GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: The updated Survey of India map has formally assigned standard names to 27 locations and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh, including four mountain passes and a high-altitude lake, in a move aimed at reinforcing India’s territorial claims and countering China’s repeated attempts to rename places in the state.
The Union home ministry said on Friday that the names were finalised in consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh government. The formal identification of the locations on Survey of India maps is intended to ensure their accurate recognition and improve public awareness, the ministry said.
Of the 27 locations, one is a monument. Three others — Longju, Maja and Bisa — are strategically significant border villages in Upper Subansiri district.
The list also includes three passes along the McMahon Line in Upper Subansiri — Dzo La, Riza La and Pukur La. Thag La Pass, the site of a major battle during the 1962 India-China war, is located along the border in Tawang district.
“These places are already marked on Indian military maps, including maps dating back to 1962. Their inclusion on Survey of India maps is a significant counter to China,” a source said.
Several of the locations have strong links to the history of the India-China border dispute. Longju was among the early flashpoints in the dispute and was occupied by Chinese troops in 1959.
Thag La overlooks the Namka Chu valley, where fighting began in the 1962 war after Chinese forces crossed the McMahon Line.
The updated map also includes Jaswant Garh in Tawang, a memorial to Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, who became one of the best-known Indian soldiers of the 1962 war.
Another memorial on the list is the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial in Upper Subansiri, dedicated to Havildar Shere Thapa, whose resistance at Rio Bridge is credited with delaying the Chinese advance during the conflict.
The only lake included among the newly standardised features is Sambho Sarovar, a high-altitude glacial lake.
The remaining locations are spread across several districts. These include Bara Kundun, Chhota Kundun and Dhan Bari in Anjaw; Pritnagar, Buddhamandir, Jairampur, Teritnagar and Ramnagar in Changlang; Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar and Baisakhi in West Kameng; Chhota Ropuk and Bara Ropuk in Upper Subansiri; and Shivaji Nagar, Sunpura and Kamlang Nagar in Lohit.
The move comes months after China announced Chinese names for 23 locations in Arunachal Pradesh in April. Beijing refers to Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet” and has periodically undertaken similar renaming exercises.
India rejected the move, with the external affairs ministry saying that assigning “fictitious names” to places in Arunachal Pradesh would not change the reality that the state “was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
The McMahon Line, agreed during the 1914 Simla Convention, serves as the de facto boundary between India and China in the eastern sector and separates Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet. China does not recognise the boundary.
