Friday, January 11, 2008

Does the official Survey of India maps shows Arunachal Pradesh as we know of?

Posted by AG at 7:30 PM

No, says Sify.com report. A large tract of land at Anjaw, Dibang and Lohit districts of Arunachal Pradesh is officially shown as Chinese territory in maps certified by Survey of India.



(Picture taken from Sify.com-Map at top shows the official Arunachal Pradesh map as we know of, with area under review circled and the map below is the map sent by JFR Jacob to GoI)


"A Himalayan Blunder by Indian cartographers has led to a piquant situation along the disputed India-China border, with Indian troops patrolling a region which the official Survey of India maps show as Chinese territory.

Way back in December 1988, this glaring mistake was brought to the notice of the then Minister of External Affairs, P.V.Narasimha Rao, by the 1971 Bangladesh war hero and the former Chief of Staff and Army Commander, Eastern Command, Lt General J F R Jacob.

In his reply to General Jacob dated December 24, 1988, Rao, who later became the Prime Minister of India, accepted "the contradictions that India faced" and admitted that publishing maps with a border that the Chinese might use to their advantage could indeed be a grave issue. "We hope to resolve these in a proper way when we can discuss constructively with the Chinese," he wrote.

However, "the changing of maps at a time when substantive discussions with the Chinese take place also needs to be considered," wrote Rao. Twenty years later, the incorrect maps remain unchanged."

Now I wonder, two decades hence, the error in the map remains still uncorrected (let me know if corrected), is the government serious about solving the boundary row with China?
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4 comments:

  • Buru

    I believe the source of this 'error'is this:

    The British first reached the Tibetan border in 1943 in that sector, and unilaterally put border stones in the outskirts of Walong(ie British India -Tibet border).That stayed as the boundary line till the Assam Rifles unilaterally advanced the boundary far into Tibet during Nehru's 'Forward Policy' in the fifties, while the Chinese were busy subduing Khampa rebels and the Tibetans fighting Chinese.The Chinese re-captured this area in 1962 but withdrew later.
    Many of the Official Survey Maps are relics of the British era, hence this 'error'. I have seen post-Independence Official Indian maps which clearly showed Tawang within Tibet so it comes as no great surprise to me.

    January 21, 2008 at 6:55 PM
  • Sundarraj Jayaraj

    Nice blog !!!!! .I am interest to post comment in this blog about my china trip last year .me and my family member enjoyed lot . Hukou Waterfalls (Kettle Spout Falls) is very beautiful waterfall in china .
    The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation. In its basin, there is a tourist attraction that visitors should not miss. That is Hukou Waterfalls, a glistening pearl in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is located in Yichuan County in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is the only magnificent yellow waterfall in the world and the second biggest waterfall in China after Huangguoshu Waterfall .
    When the mighty Yellow River flows through mountains and gorges to Hukou, the billowy water streams narrow suddenly, falling 30 meters (33 yards) into a deep riverbed like a herd of galloping horses, transforming the quiet river into a turbulent one. The thundering sound can be heard from quite a distance. The tremendous mass of water strikes the rocks, creating piles of foam and huge water poles. It is an amazing view with mist all around. The riverbed here is like an enormous teapot absorbing all the rushing water, so the waterfall is named Hukou Waterfalls (Kettle Spout Falls). No matter its rumbling sound, its grand vigor or its marvelous scenery can make you exclaim that the nature is really incredible.
    The power of the yellow water of Hukou Waterfalls is tremendous when falling down to the pond, so it is hard for you to get close to the main waterfall. Looking from a distance, you still can enjoy the vast and gorgeous yellow ocean of mist-covered water. The big waves and foam, like angry beasts, are running and roaring. The beauty and vigor of the waterfalls are indeed beyond words. You cannot know unless you visit it in person.
    There are many wonders at Hukou Waterfalls, such as smoke from the river, boats on land, rainbows in the sunshine, and so on. In Hukou the water falls to the deep pond from a relatively high place, stirring the mist which rises high into the air like surging heavy smoke coming out of the river. You can see various shapes of rainbows formed by the rising mist, refracted by the sunshine from different angles. Sometimes rainbows are arched, cutting into the river from the sky like a dragon playing with water; sometimes they are colored ribbons lying across the river; sometimes they become colorful masses which change second by second. The water in Hukou is very much torrential, so all the boats from the upper reaches must be pulled out of the river onto to the bank when they arrive. These boats will have to detour around this section, carried by a group of boatmen or shipped by truck before they can be put in the river again.
    The view of Hukou Waterfalls changes according to the seasons. In spring the frozen ground thaws and the stalactites of snow fall into the pond like the mountains collapsing and the earth cracking up. In summer and autumn there is much rainfall. With the rains, the river rushes and the yellow waves seem to reach the sky. In winter Hukou Waterfalls gives the visitors another new look. On the surface of the silvery ice waterfalls, cool water flows down. Little silver icicles hang on the cliffs around the waterfalls. It presents you a distinctive natural landscape of the northern region of China.
    The Hukou Waterfalls has for years attracted visitors from all over the world. You can have a better understanding of natural wonder if you come here in person. The Hukou Waterfalls will give you a warm welcome with its thrilling sound, rolling golden waves, changing scenery and majestic vigor.
    Transportation: You can take number 4, 6, 16, or 19 bus to the bus station in Yanan City and then taking the regular buses to Hukou Waterfalls. The buses to Hukou Waterfalls will be delivered every 30 minutes and the whole journey will take you about four hours.

    February 27, 2008 at 7:07 PM
  • Sangos

    Our Chinese neighbours breaking their heads over Arunachal from Tawang through Khonsa(who says China is upto the Lohit - even Assam looks tasty!)... just use google translate to understand the beautiful pictorial language
    http://www.xzqh.org/bbs/simple/index.php?t24573.html

    Hey these guys talk as if Arunachal 'Southern Tibet' is actually Chinese. Confident chaps! Dont blame them with the upcoming road/rail/air links through Lhasa-Nyingchi-Kunming plus space/nuclear weapons. Think India's got a software super secret weapon to counter China(just kidding)with the button up its whatever..this is SERIOUS man!@?

    Btw to get chinese internet stuff on arunachal use their local search engine www.baidu.com. Its banned in China btw so dont hope to pull up the politburo's secrets!

    May 13, 2008 at 10:23 PM
  • Abhinav Kamani

    Forget the Anjaw, Dibang and Lohit districts........the massive Chinese now claims that the whole state of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to them. Recently they started fuming India by issuing free visas ( I mean without the need of any visas ) , the Arunachalis can travel into the mainland of China.......have they ever thought of the security consequences ???

    November 29, 2012 at 4:05 PM

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