Northeastern students, ABVP members held for anti-China protest

A group of students from the northeast, along with some ABVP activists, were detained on Tuesday as they were going to protest outside the Chinese embassy here against the Chinese government's move to rename six towns in Arunachal Pradesh.

Starting from Arunachal Bhawan, the agitators headed towards the Chinese Embassy but were stopped midway by police.

The protesters of the Arun Chetna Manch also included a few members of RSS-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were continuously shouting slogans like 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'

"We joined these people because the leader of the demonstration (Romjir Rakshapa) is a Delhi University cultural secretary and we support India' s integrity " ABVP member Himang Verma told IANS.

Rakshapa said that he belongs to Arunachal Pradesh and lives in one of the renamed towns, and that he cannot allow it.

"Arunachal Pradesh is part of India... My district's name is changed to something which I cannot even pronounce. I am a proud soul of India, " he told media persons.

"The Chinese government is also misleading people through media that inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh support China and want to be a part of it, which is a complete falsehood... I am an Arunachali and I belong to India, " he added.

The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on April 14 on its website that it had standardised in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet names of six places in Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls "South Tibet".

--IANS

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