On Army Day the Ministry of Defence launched a portal on battlefields. The portal, released by the defence minister, has details of how to visit various well-known battlefields and war memorials, and where visitors can pay homage to those who laid down their lives. The regions being opened include Kibithoo (for the battle of Walong) and Bum La in Arunachal Pradesh, Rezang La, Pangong Tso and Galwan in Ladakh and Cho La and Doklam in Sikkim. Some features in Kargil, Batalik or Drass may also be opened for climbing enthusiasts to experience the heights at which the battles of the Kargil war were fought.

These are in addition to places which are already open for tourism in Punjab, Nathu La in Sikkim and parts of Arunachal including Zemithang. Battlefield tourism is just one part of what the government needs to do to change the pattern of livelihood of residents in villages close to the borders. The regions most impacted by shifting populations are Himachal and Uttarakhand, rather than Ladakh and Arunachal. It is these regions which need government emphasis. The army chief had stated in September last year that the army has contributed to building model villages in border regions as also developing infrastructure. He sought a whole-of-government approach towards addressing this issue. The Prime Minister had visited Mana in Uttarakhand in October 2022 and declared it as the first village of India, instead of the last village as it was previously termed.

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Uttarakhand alone has over 200 ghost villages mostly in border regions, which need to be developed and repopulated, if India is to continue exerting its claims. PM Modi’s visit to Mana was more than just a coincidence. In August last year, PM Modi had launched the Vibrant Village Programme in his Independence Day Speech. In........

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