The era when anyone could encroach on India's land has passed and no one can dare to eye its border, Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Monday. Launching the Vibrant Villages programme in the border village of Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh, India’s easternmost place, Shah said the valour of army and ITBP personnel ensures that no one can encroach even an inch of India's land.
He said border areas are the top priority of the Modi Government, pointing to the infrastructure and other development works carried out in the Northeast. "The era is gone when anyone could encroach on our lands. Now, not even land equal to 'sui ki nook' (inch of land) can be encroached...," the minister said.
Paying homage to the martyrs of Kibithoo who laid down their lives during the 1962 war, Shah said they fought with indomitable spirit despite the lack of resources. Shah said no one says 'Namaste' in Arunachal Pradesh as people greet each other with 'Jai Hind' that "fills our hearts with patriotism".
"It is because of this attitude of Arunachalis that China which had come to occupy it had to retreat," Shah said. Earlier, people who returned from border areas used to say that they have visited the last village of India but the Modi government has changed this narrative with people now saying that they have visited the first village of India, Shah said.
"Before 2014, the entire Northeastern region was seen as a disturbed area but because of the Look East policy, it is now known for its prosperity and development," Shah said.
