Picture : Twitter / ANI
The Indian Army has sought assistance of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to locate missing boy Miram Taron on their side and return him as per established protocol, sources in defence establishment said on Thursday.
Arunachal Pradesh’s MP Tapir Gao said that PLA on Tuesday abducted a 17-year-old boy from inside the Indian territory in state’s Upper Siang district. Gao tweeted
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Chinese #PLA has abducted Sh Miram Taron, 17 years of Zido vill. yesterday 18th Jan 2022 from inside Indian territory, Lungta Jor area (China built 3-4 kms road inside India in 2018) under Siyungla area (Bishing village) of Upper Siang dist, Arunachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/ecKzGfgjB7— Tapir Gao (@TapirGao) January 19, 2022
“His friend escaped from PLA and reported to the authorities. All the agencies of Govt of India are requested to step up for his early release,” he said in another tweet and posted pictures of the abducted boy.
Sources in defence establishment said on Thursday that when the Indian Army received the information about Taron, it immediately contacted the PLA through established mechanism of hotline informing that an individual, who was collecting herbs and hunting, has lost his way and cannot be found.
Assistance from PLA has been sought to locate the individual on their side and return him as per established protocol, sources noted. Gao said on Wednesday that the incident took place near the place where Tsangpo river enters India in Arunachal Pradesh.
Tsangpo is called as Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and Brahmaputra in Assam.
Ninong Ering, Congress MLA from Pasighat West claims, “17-year-old Miram Taron has been abducted by China’s PLA from Arunachal Pradesh’s Zido area, Upper Siang district, Lungta Jor area…It’s unfortunate that Chinese are intruding (into Indian territory).” pic.twitter.com/dvq8qGG4tS
— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2022
The MP also said that he has informed Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik about the incident and requested him to take necessary action in this regard.
In September 2020, the PLA had abducted five youths from Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district and released them after about a week.
The latest incident came at a time when the Indian Army continues to be engaged in a stand-off with PLA in eastern Ladakh since April 2020. There have been 14 round of military-level talks between India and China to resolve the standoff.
However, disengagement process is yet to be done in areas of Hot Springs, Depsang bulge and Demchok in eastern Ladakh. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. India shares a 3,400 km-long LAC with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
Reacting the news, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, saying India stood with the youth’s family.
गणतंत्र दिवस से कुछ दिन पहले भारत के एक भाग्य विधाता का चीन ने अपहरण किया है- हम मीराम तारौन के परिवार के साथ हैं और उम्मीद नहीं छोड़ेंगे, हार नहीं मानेंगे।
PM की बुज़दिल चुप्पी ही उनका बयान है- उन्हें फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ता!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 20, 2022
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala questioned the prime minister as to how the Chinese dared to transgress in Indian territory and abduct its citizen.
“Dear PM, How dare Chinese Army transgress into our territory again? How can GOI permit abduction of our citizens,” he asked on Twitter.
“How can GOI remain mum? Why is Govt not listening to the earnest appeal of its own MP,” he also asked.
“Please don’t say again – ‘No one has come and no one has been abducted,” he said using the hashtag ‘China’.
माननीय मोदी जी,
• चीनी सेना का ये दुस्साहस कैसे कि हमारी सरज़मीं पर फिर घुसपैठ की?
• चीन की ये हिम्मत कैसे कि वो भारतीय नागरिक को अगवा कर ले गए?
• हमारी सरकार चुप्पी क्यों साधे है?
• आप अपने MP की अपील क्यों नहीं सुन रहे?अब ये मत कहिएगा-“न कोई आया, न किसी को उठाया”#China https://t.co/mJntyq86jv
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 19, 2022
