India’s latest assertion of its territorial identity in Arunachal Pradesh is important, but an inhabited and thriving frontier will remain the strongest answer to China’s persistent claims

India has put another marker on the map in its long-running contest with China over Arunachal Pradesh. The latest Survey of India map formally identifies 27 locations in the state by their Indian names, including mountain passes, settlements, a lake and places associated with the 1962 India-China war. It is an important assertion of sovereignty at a time when Beijing continues to insist that Arunachal Pradesh is part of China and repeatedly attempts to impose its own names on places across the state.

But maps, however important, cannot by themselves hold a frontier. During a recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh in the monsoon, I was struck by something far more consequential than the disputed names appearing on competing maps. Valley after valley close to the China border appeared largely uninhabited. In many remote stretches, the most visible signs of India’s presence were the personnel of the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organisation.

That stark landscape raises a difficult question: can India effectively counter China’s cartographic and territorial claims if large portions of its frontier remain without a permanent civilian population?

China’s claims go beyond changing names

China’s claim over Arunachal Pradesh is neither new nor limited to the periodic renaming of places. Beijing describes the state as 'Zangnan', or southern Tibet, and lays claim to a large part of its territory. Since 2017, it has repeatedly announced what it describes as standardised Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh. Each such exercise is intended to reinforce the........

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