinal plants. These plants they sell in the market to earn income for their family. On August 24 some of my staff saw them in the Rosam area near the Chaglagam border. From the staff, it was confirmed that they had reached the international border,” Jerang said.
“After I received the missing information, I directed the SP of Anjaw District to register the missing report. Look out notices have been distributed to every police station in the state and the neighbouring state of Assam. All the Circle Officers of Anjaw District, the public of this whole area have been informed and instructed. We have asked them to use their own local source to trace these men.
“I have contacted and met the brigadier of the Indian Army of 181 mountain brigade. I have requested them since this Chaglagam area comes under their command, to use their source and to use their local source to trace these missing men. In the Wallong area, there is 82 mountain brigade and I have requested the brigadier to help trace these missing men through their local source. From my side I have engaged many local sources to trace them, like gaon burahs, administration officers, SP, OC and others to get clues of these missing men,” Jerang informed.
Dasanglu Pul, who is the present MLA of 45th Hayuliang Constituency, has confirmed the two men are missing. She informed that she has contacted Tapir Gao who is the Member of Parliament (MP) of Eastern Arunachal, to take up this matter with the Union Government. She also informed that she has contacted Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, to talk with the Chinese counterpart as there are apprehensions that these men have been abducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, as they might have crossed the international border unintentionally.
India shares 3,400 kilometres Line of Actual Control border with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, and more than 1,240 km comes under Arunachal international border.
On many occasions, youths from these border districts go to the thick jungles in search of herbs and other vegetables near the international boundary and end up entering Chinese territory unintentionally. With some areas like the Chaglagam side, there is easy access to the nearest border of India and China. Though the Indian Army is stationed there, the land has not been demarcated properly and there are no border walls or railings or fencing wires.
In September 2020, the PLA abducted five youths from Upper Subansiri District of Arunachal, and after a few weeks they were released. Again on January 18, 2022, a boy named Miram Tarom was abducted by the PLA from the deep forest of Upper Siang district, and was released later after following official procedures. The Indian Army had then informed them that they had found the boy.
Tarom and his friend Johny Yaying were hunting when the former was kidnapped. Yaying managed to escape and run back to his Zido village where he informed the people about Tarom’s kidnapping. The incident had taken place near the Indo-China border where the Tsangpo river enters India via Arunachal Pradesh. The river is known as the Siang river in Arunachal and as Brahmaputra river in Assam.
The residents of Anjaw also informed that in the past, before the 1962 Indo-China war, their ancestors used to visit China and engage in the barter system by trading salts and local ornaments in exchange of local goods. However, at present, the Indian Army doesn’t allow them to cross the border.