Tawangpas, as they call themselves, are the only Indians who have lived under foreign occupation (in 1962) after gaining Independence from colonial rule.
Author
Sonia Trikha Shukla, Professor of Practice, Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Summary
The Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, where the clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers took place on December 9, has long been a theatre for contentious border scuffles. It was in the Tawang sector that the 1962 India-China war first began. It was also the last place where the ceasefire was implemented.
The population here consists mainly of Monpas, adherents of Tibetan Buddhism with a distinct local ethnic identity. With all the attention on the two militaries clashing, it is easy to forget the trauma that a border skirmish imposes on the local people. It is vital to note that the Tawangpas, as they call themselves, are the only Indians who have lived under foreign occupation (in 1962) after gaining Independence from colonial rule.
Published in: The Hindu
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