‘In Between the Blurry Lines', a clearer view of Arunachal Pradesh

India Today

12-06-2025

In Between the Blurry Lines: 14 Defining Moments That Shaped Arunachal Pradesh, by Sonam Chombay, is a deeply insightful and timely contribution to add to India's understanding of one of its most critical frontier states—Arunachal Pradesh. At a time when the People's Republic of China continues to assert its unfounded territorial claims by renaming places in the state, this book becomes not just relevant but essential reading.Chombay's narrative comes from a place of lived experience, institutional knowledge and scholarly inquiry, which makes it stand apart from most existing literature on the region.advertisementChombay, a career civil servant from Tawang—epicentre of the geopolitical conflict between India and China—offers a rare blend of insider understanding and outsider training. Having worked extensively in Arunachal Pradesh for over a decade, Chombay's grasp of the state's political, administrative and socio-cultural fabric is layered and unique.In Between the Blurry Lines is arguably the first comprehensive attempt to document the modern history of Arunachal Pradesh, framed through 14 pivotal events, starting from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873. This regulation, which introduced the Inner Line, was supposedly to protect the indigenous tribes.
However, as Chombay narrates, its geopolitical intent was also to restrict influence from rival European powers like the Italians, Germans and French—and even from Indian mercantile communities such as the Marwaris and Bengalis. The undefined 'Outer Line' and the later attempt to demarcate it through the McMahon Line form the genesis of the contested frontier with China.advertisementWhat makes the book especially compelling is Chombay's ability to examine old narratives with a critical lens. In the concluding epilogue, he questions whether the Inner Line regulation, often justified as a protective measure, has outlived its utility from the perspective of the indigenous population, who now seek development while preserving their traditions. The clarity and empathy in this question are also an internal query the author is grappling with.The book is filled with fascinating and historical anecdotes. The story of Bob Khathing establishing Indian administration in Tawang 'without firing a single shot' is a tale of diplomatic finesse and administrative bravery that deserves wider recognition. Equally moving is the story of Tashi Gombu, a Brokpa yak-herder who became an Indian Army guide during the 1962 war and was later captured by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). His courage was eventually recognised by the government of India, and Chombay gives his story the space it deserves.The post-1962 period in Arunachal's integration is also explored with great depth. The cultural role of organisations like Vivekananda Kendra and Ramakrishna Mission in spreading Hindi as a link language and connecting the region to the national mainstream is noted with nuance. The takeaway for the reader is that integration was not just a military or administrative but a nation-building effort.advertisementChombay also examines how the Indian state viewed governance in frontier areas—initially governed as NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) under the ministry of external affairs following Verrier Elwin's philosophy of minimal intervention, then shifted under the ministry of home affairs, and finally given statehood, as a balancing act when Mizoram was being granted the same. These transitions are not just administrative; they reflect how the state's strategic value was understood and acted upon.The book is candid in pointing out the inconsistencies in the Indian state's developmental approach to Arunachal Pradesh. From years of neglect to L.K. Advani's admission in 2003 of a 'historic blunder', there is a clear turning point. The narrative traces the change from Dr Manmohan Singh's special economic package to the current infrastructural thrust under Narendra Modi, culminating in the inauguration of the state's airport. The symbolic naming of the airport after 'Donyi-Polo'—the Sun and Moon revered by the indigenous people—links the state's development with its civilisational ethos.The narrative of the book does demand patience from the reader at times. Certain chapters are dense, demanding reflection and re-reading; it is a reflection of the layered complexity of the subject. Many chapters could occasion standalone books, and yet, Chombay has managed to weave them into a coherent chronicle.advertisementIn Between the Blurry Lines is a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand the historical, cultural and strategic significance of Arunachal Pradesh. It goes beyond the limited frameworks of academic discourse, and invites the reader to engage with the richness of a border state that has long lived in the shadow of geopolitics but is finally beginning to clear the blurry lines.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch