The question isn’t being asked quietly anymore. The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee took the gloves off on July 27, going after the state’s BJP government on issues that cut right to the bone — China’s creeping shadow on the border, rotting healthcare, and schools that exist only on paper.
“Go to the Border. Take the Media. Show Us.”
APCC Working President Tanga Byaling didn’t mince words. He directly challenged Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Home Minister Mama Natung to stop talking from their offices and actually visit the Indo-Tibetan border with a press team in tow. His point was blunt: if the government is so confident there’s no Chinese encroachment, prove it. This came just a day after Home Minister Natung brushed off reports of Chinese activity in Arunachal’s Taksing sector — Upper Subansiri district — calling them “lies and social media rumours.” Easy to say in a press conference. Much harder to say standing at the border itself.
Byaling also took a jab at the BJP’s habit of dragging the 1962 war into every border conversation. “The people are asking questions about what is happening today,” he said. And he’s right. Residents living along those borders know the ground reality better than any government spokesperson ever could. The questions being asked are about 2020 onwards — not six decades ago.
Hospitals Running on Empty
The Congress leader didn’t stop at the border. He turned his attention to the state’s healthcare system, and what he described paints a grim picture. District hospitals and health centres across Arunachal apparently continue to run short on doctors, specialists, and even basic medicines — despite the government spending significantly on procurement. Where is that money going? Byaling demanded an independent probe into alleged financial irregularities and a statewide verification of pharmacies, some of which, he claimed, are being run by people with no proper qualifications or licenses. That’s not a minor administrative slip. That’s people’s lives at risk.
He also flagged something that quietly angers many — qualified Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe pharmacists and lab technicians sitting without jobs while those positions are allegedly filled through irregular appointments. The demand: a complete review of recruitment rules, merit lists, and reservation norms.
Schools That Exist Only on Paper
And then there’s education. Byaling alleged that several schools across the state lack adequate teachers and infrastructure. Some, he claimed, exist only on paper. Think about what that actually means — government records showing a functioning school, funds allocated, salaries possibly drawn, while children in that area have nowhere to go. He demanded a public audit of schools, teacher vacancies, and how education funds have been utilized.
The Bigger Picture
What Byaling is essentially saying is this: the BJP government in Arunachal has built a habit of relying on optics over accountability. “Propaganda” was the word he used. And that single word carries weight when border residents feel unheard, patients find empty medicine shelves, and children study in broken or non-existent schools.
The people of Arunachal Pradesh, sitting at one of the most strategically sensitive corners of the country, deserve far better than silence wrapped in reassurance. Truth, transparency, and real governance — that’s not a political slogan. That’s a basic right.
HASHTAGS
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